of the conformed group. When this occurs across a large area the molecules support each other into forming their SAM shape seen in Figure 1. The orientation of the molecules can be described with two parameters: α and β. α is the angle of tilt of the backbone from the surface normal. In typical applications α varies from 0 to 60 degrees depending on the substrate and type of SAM molecule. β is the angle of rotation along the long axis of tee molecule. β is usually between 30 and 40 degrees. In some cases existence of kinetic traps hindering the final ordered orientation has been pointed out. Thus in case of dithiols formation of a "lying down" phase was considered an impediment to formation of "standing up" phase, however various recent studies indicate this is not the case. Many of the SAM properties, such as thickness, are determined in the first few minutes. However, it may take hours for defects to be eliminated via annealing and for final SAM properties to be determined. The exact kinetics of SAM formation depends on the adsorbate, solvent and substrate properties. In general, however, the kinetics are dependent on both preparations conditions and material properties of the solvent, adsorbate and substrate. Specifically, kinetics for adsorption from a liquid solution are dependent on: Temperature – room-temperature preparation improves kinetics and reduces defects. Concentration of adsorbate in the solution – low concentrations require longer immersion times and often create highly crystalline domains. Purity of the adsorbate – impurities can affect the final physical properties of the SAM Dirt or contamination on the substrate – imperfections can cause defects in the SAM The final structure of the SAM is also dependent on the chain length and the structure of both the adsorbate and the substrate. Steric hindrance and metal substrate properties, for example, can affect the packing density of the film, while chain length affects SAM thickness. Longer chain length also increases the thermodynamic stability. Patterning 1. Locally attract This first strategy involves locally depositing self-assembled monolayers on the surface only where the nanostructure will later be located. This strategy is advantageous because it involves high throughput methods that generally involve fewer steps than the other two strategies. The major techniques that use this strategy are: Micro-contact printing Micro-contact printing or soft lithography is analogous to printing ink with a rubber stamp. The SAM molecules are