a Laboratoire de Physicochimie des Interfaces, Ecole Centrale de Lyon-BP 163-69131 Ecully, France
b Laboratoire d'Electrochimie Interfaciale-CNRS 1, Place Aristide Briand-92195 Meudon, France
Abstract:
The Si/modified SiO2/electrolyte structure is a very simple tool for studying ionic adsorption at the modified SiO2/electrolyte interface, where ionic response of ISFET sensors (Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor) originates. This paper presents a study of H+ adsorption on Si/SiO2 and Si/alkyl grafted SiO2/electrolyte structures by one electrical method—capacitance measurements—and two electro-optical methods—electroreflectance and photocurrent measurements. The pH responses obtained by the three techniques are similar: about 27 mV per pH unit for bare SiO2 and about 12 mV per pH unit for C17 grafted SiO2. The electro-optical methods afford the advantage of allowing localized measurements, thus obtaining the topography of the surface.