Micron scale and nanoscale structure of mesoporous silica thin films

Abstract Ordered mesoporous silica thin films have been prepared on silicon substrates by spin-coating technique using poly(alkaline oxide) triblock copolymers EO 20 PO 70 EO 20 (P123) as structure-directing agent. The X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy investigations show that the obtained mesoporous silica thin films have an ordered pore array structure in nanoscale. The atomic force microscopy analysis reveals that the obtained mesoporous silica thin films exhibit a tile arrangement structure in micron scale.