Regular Stripe Patterns in Skeletonized Langmuir−Blodgett Films of Arachidic Acid

Abstract

Regular stripe patterns are formed in skeletonized LB films of two arachidic acid monolayers deposited on Si wafers from Cd2+-containing aqueous subphase after monolayer transfer at pH 5.7. These stripe patterns are very different from those less regular patterns observed at lower or higher pH values of the aqueous subphase. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and phase shift interference microscopy (PSIM) studies have shown that these stripes are grooves aligned in definite distances along the meniscus and perpendicular to the dipping direction of the monolayer transfer. There exist deep straight grooves of about 6 nm depth in a regular distance and between them less marked stripelike defect lines. These regular stripe patterns occur only in the skeletonized LB films, but they are already preformed during the monolayer transfer onto the solid substrate. The formation of the regular stripe patterns is decisively affected by the arachidic acid/cadmium arachidate ratio but also by the dipping rate. The direct correlation to the autooscillations of the meniscus suggests an electrohydrodynamic instability mechanism as cause for the nonuniform ordering and composition of the LB film.