Reduction Of Film Thickness Research Articles

A fully coupled tribo-dynamic model for piston-ring-liner system

As key friction pairs affecting the whole engine reliability, the piston-ring-liner system generates more than 45% of the whole engine friction loss. But so far, three-dimensional tribo-dynamic models considering its complex motions are very limited. This paper proposes a new method from the perspective of multi-flexible-body dynamics to realize a fully coupled modeling of the system’s deformation, dynamics, and lubrication characteristics. The study considers the ring-groove contact characteristics and calculates the system boundary loads through the blow-by model. The effect mechanism of ring groove deformation on ring properties is revealed, and the system’s complex tribo-dynamic behaviors such as twisting and fluttering are characterized. After fully coupled modeling, piston deformation at the ring groove position can be 65.80 µm, resulting in a 1.33 µm reduction in the minimum oil film thickness compared to the uncoupled model, and ring wear unevenness is aggravated.

(Invited) Extremely-Thin Body Goi Channel Technology in Nano-Sheet FET Era

According to the CMOS roadmap, CMOS after the 2 nm technology node is supposed to change to a nano-sheet structure, where the continuous reduction in channel film thickness is favorable in terms of device scaling. However, one of the biggest challenge in thinning channel films of conventional semiconductor materials is the significant reduction of channel mobility. From this viewpoint, we have been experimentally and theoretically investigating whether the ultrathin Ge-On-Insulator (GOI) channels on Si platforms can achieve high mobility and how high mobility can be maintained even in the extremely-thin GOI channels. In this present, we will focus on these issues and report on materials and device engineering methods in realizing high performance extremely-thin GOI MOSFETs.It is well known that compressive strain is effective in improving pMOSFET performance. We have long been working on improving the performance of ultra-thin GOI pMOSFETs [1-5] formed on Si substrates using the Ge condensation method [6]. By optimizing the condensation process, inserting an annealing step, slowing the temperature cooling rate after the condensation is completed [1], and reducing the SiGe film thickness of the initial substrate, we have achieved high quality GOI films with 1.75-time-higher compressive strain [2, 3]. This high strain does not relax even after thinning down to about 3 nm. Clear device operation has been confirmed even for 2-nm-thick GOI pMOSFETs, which were thinned down by the digital etching method [7]. Although a decrease in mobility is observed with reducing the film thickness, the introduction of compressive strain can lead to a significant increase in mobility even in the extremely-thin film region. Also, the mobility in pMOSFETs is known to be further improved by using uniaxial compressive strain rather than biaxial compressive strain [8]. Therefore, we introduced quasi-uniaxial strain by patterning the biaxial-strain GOI structure into narrow wire shapes and relaxing the strain along the channel width direction, which can introduce highly uniaxial compressive strain along the <110> direction [4, 5]. It has been experimentally shown that this asymmetric strain can further improve the hole mobility in GOI pMOSFETs, attributable to the reduction of effective mass [4, 5].On the other hand, tensile strain is effective in improving the electron mobility of nMOSFETs. Recently, we have found that, by continuing to oxidize the condensation GOI substrate with compressive strain, the strain changes from compressive to tensile one, resulting in an increase in electron mobility of fabricated GOI nMOSFETs [9, 10]. Such a technology to control strain condition of GOI channels is promising for realizing future GOI CMOS.In addition, an ultrathin (111) GOI channel is also expected for high performance ultrathin nMOSFETs [11-13]. In order to realize this device, (111) GOI wafers on Si substrates were realized by using the smart-cut technology [14-16]. High quality (111) GOI substrates can be achieved by choosing appropriate annealing temperatures. (111) GOI nMOSFETs fabricated on this substrate have been found to have higher electron mobility than (100) GOI ones, as previously found on bulk Ge substrates. The high electron mobility is expected even in ultra-thin films less than 10 nm, as theoretically predicted, by improving interfacial properties at the bonded interface.This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (17H06148, 22H00208), and Nanotechnology Platform project by MEXT (JPMXP09A20UT0046), Japan.

