interferometry being a real time technique with ~10 Hz resolution can measure the kinetics of monolayer self-assembly directly. Once the molecules are at the surface the self-organization occurs in three phases: 1. A low-density phase with random dispersion of molecules on the surface. 2. An intermediate-density phase with conformational disordered molecules or molecules lying flat on the surface. 3. A high-density phase with close-packed order and molecules standing normal to the substrate's surface. The phase transitions in which a SAM forms depends on the temperature of the environment relative to the triple point temperature, the temperature in which the tip of the low-density phase intersects with the intermediate-phase region. At temperatures below the triple point the growth goes from phase 1 to phase 2 where many islands form with the final SAM structure, but are surrounded by random molecules. Similar to nucleation in metals, as these islands grow larger they intersect forming boundaries until they end up in phase 3, as seen below. At temperatures above the triple point the growth is more complex and can take two paths. In the first path the heads of the SAM organize to their near final locations with the tail groups loosely formed on top. Then as they transit to phase 3, the tail groups become ordered and straighten out. In the second path the molecules start in a lying down position along the surface. These then form into islands of ordered SAMs, where they grow into phase 3, as seen below. The nature in which the tail groups organize themselves into a straight ordered monolayer is dependent on the inter-molecular attraction, or van der Waals forces, between the tail groups. To minimize the free energy of the organic layer the molecules adopt conformations that allow high degree of Van der Waals forces with some hydrogen bonding. The small size of the SAM molecules are important here because Van der Waals forces arise from the dipoles of molecules and are thus much weaker than the surrounding surface forces at larger scales. The assembly process begins with a small group of molecules, usually two, getting close enough that the Van der Waals forces overcome the surrounding force. The forces between the molecules orient them so they are in their straight, optimal, configuration. Then as other molecules come close by they interact with these already organized molecules in the same fashion and become a part