Abstract
We have investigated the behavior of water adsorption on alkali halide surfaces in air at room temperature using the noncontact monitoring mode of a scanning force microscope (SFM). We have found a formation of water droplet pattern on LiF (001) surface and subsequent formation of a uniform film, as reported on BaF2(111) surface. However, no water droplet pattern was observed on NaCl (001) surface. The SFM image from NaF (001) surface has revealed complicated features with water droplet pattern. The different H2O adsorption patterns for LiF, NaF and NaCl seem to be induced by the competition between water-water and water-substrate interactions.