Enhancing CO2 absorption with amino acid ionic liquid [N1111][Gly] aqueous solution by twin-liquid film flow: Experimental and numerical study

• The rheological response of [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution during CO 2 capture. • Twin-liquid film behavior with [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution and its mass transfer performance. • Film thickness is reduced and film velocity is improved for high viscosity [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution by twin-liquid film. • Accommodation of the twin-liquid film to fluid viscosity by modulating window dimensions. Tetramethylamine glycine ([N 1111 ][Gly]) (ILs) is a potential substitute for the alcohol amine absorbent. However, its high viscosity restricts industrial CO 2 absorption due to poor mass transfer performance. Surface renewal is the key to enhance interfacial mass transfer for highly viscous fluids. Considering the rheological response of the [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution during CO 2 capture, the twin-liquid film is suggested for the [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution. The behavior of the twin-liquid film has been investigated by flow experiments and numerical simulation. Reduction of film thickness and improvement of surface velocity can be achieved by the interplay between the twin films, which enhances surface renewal frequency. The accommodation of the twin-liquid film to fluid viscosity can be satisfied by modulating window dimensions. The enhanced mass transfer performance of the twin-liquid film with [N 1111 ][Gly] aqueous solution, illustrated by enhanced surface renewal frequency, proves it a feasible way for industrial CO 2 capture.

Modeling the Effect of Low Pt Loading Cathode Catalyst Layer in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells. Part II: Parametric Analysis

A parametric analysis is presented using a previously validated 1D model for a cathode catalyst layer (CL). The results show that maximum power density at low Pt loading can be maximized with relatively thin CLs (thickness ∼ 2 μm) featuring a high carbon volume fraction (low ionomer-to-carbon weight ratio, I/C) compared to high Pt loading CLs. The shift of the optimal carbon volume fraction (I/C ratio) is caused by the dominant role of the local oxygen transport resistance at low Pt loading, which is lowered by a reduction of the average ionomer film thickness (better ionomer distribution among carbon particles). In contrast, at high Pt loading, higher porosity and pore radius (lower carbon volume fraction) is beneficial due to an increase of bulk effective diffusivity despite thickening of ionomer films. Moreover, the results show that performance at low Pt loading is significantly improved with increasing mass-specific activity. The effect of average saturation and ionomer permeability on performance at low Pt loading is lower compared to dry CL composition and mass-specific activity.

Fine-Grained Sediment Characterization and Process Monitoring Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

Abstract The intrinsic magnetic moment of hydrogen nuclei allows them to interact with externally imposed magnetic fields; then, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can be used to probe the pore space of wet soils using the water molecules in pores. Surface relaxivity at pore walls combines with molecular diffusion to produce a relaxation rate that is inversely proportional to the pore size in saturated specimens or the mean distance to a pore wall in unsaturated soils. We used NMR to nondestructively characterize pore size distribution, monitor changes in pore space during sedimentation, and track the evolution of water conditions during drying and infiltration. Results show that the evolution of relaxation time distribution reflects pore size contraction, water film thickness reduction, and pore water redistribution. In all cases, the mean relaxation time and water content exhibit a unique relationship for both saturated and unsaturated soils; we propose a parallel plate model to interpret this relationship that only depends on surface relaxivity and specific surface area. Finally, we impose a magnetic field gradient to obtain spatially resolved relaxation spectra; this technique shows the evolution of moisture profile with depth and changes in moisture transport mechanisms during 1D drying. The carefully designed experiments demonstrate the potential of NMR spectroscopy as an effective tool to monitor water conditions and characterize the pore space in fine-grained sediments.

Decoupling of Glassy Dynamics from Viscosity in Thin Supported Poly(n-butyl methacrylate) Films.

We utilized fast scanning calorimetry to characterize the glass transition temperature (Tg) and intrinsic molecular mobility of low-molecular-weight poly(n-butyl methacrylate) thin films of varying thicknesses. We found that the Tg and intrinsic molecular mobility were coupled, showing no film thickness-dependent variation. We further employed a unique noncontact capillary nanoshearing technique to directly probe layer-resolved gradients in the rheological response of these films. We found that layer-resolved shear mobility was enhanced with a reduction in film thickness, whereas the effective viscosity decreased. Our results highlight the importance of polymer–substrate attractive interactions and free surface-promoted enhanced mobility, establishing a competitive nanoconfinement effect in poly(n-butyl methacrylate) thin films. Moreover, the findings indicate a decoupling in the thickness-dependent variation of Tg and intrinsic molecular mobility with the mechanical responses (shear mobility and effective viscosity).

