ABSTRACT
Abstract-We report the morphology and water-barrier properties of silane films as measured mainly by neutron reflectivity. The silanes include bis[3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl]tetrasulfide (bissulfur) and bis-[trimethoxysilylpropyl]amine (bis-amino), as well as the mixture of these two silanes. Initial studies were performed on films spin-coated on silicon wafer substrates and cured at 80°C. Subsequent work addressed the same systems deposited on aluminum substrates and cured at 180°C. Our goal is to clarify the relationship between processing parameters, silane film morphology and water-barrier properties, while developing a database for optimizing their performance in anti-corrosion applications. The data showed that water vapor penetrates to the metal oxide interface for all films studied. The bulk silane films prepared at the conditions of our study are not water barriers.
