Characterisation of lithographically patterned organosilane monolayers by preferential adsorption of dye molecules.

A method for the visualisation of micropatterned spots of molecular organosilane monolayers by adsorption of dyes is presented. Therefore, microspot arrays consisting of different types of organosilane monolayers are exposed to dye solutions. After this immersion, the chips are rinsed in a solvent, resulting in a locally differentiated fluorescence intensity. The contrast between silanized and non-silanized surface areas depends on the applied dyes and their solution concentrations. Charge and polarity seems to play an important role in the adsorption. In result, the pattern of molecular organosilane monolayers can easily be identified by intensity differences of fluorescence radiation from the different regions of chip surfaces.