Role of Ambient Hydrogen in HiPIMS-ITO Film during Annealing Process in a Large Temperature Range.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were prepared by high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) and annealed in hydrogen-containing forming gas to reduce the film resistivity. The film resistivity reduces by nearly an order of magnitude from 5.6 × 10−3 Ω·cm for the as-deposited film to the lowest value of 6.7 × 10−4 Ω·cm after annealed at 700 °C for 40 min. The role of hydrogen (H) in changing the film properties was explored and discussed in a large temperature range (300–800 °C). When annealed at a low temperature of 300–500 °C, the incorporated H atoms occupied the oxygen sites (Ho), acting as shallow donors that contribute to the increase of carrier concentration, leading to the decrease of film resistivity. When annealed at an intermediate temperature of 500–700 °C, the Ho defects are thermally unstable and decay upon annealing, leading to the reduction of carrier concentration. However, the film resistivity keeps decreasing due to the increase in carrier mobility. Meanwhile, some locally distributed metallic clusters formed due to the reduction effect of H2. When annealed at a high temperature of 700–800 °C, the metal oxide film is severely reduced and transforms to gaseous metal hydride, leading to the dramatic reduction of film thickness and carrier mobility at 750 °C and vanish of the film at 800 °C.

Enabling ultra-low-voltage switching in BaTiO3.

Single crystals of BaTiO3 exhibit small switching fields and energies, but thin-film performance is considerably worse, thus precluding their use in next-generation devices. Here, we demonstrate high-quality BaTiO3 thin films with nearly bulk-like properties. Thickness scaling provides access to the coercive voltages (<100 mV) and fields (<10 kV cm-1) required for future applications and results in a switching energy of <2 J cm-3 (corresponding to <2 aJ per bit in a 10 × 10 × 10 nm3 device). While reduction in film thickness reduces coercive voltage, it does so at the expense of remanent polarization. Depolarization fields impact polar state stability in thicker films but fortunately suppress the coercive field, thus driving a deviation from Janovec-Kay-Dunn scaling and enabling a constant coercive field for films <150 nm in thickness. Switching studies reveal fast speeds (switching times of ~2 ns for 25-nm-thick films with 5-µm-diameter capacitors) and a pathway to subnanosecond switching. Finally, integration of BaTiO3 thin films onto silicon substrates is shown. We also discuss what remains to be demonstrated to enable the use of these materials for next-generation devices.

Vapor-Deposited Thin Films: Studying Crystallization and α-relaxation Dynamics of the Molecular Drug Celecoxib.

Crystallization is one of the major challenges in using glassy solids for technological applications. Considering pharmaceutical drugs, maintaining a stable amorphous form is highly desirable for improved solubility. Glasses prepared by the physical vapor deposition technique got attention because they possess very high stability, taking thousands of years for an ordinary glass to achieve. In this work, we have investigated the effect of reducing film thickness on the α-relaxation dynamics and crystallization tendency of vapor-deposited films of celecoxib (CXB), a pharmaceutical substance. We have scrutinized its crystallization behavior above and below the glass-transition temperature (Tg). Even though vapor deposition of CXB cannot inhibit crystallization completely, we found a significant decrease in the crystallization rate with decreasing film thickness. Finally, we have observed striking differences in relaxation dynamics of vapor-deposited thin films above the Tg compared to spin-coated counterparts of the same thickness.

Ambi-chiral anomalous Hall effect in magnetically doped topological insulators

The chirality associated with broken time reversal symmetry in magnetically doped topological insulators has important implications to the quantum transport phenomena. Here we report the anomalous Hall effect studies in Mn- and Cr-doped Bi$_2$Te$_3$ topological insulators with varied thickness and doping content. By tracing the chirality of the Hall loops, we find that the Mn-type anomalous Hall effect with clockwise chirality is strengthened by the reduction of film thickness, which is opposite to that of the Cr-type anomalous Hall effect with counterclockwise chirality. We provide a phenomenological model to explain the evolution of magnetic order and anomalous Hall effect chirality in magnetically doped topological insulators.

