A simple, fast, and low-compound-consuming procedure based on the air-liquid interface-assisted method for preparing self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of organic molecules with phosphonic acid head groups on the native oxide surface of silicon was demonstrated. The SAMs thus prepared were characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). This approach enabled the fabrication of ordered SAMs in a large-area substrate. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.