METHOD FOR FILLING HOLES WITH METAL CHALCOGENIDE MATERIAL

1 . A method of depositing a metal chalcogenide material into holes within a substrate surface which comprises:

obtaining a hydrophilic substrate surface;

obtaining a solution of a hydrazine-based precursor to a metal chalcogenide;

applying the solution onto the substrate to fill the holes with said precursor;

and thereafter annealing the precursor to convert said precursor to said metal chalcogenide thereby producing holes in the substrate surface filled with a metal chalcogenide material.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is prepared by directly dissolving a metal chalcogenide in a hydrazine compound and optionally an excess of chalcogen.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is prepared by contacting an isolated hydrazine-based precursor of a metal chalcogenide and a solvent to form a solution thereof.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is prepared by directly dissolving the corresponding metal of the metal chalcogenide in a hydrazine compound, with at least enough chalcogen added to affect the formation and dissolution of the metal chalcogenide in solution.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is prepared by dissolving a preformed hydrazinium-based precursor in a non-hydrazine-based solvent.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is prepared by contacting a metal chalcogenide and a salt of an amine to produce an ammonium-based precursor of the metal chalcogenide, which is then contacted with a hydrazine compound and optionally, an elemental chalcogen.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein said solution is applied by a process selected from the group consisting of spin coating dip coating, doctor blading drop casting stamping and printing.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the annealing is carried out at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 500° C.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the annealing is carried out at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 350° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the annealing is carried out for about 5 seconds to about 5 hours.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the annealing is carried out for about 10 minutes to about 30 minutes.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the annealing is carried out employing a hotplate, in oven/furnace, laser annealing or microwave.

13 . The method of claim 1 which comprises depositing multiple layers by iteration to create a greater filling fraction or to layer different materials in the hole.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein the holes have similar lateral dimensions in the plane of the substrate and wherein the dimensions of the holes are about 20 to about 1000 nm.

15 . The method of claim 1 wherein the holes have one lateral dimension of about 20 to about 1000 nm and the other lateral dimension which exceeds the first by greater than about 2 times.

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein the holes have similar lateral dimensions in the plane of the substrate and wherein the dimensions are less than about 20 nm.

17 . The method of claim 1 wherein the holes have one lateral dimension of less than 20 nm and the other lateral dimension which exceeds the first by greater than about 2 times.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein said substrate is subjected to a wetting-promoting cleaning method selected from the group consisting of solvent cleaning, piranha solution treatment, basic (hydroxide) solution treatment, UV-ozone, and oxygen plasma.

19 . The method of claim 1 which further comprises depositing a wetting enhancement layer of a material that lines the holes conformally.

20 . The method of claim 1 wherein said holes are formed using a block copolymer template.

21 . The method of claim 1 wherein said holes are formed by photo- or e beam lithography.