Quenching mechanism of spray cooling and the effect of system pressure

The present contribution addresses an open question about spray cooling: when does quenching occur? We performed water spray cooling tests with heated iron disks at system pressures ranging from 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa. Sample heating was carried out under high vacuum and then spray cooling in an argon environment, minimising the effect of surface oxidisation. The temperature for the onset of quenching was found to increase with the system pressure. We demonstrated that the quenching point could be predicted reasonably well by a mechanistic model that considers the force balance at the interface between the droplet and the vapour film underneath it. The influence of droplet impact velocity was also discussed. From the temperature histories obtained by the cooling tests, the rate of heat transfer in the film boiling regime was evaluated and found to increase with the system pressure. This was due to the increase in the saturation temperature which then led to the reduction of vapour film thickness, as corroborated by a Leidenfrost droplet model. Using the spray parameters, we quantified the amount of heat removed by a single droplet and compared it with theoretical models. Our analysis suggested a potential existence of partial droplet–surface contact even in the film boiling regime.

A Fast Thermoelastic Model Based on the Half-Space Theory Applied to Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication of Line Contacts Involving Free Boundaries

Abstract This study allows contact models based on semi-analytical methods including the impacts of thermoelastic deformations in contacts of finite dimension bodies. The proposed method controls heat flows crossing free boundaries. A comparison with finite element analysis (FEA) reveals that the proposed method can reduce the calculation times by more than 98%. The paper introduces the thermoelasticity effects into thermal-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TEHL) modeling of line contact problems. The analysis reveals that including thermoelastic deformations changes the pressure profile and tends to localize the pressure close to the distribution center. Compared to TEHL simulations, the examined configurations caused an overall increase in the maximum pressure by about 9%, an overall film thickness reduction of about 7%, and an overall temperature increase of about 2 K.

Evolution of magnetic and structural properties of MgO thin film with vacuum annealing

In this work, investigation of MgO thin film, deposited via e-beam evaporation is carried out with increasing annealing temperature. Structural properties, as elucidated using X-ray based techniques viz. grazing incidence XRD and X-ray reflectivity were associated with magnetic properties of film as observed using superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. As-deposited film is polycrystalline in nature and exhibits ferromagnetism, which is attributed to presence of Mg vacancies. Vacuum annealing results densification of film with concurrent increase in electron density and reduction in film thickness and saturation magnetization. However, at sufficiently high temperature, electron density and saturation magnetization decreases comparative to as-deposited film. The results are significant for the optimization of desired functional properties of MgO particularly in MgO based magnetic tunnel junctions, providing high tunnel magnetoresistance ratio.

Orbital Order Melting at Reduced Dimensions.

The orbital degree of freedom, strongly coupled with the lattice and spin, is an important factor when designing correlated functions. Whether the long-range orbital order is stable at reduced dimensions and, if not, what the critical thickness is remains a tantalizing question. Here, we report the melting of orbital ordering, observed by controlling the dimensionality of the canonical eg1 orbital system LaMnO3. Epitaxial films are synthesized with vertically aligned orbital ordering planes on an orthorhombic substrate, so that reducing film thickness changes the two-dimensional planes into quasi-one-dimensional nanostrips. The orbital order appears to be suppressed below the critical thickness of about six unit cells by changing the characteristic phonon modes and making the Mn d orbital more isotropic. Density functional calculations reveal that the electronic energy instability induced by bandwidth narrowing via the dimensional crossover and the interfacial effect causes the absence of orbital order in the ultrathin thickness.

Enhanced Glass Transition Temperature of Thin Polystyrene Films Having an Underneath Cross-Linked Layer.

Due to the importance of the interface in the segmental dynamics of supported macromolecule ultrathin films, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polystyrene (PS) ultrathin films upon solid substrates modified with a cross-linked PS (CLPS) layer has been investigated. The results showed that the Tg of the thin PS films on a silica surface with a ∼5 nm cross-linked layer increased with reducing film thickness. Meanwhile, the increase in Tg of the thin PS films became more pronounced with increasing the cross-linking density of the layer. For example, a 20 nm thick PS film supported on CLPS with 1.8 kDa of cross-linking degree exhibited a ∼35 and ∼50 K increase in Tg compared to its bulk and that on neat SiO2 substrate, respectively. Such a large Tg elevation for the ultrathin PS films was attributed to the interfacial aggregation states in which chains diffused through nanolevel voids formed in the cross-linked layer to the SiO2-Si surface. In such a situation, the chains were topologically constrained in the cross-linked layer with less mobility. These results offer us the opportunity to tailor interfacial effects by changing the degree of cross-linking, which has great potential application in many polymer nanocomposites.

