Controlling Organic/Inorganic Junctions by Covalent Tethering at the Interface

Organic thin films were deposited on the surface of inorganic substrates that were modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) having reactive terminal units. The SAMs fill a role of polymerization initiator as well as anchoring points that tether the polymer chains to the inorganic surface. The covalent tethering was effective to improve not only the adhesion strength but also the surface morphology and charge injection characteristics of the organic thin films.