Electronic properties of Si surfaces and side reactions during electrochemical grafting of phenyl layers

The electrochemical grafting process of 4-nitrobenzene and 4-methoxybenzene (anisole) from diazonium salt solutions has been investigated in situ by monitoring the current density, the band bending, and the nonradiative surface recombination during grafting at different potentials and different concentrations of the diazonium salt in the solution. Ex situ infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used to inspect the Si surface species before and after the grafting process. The band bending decreases with either increasing concentration of diazonium salt or when the redox potential of the diazonium compound (anisole) is nearer to the competing H⁺/H ₂ couple. The surface recombination increases at more cathodic potentials if an electron donor group is present at the phenyl ring (nitrobenzene) and vice versa for the electron acceptor group (anisole). The influence of side reactions can be reduced by use of moderate concentration and moderate or strong cathodic potential, depending on the redox potential of the diazonium compound.