Forming closely spaced electrodes
View Patent ↗The present invention provides an apparatus and a method of fabricating the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a substrate having a planar surface and first and second electrodes located on the planar surface. The first electrode has a top surface and a lateral surface, and the lateral surface has an edge near or in contact with the substrate. An electrode insulating layer is located on the top surface and a self-assembled layer located on the lateral surface. The second electrode is in contact with both the self-assembled layer and the electrode insulating layer.
1. A method comprising,
forming a first electrode on a planar surface of a substrate, said first electrode having a top surface and a lateral surface;
forming an electrode insulating layer on said top surface;
forming a self-assembling layer on said lateral surface; and
forming a second electrode on said planar surface such that said second electrode is in contact with both said self-assembling layer and said electrode insulating layer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said self-assembling layer comprises a stack of at least two self-assembled monolayers.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming said self-assembling layer comprises linking ends of self-assembling monolayers together through metal-sulphur bonds.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said self-assembling layer comprises nonconductive organic molecules.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said self-assembling layer comprises semiconductive organic molecules.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprises forming an organic field effect transistor, said first and second electrodes being source and drain electrodes of said transistor.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprises forming an organic field effect transistor, wherein a yield of said transistors having an absence of electrical defects is greater than about 90 percent.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first electrode and electrode insulating layer are formed using collimated vapor beam deposition such that a footprint of said electrode insulating layer is substantially aligned with said top surface.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second electrodes are in contact with opposite sides of said electrode insulating layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second electrode overhangs said first electrode.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of said electrode insulating layer is greater than a separation distance between said first electrode and said second electrode.
12. The method of claim 2 , wherein said stack is formed by depositing a first self-assembling monolayer of organic molecules on said lateral surface and bonding ends of said organic molecules to ends of organic molecules of a second self-assembling monolayer.
13. The method of claim 3 , wherein said linking ends comprises alternating exposing said lateral surface to self-assembling organic molecules and a coupling agent.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said coupling agent comprises cupric perchlorate and said self-assembling organic molecules comprise mercapto-functionalized organic molecules.