Material deposition over template
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method of functional materials deposition using a polymer template fabricated on a substrate. Such template forms an exposed and masked areas of the substrate material, and can be fabricated using polymer resists or Self-assembled monolayers. Deposition is performed using an applicator, which is fabricated in the shape of cylinder or cone made of soft elastomeric materials or laminated with soft elastomeric film. Functional materials, for example, metals, semiconductors, sol-gels, colloids of particles are deposited on the surface of applicator using liquid immersion, soaking, contact with wetted surfaces, vapor deposition or other techniques. Then wetted applicator is contacted the surface of the polymer template and rolled over it's surface. During this dynamic contact functional material is transferred selectively to the areas of the template. Patterning of functional material is achieved by lift-off of polymeric template after deposition. According to another embodiment, where self-assembled monolayers are used as template, selective deposition of functional materials is achieved either due to low surface energy of SAM or reactivity of terminal groups.
1. A method of deposition of a functional material over template, comprising:
providing a substrate having one or more masking materials deposited on a surface of the substrate and wherein the one or more masking materials are patterned to form a template,
coating an applicator in a shape of cylinder or cone with functional material, transferring said functional material from said applicator onto the patterned masking materials on the surface of the substrate by
rolling said applicator over the surface of the substrate.
2. A method according to 1 wherein said masking material is a photoresist.
3. A method according to 1 wherein said masking material is a Self assembled monolayer (SAM) material.
4. A method according to 3 wherein said SAM material consists of molecules having terminal groups with low surface energy.
5. A method according to 4 wherein said terminal group is halogenated hydrocarbon, aliphatic or aromatic.
6. A method according to 3 wherein said SAM material consists of molecules having terminal groups with high affinity to functional material.
7. A method according to 3 wherein SAM material consists of 2 types of SAMs molecules, and only 1 of them has terminal group with high affinity to functional material.
8. A method according to 1 wherein said functional material is a metal or metal-oxide materials.
9. A method according to 1 wherein said functional material is a sol-gel.
10. A method according to 1 wherein said functional material is a semiconductor.
11. A method according to 1 wherein said template pattern has features less than 500 nm.
12. A method according to 1 wherein said applicator is made of a silicone elastomer.
13. A method according to 1 wherein coating of said application is done by immersion in or contacting a liquid containing a functional material.
14. A method according to 1 wherein coating of said applicator is done by vapor deposition.
15. A method according to 1 , further comprising additional applicator positioned on the other side of the said substrate to provide deposition on both sides of said substrate.
16. A method according to 8 further comprising heating a substrate to convert metal oxide precursor to pure metal or metal oxide solid material.
17. A method according to 1 wherein functional material is in the form of particles or colloid of particles.
18. A method according to 17 wherein said particles size is less than 100 nm.
19. A method according to 1 wherein further said template is removed by immersion in a solvent.
20. A method according to 1 wherein said functional material is removed by further rinsing substrate with water or solvent.