FABRICATION OF INORGANIC MATERIALS USING TEMPLATES WITH LABILE LINKAGE

1 . A method of forming an integrated circuit layer material comprising:

depositing a layer of templates on a substrate, each said template including a first binding site having an affinity for the substrate, a second binding site having an affinity for a target integrated circuit material and a protecting material coupled to the second binding site via a labile linkage to prevent the binding site from binding to the target integrated circuit material;

exposing the template to an external stimulus to degrade the labile linkage;

removing the protecting material; and

binding the integrated circuit layer material to the second binding site.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the template is a biomolecular template.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the binding step comprises directly conjugating the integrated circuit layer material to the second binding site.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the binding step comprises converting a precursor of the integrated circuit layer material to the integrated circuit layer material in a solution and nucleating the integrated circuit layer material on the template.

6 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising binding a seed material to the second binding site prior to the binding of the integrated circuit layer material.

10 . The method of claim 9 wherein the seed material comprises nanoparticles and the integrated circuit layer material nucleates on the nanoparticles.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit layer material is a metal, a metal oxide, a semiconductive material, an insulating material or a magnetic material.

12 . A method comprising:

depositing a plurality of biomolecular templates on a substrate to form a template layer, each biomolecular template having a multifunctional biomolecule including a first binding site coupled to the substrate and a second binding site having an affinity for the target inorganic material, and a protecting group coupled to the multifunctional biomolecule via a labile linkage such that the second binding site is prevented from binding to the target inorganic material;

exposing, according to a selected pattern, a region of the template layer to an external stimulus;

deprotecting the second binding sites of the biomolecular template in the region subjected to the external stimulus by degrading the labile linkages thereof; and

binding the target inorganic material to the second binding sites in the region.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the exposing step includes aligning, over the template layer, a mask having the selected pattern.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the exposing step comprises irradiating the template layer with light and the labile linkage degrades in response to light.

15 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The method of claim 12 wherein the multifunctional biomolecule is a peptide, antibody, block copolypeptide or amphiphilic lipopeptide.

24 . The method of claim 12 wherein the target inorganic material includes a first nanoparticle.

25 . (canceled)

26 . The method of claim 24 further comprising nucleating a layer of integrated circuit material using the first nanoparticles as a seed material.

27 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . A biomolecular template comprising:

a multifunctional biomolecule including a first binding site having an affinity for a substrate and a second binding site having an affinity for a target inorganic material; and

a protecting group coupled to the multifunctional biomolecule via a labile linkage, the protecting group preventing the second binding site from binding to the target inorganic material.

30 . The biomolecular template of claim 29 wherein the multifunctional biomolecule is a peptide, antibody, block copolypeptide or amphiphilic lipopeptide.

31 - 33 . (canceled)

34 . The biomolecular template of claim 29 wherein the labile linkage is degradable upon exposure to a light irradiation.

35 . The biomolecular template of claim 34 wherein the protecting group is an ortho-nitrobenzyl derivative represented by Formula (I):

wherein:

each R 1 is the same or different and independently hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl, —O—C 1-6 alkyl, NO 2 , —CH 2 COOH or —OH;

n is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

R 2 is hydrogen, C 1-6 alkyl or —COOH; and

Y is a bond or —OC(O)—.

36 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . The biomolecular template of claim 29 wherein the target inorganic material is a seed material.

39 . The biomolecular template of claim 38 wherein the seed material is a first nanoparticle.

40 . The biomolecular template of claim 39 wherein the first nanoparticle is Au, Ni, Cu 1 , Pd, Co, Pt, Ru 1 , Ag, Cr 1 , W, Mo, Co alloys or Ni alloys.

41 . The biomolecular template of claim 39 wherein the first nanoparticle nucleates the growth of a layer of second target inorganic material.

42 . The biomolecular template of claim 41 wherein the second inorganic material is Cu, Au 1 , Ag, Ni, Pd, Co, Pt, Ru, Ag 1 , Cr, W, Mo 1 , Co alloys, Ni alloys, indium oxide, aluminum oxide, indium tin oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, copper oxide, zinc oxide, tin oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, hafnium oxide, niobium oxide, vanadium oxide or zirconium oxide.

43 - 89 . (canceled)