Is adhesion superficial? Silicon wafers as a model system to study van der Waals interactions

TL;DR

This paper reviews how van der Waals forces influence adhesion, emphasizing the importance of subsurface properties, and proposes silicon wafers with native oxide layers as a model system for studying these interactions.

Contribution

It highlights the significance of subsurface effects on adhesion and introduces silicon wafers as a practical model system for van der Waals interaction studies.

Findings

Van der Waals forces act beyond surface atoms, involving bulk material.

Silicon wafers with native oxide layers are effective model substrates.

Subsurface properties significantly influence adhesion measurements.

Abstract

Adhesion is a key issue for researchers of various fields, it is therefore of uppermost importance to understand the parameters that are involved. Commonly, only surface parameters are employed to determine the adhesive forces between materials. Yet, van der Waals forces act not only between atoms in the vicinity of the surface, but also between atoms in the bulk material. In this review, we describe the principles of van der Waals interactions and outline experimental and theoretical studies investigating the influence of the subsurface material on adhesion. In addition, we present a collection of data indicating that silicon wafers with native oxide layers are a good model substrate to study van der Waals interactions with coated materials.