Abstract
We studied ~0.5 μm and 30–80 Å thick films of a normal dielectric liquid, tetrakis(2-ethylhexoxy)silane (TEHOS), at temperature range 228–286 K, deposited onto silicon (111) substrate with native oxide using X-ray reflectivity. TEHOS is spherical with size ~10 Å, non-polar, non-reactive, and non-entangling; TEHOS has been reported to show interfacial layering at room temperature and surface layering at 0.23 Tc (Tc≈ 950 K). For films \(\sim\!0.5\,\mu\)m thick, the reflectivity data did not change significantly as a function of temperature; for films 30–80 Å thick, the reflectivity data did change. The data could be fitted with an electron density model composed of a minimum necessary number of Gaussians and a uniform density layer with error-function broadened interfaces. When the film thickness is 60–80 Å below 246 K, we found that the interface and the surface layering coexist but do not overlap. When the film thickness is 30–40 Å below 277 K, they overlap and the electron density profile shows slowly decreasing molecular oscillations at the air-liquid interface.
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Lee, D., Choi, S., Lee, H. et al. Observation of slowly decreasing molecular oscillations in ultrathin liquid films using X-ray reflectivity. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 167, 163–169 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2009-00953-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2009-00953-4