Monitoring damage of self-assembled monolayers using metastable excited helium atoms.

The breaking of molecular bonds during exposure to ionizing radiation and electron beams creates irreversible damage in the molecular structure. In some cases, such as lithography, controlled damage of a molecular resist is a desirable process and is the basis for the entire semiconductor industry. In other cases, such as environmental exposure or probing of the molecular structure, the induced damage is a major problem that has limited advances in science and technology.