Patterning techniques
View Patent ↗A method of forming a patterned layer, including the steps of: (i) depositing via a liquid medium a first material onto a substrate to form a first body on said substrate; (ii) depositing via a liquid medium a second material onto said substrate to form a second body, wherein said first body is used to control said deposition of said second material so as to form a patterned structure including said first and second bodies; and (iii) using said patterned structure to control the removal of selected portions of a layer of material in a dry etching process or in a wet etching process using a bath of etchant.
1. A method for patterning a functional material on a substrate comprising:
depositing a liquid of a first composition on a first region of the substrate to form a first body of a first resist material;
subsequently depositing a liquid of a second composition on a second region of the substrate to form a second body of resist material, adjacent the first region; and
transferring the pattern defined in the resist material into the functional material, wherein the first composition, the second composition and the substrate are such that the liquid of the second composition is repelled from the first region and dries in such a way that the first resist material is spaced from the second resist material, wherein the step of transferring the pattern defined in the resist material into the functional material comprises a dry etching process or a wet etching process using a bath of etchant to pattern the functional material, wherein said functional material is another resist material, and wherein the step of etching said another resist material produces an overhanging profile of said first and second resist material on top of said another resist material.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said gap distance is less than 10 μm.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said gap distance is less than 1 μm.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said gap distance is less than 100 nm.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid of the second composition is deposited in contact with the first body of resist material and forms a second body of resist material not in contact with the first body.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first or second resist materials is an insulating polymer.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first or second resist materials is a photoresist material.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first and second resist material are of essentially identical composition.
9. A method of producing an electronic device comprising a method according to claim 1 .
10. A method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said electronic device is a transistor.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second materials have the same composition.