Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards techniques and configurations for surface treatment of an integrated circuit (IC) substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes an integrated circuit substrate, an interconnect structure disposed on the integrated circuit substrate, the interconnect structure being configured to route electrical signals to or from the integrated circuit substrate and comprising a metal surface, and a protective layer disposed on the metal surface of the interconnect structure, the protective layer comprising a first functional group bonded with the metal surface and a second functional group bonded with the first functional group, wherein the second functional group is hydrophobic to inhibit contamination of the metal surface by hydrophilic materials and further inhibits oxidation of the metal surface. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.