Boundary Slip-Induced Temperature Rise and Film Thickness Reduction Under Sliding/Rolling Contact in Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication

Abstract Temperature rise and film thickness reduction are the most important factors in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL). In the EHL contact area, interfacial resistances (velocity/thermal slips) induced by the molecular interaction between lubricant and solid become significant due to the large surface/volume ratio. Although the velocity slip has been investigated extensively, less attention has been paid on the thermal slip in the EHL regime. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted by applying three cases of boundary slips to surfaces under sliding/rolling contacts moving in the same direction for the Newtonian thermal EHL. We found that the coupled velocity/thermal slips lead the most significant temperature rise and film thickness reduction among the three cases. The velocity slip results in a lower temperature in the lubricant and solids, whereas the thermal slip causes a temperature rise in the entire contact area in the lubricant as the film thickness decreases simultaneously. Furthermore, the effect of thermal slip on lubrication is more dominant than that of velocity slip, which increases the entrainment velocity or slide–roll ratio.

Spectral properties of polycrystalline MoS2 films grown by RF magnetron sputtering

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) polycrystalline thin films of different thicknesses have been deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering and then post-annealed. The resonant and non-resonant Raman spectra consist of broadened, insignificantly shifted peaks, pointing out that the atomic structure of MoS2 in thin films is preserved. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy suggest that the mean crystallite size of MoS2 thin films ranges from 2.8 to 4.2 nm with increasing film thickness. The blue shift in the optical absorption spectra with the decreasing mean crystallite size and decreasing layer thickness provides tailorability of the bandgap. The increase in the effective bandgap from 1.6 to 1.9 eV is apparent with the reduction in film thickness from 24 to 1.5 nm. It can be seen that even for thick films, whose thickness can be compared to the bulk sample, the value of the effective bandgap is higher than 1.2 eV, as reported for bulk MoS2. It is presumed that this effect could be attributed to the quantum size effect exerted by two types of energy barriers: grain boundaries and layer surfaces. The experimentally measured bandgap of MoS2 thin films is compared with the predictions of the effective mass approximation and the hyperbolic band approximation models for the crystallites building up the films.

Luting indirect restorations with resin cements versus composite resins: Effects of preheating and ultrasound energy on film thickness.

This study aims to evaluate and compare the film thickness obtained with a resin cement and two composite resins, preheated and/or ultrasonically vibrated, as luting agents. One hundred and twenty-six (126) pairs of resin discs were randomly assigned to six experimental groups (n= 21) according to luting agent (Variolink Esthetic LC, IPS Empress Direct or Estelite Omega) and cementation technique (preheating at 68°C and/or ultrasonic vibration). Specimens were luted by applying a controlled force. Following sectioning and film thickness measurement through field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, statistical analysis was carried out considering a 5% significance level. Statistically significant lower film thickness was observed in Variolink Esthetic LC group when compared to all composite resin groups (p< 0.001), except IPS Empress Direct preheated and ultrasonically vibrated group (p = 0.073). IPS Empress Direct with ultrasonic vibration yielded statistically lower film thickness values than Estelite Omega groups, regardless of luting technique (p< 0.05). Ultrasonically vibrated Estelite Omega groups showed statistically lower film thickness values than solely preheated groups (p< 0.05). Both Variolink Esthetic LC and IPS Empress Direct preheated and ultrasonically vibrated provided the lowest film thickness. The addition of ultrasonic vibration during cementation proved to be effective in reducing film thickness of both tested composite resins. The cementation technique will have variable results depending on the luting material. Adhesive cementation protocols with composite resins should mainly consider ultrasonic vibration, but also preheating, as strategies for reducing film thickness. The tested resin cement, alongside with IPS Empress Direct composite resin preheated and ultrasonically vibrated, provided the lowest film thickness among the tested materials and techniques.

