Figure 3. Associated molecular reaction mechanisms for the peel-and-stick process.

(a) Reaction between a water molecule and a strained Si-O bond at crack-tip. (b) An atomic force microscopy (AFM) image for corresponding SiO₂ surfaces without (left side) or with (right side) going through the peel-and-stick process. (c) Average height differences (Δh) between the left side and right side of the SiO₂ surface in Fig. 3b. (d) Reaction between a water molecule and a strained Si-O-Si bond located at the 2^nd atomic layer from the top SiO₂ surface.