Surface modification using ionic liquid ion beams

We developed an ionic liquid (IL) ion source using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM-PF6) and produced IL ion beams by applying a high electric field between the tip and the extractor. Time-of-flight measurements showed that small cluster and fragment ions were contained in the positive and negative ion beams. The positive and negative cluster ions were deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrates. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements showed that the composition of the deposited layers was similar to that of an IL solvent. This suggests that a cation (A+) or an anion (B−) was attached to an IL cluster (AB)n, resulting in the formation of positive cluster ions (AB)nA+ or negative cluster ions (AB)nB−, respectively. The surfaces of the IL layers deposited on Si(1 0 0) substrates were flat at an atomic level for positive and negative cluster ion irradiation. Moreover, the contact angles of the deposited layers were similar to that of the IL solvent. Thus, surface modification of Si(1 0 0) substrates was successfully demonstrated with BMIM-PF6 cluster ion beams.