Understanding the effects of surface chemistry on Q: Mechanical energy dissipation in alkyl-terminated ([C.sub.1]-[C.sub.18]) microchemical silicon resonators

Mechanical energy dissipation in a micromechanical silicon resonator is sensitive to submonolayer changes in surface chemistry. These resonators terminated by a single monolayer of methyl groups have higher quality factors which then lower the rates of mechanical energy dissipation than comparable resonators terminated with either long-chain alkyl monolayers or hydrogen monolayers.