Surface chemistry of the iron tetraazamacrocycle on the aminopropyl‐modified surface of oxidized n‐Si(100) by AFM and XPS

The structure and formation mechanisms of 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (3‐APTS) films deposited on wet‐chemically grown silicon dioxide over n‐Si(100) wafer have been examined systematically using x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The asymmetric N 1s XPS spectrum for the anchored 3‐APTS was fitted for –NH 2 (399.6 ± 0.3 eV) and –NH 3 + (401.1 ± 0.3 eV). Rougher surfaces are obtained by deposition from toluene solutions than from the gaseous phase. Over the 3‐APTS layer was deposited the [FeTIM(CH 3 CN) 2 ] 2+ complex, where TIM is 2,3,9,10‐tetramethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradeca‐1,3,8,10‐tetraene. The adsorption occurs by acetonitrile replacement for the–NH 2 ‐grafted group with the equatorial plane parallel to the organomodified surface. Once FeTIM can bind a CO, NO or N‐heterocycle, a built‐on Si wafer sensor device could be envisaged for these molecules.