AFM‐Untersuchungen zu adhäsiven Wechselwirkungen an einkristallinem Si und voroxidiertem SiC in Abhängigkeit von der relativen Luftfeuchte

AFM investigations of the adhesive interactions of single‐crystal Si and preoxidized SiC as a function of the relative humidity The chemical structure of untreated and thermally oxidized single‐crystal 6H‐SiC surfaces was analysed using Auger electron spectroscopy. The wetting behaviour of the surfaces by water was studied using “sessile drop” method, and measurement of the adhesion force between Si tips and sample surfaces was conducted using an atomic force microscope. At a low humidity the adhesion force depended on the annealing temperature used for preoxidation. This was primarily attributed to different Si₄C₄O₄ volume fractions in the amorphous, stoichiometric SiO₂ surface layers, which varied as a function of the preoxidation treatment. The decrease of the adhesion force with increasing humidity varied owing to the different wetting properties of the samples.