Environmental fate of dibutylphthalate in agricultural plastics: Photodegradation, migration and ecotoxicological impact on soil

Phthalic acid esters (PAEs) were determined in polyethylene covers used in horticultural production units located at Moreno and La Plata districts (Buenos Aires, Argentina), detecting 0.69–8.75 mg PAEs kg−1 plastic in greenhouse and tunnel films. The PAEs found were diisobutylphthalate (DIBP), dibutylphthalate (DBP) and diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP). DBP was chosen as a model molecule to carry out the photochemical degradation studies that led to the formation of monobutylphthalate (MBP) and phthalic acid (PA).DBP, MBP and PA migration from plastic covers was studied, finding that while DBP and MBP moved to soil and atmosphere in short times (<48 h), PA remained in the agricultural covers. Further experiments with DBP were made to explore the effect on migration of temperature (20 °C, 50 °C), film thickness (25 μm, 100 μm) and plastic ageing by solarization, observing that temperature increase, film thickness reduction and ageing by solarization favored DBP migration to the environment.DBP and MBP impact on soil were evaluated by avoidance and reproduction tests using Eisenia andrei as bioindicator. Both compounds reduced cocoon viability decreasing the number of juveniles at the lowest concentration assayed (0.1 mg kg−1 of soil). At higher DBP and MBP concentrations the reproductive parameters (number of total cocoons, hatchability and number of juveniles) also showed alterations compared with the controls. Carboxylesterases (CaE), cholinesterases (ChE) and glutathion-S-transferases (GST) activities were analyzed in E. andrei exposed to DBP; cholinesterases activities were reduced at 1 and 10 mg DBP kg−1 soil, and glutathione S-transferases activities were increased at 10 mg DBP kg−1 soil while no effect was observed on carboxylesterases activities.These results emphasize the need to continue studying the impact of PAEs and their photodegradation products on the environment.

Enhanced surface coverage of anchoring quaternary ammonium salts (AQAS) on oxygen-plasma treated quartz substrates

Oxygen plasma treatment was applied to atomically flat quartz surfaces in order to study the effect of surface activity on the adsorption of a silyl anchored quaternary ammonium salt biocide. Reduction of contact angle of the quartz surfaces were achieved from 72° to between 14° and 20° by applying oxygen plasma at increasing power between 100 W and 500 W. XPS analysis of the plasma-treated quartz surfaces indicated an increase in the presence of oxygen, implying the conversion of quartz surface siloxane groups into surface hydroxyl groups, consistent with the reduction in contact angle. Surfaces were examined by AFM after adsorption of silyl anchoring quaternary ammonium salts (AQAS). The surface profile of samples indicated an increase in the thickness of the adsorbed AQAS layer from 2.9 ± 0.1 nm for pristine quartz surfaces to 19.0 ± 2.0 nm for oxygen plasma treated surfaces, which is approximately the vertical dimension of 6 oriented molecular layers. The covalently bonded AQAS layer on the quartz surface exhibits a discontinuous film structure consisting of micro-zones of AQAS layers separated by voids or gaps, defined as regions on the quartz surface free of bound AQAS layers. These zones and voids are a consequence of the varying hydrophilicity/adsorption capability of the quartz surface. Plasma treated surfaces also showed a 3-fold reduction of void dimension from 3 µm to 1 µm between the AQAS adsorbed zones on the quartz slide owing to the increased hydrophilicity and adsorption capability of the surface. A leaching study of the AQAS adsorbed-quartz surfaces resulted in the reduction of film thickness from 19.0 ± 2.0 nm to 8 ± 1.0 nm. This reduction indicates the removal of some loosely bound outer layers, but confirms the retention of the surface-anchored layer of AQAS as well as a second and perhaps third layer adsorbed on the anchored first layer. • Oxygen plasma treatment increases surface hydrophilicity of quartz surfaces. • Reduced contact angle of quartz due to conversion of surface siloxane groups into surface silanol groups. • AFM shows increased adsorption of AQAS and multilayering (19 nm ~6 molecular layers) on plasma treated quartz surfaces. • Leaching studies indicate removal of loosely bound higher AQAS layers, but retention of surface anchored AQAS layers.