AbstractWe have measured autoadhesion (e.g. stiction) of individual polysilicon beams by interferometric optical microscopy. Untreated cantilever beams were dried from water in air, while treated beams were coated with a hydrophobic molecular coating of octadecyltrichlorosilane (ODTS). Adhesion values obtained for beams adhered to the substrate over a long length (large d) are independent of beam length with values of 16.7 and 4.4 mJ/m2 for untreated and treated samples respectively. These values can be understood in terms of differences in surface chemistry and polysilicon roughness. Using the shortest length beam which remains attached to the substrate, adhesion values were 280 and 16 mJ/m2 respectively. These higher values may be a result of capillarity effects. We recommend that measurements be made on beams in which d is large, in contrast to the current practice of noting the shortest beam adhered.
