Formation on copper of perfluoroetheralkyl-thiol and dithiol self-assembled monolayers with a perfluoropolyether overlayer

Copper based electrical contacts are widely used thanks to the high electric conductivity and low cost of this metal. However, the efficiency and durability of the devices can be affected by several factors including metal oxidation and corrosion. In this paper, a bilayer mixed lubricant has been developed to attenuate those hindrances. It is composed of an immobile layer (perfluoroetheralkyl-thiol and dithiol SAMs) to reduce copper corrosion, and by a mobile layer (PFPE lubricant) to reduce the friction. The perfluorinated SAMs have been successfully achieved on copper and the resulting monolayers exhibit high blocking and insulating behaviors. The spreading of PFPE lubricant on those self-assemblies has then been performed. The resulting bilayer systems are homogeneous and completely wetted by the lubricant. Furthermore, the bilayer systems show higher retention of the thin lubricant film than the bare copper. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.