| Abstract: | Designing surfaces that elicit the desirable response is essential for bioMEMS (biological microelectromechanical systems) applications. To this end, we have developed two different types of silane film—hydrophobic and hydrophilic—using vinyltrichlorosilane and poly(ethylene glycol) silane, respectively. As the surface topography plays a very important role in governing protein or cell interactions, these films were characterized extensively using atomic force microscopy. All the films developed were found to have a very low root‐mean‐square roughness value (<1.3 nm). Furthermore, the topography of protein‐adsorbed silane‐modified surfaces was investigated because cell adhesion is mediated primarily by proteins. Three‐dimensional and section plots were able to differentiate the way in which protein interacts with hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
