Electrode and method of forming the master electrode
An electrode for forming an electrochemical cell with a substrate and a method of forming said electrode. The electrode comprises a carrier provided with an insulating layer which is patterned at a front side. Conducting material in an electrode layer is applied in the cavities of the patterned insulating layer and in contact with the carrier. A connection layer is applied at the backside of the carrier and in contact with the carrier. The periphery of the electrode is covered by the insulating material.
1. A method of forming a master electrode, comprising:
providing a disc of at least one layer of a conducting and/or semi-conducting material;
forming an insulating pattern layer at least partly of at least one layer of an insulating material;
forming at least one recess in the front side of said insulating material;
forming a conducting electrode layer of an electrode forming, conducting material in each recess; and
forming at least one recess at the back side of said insulating pattern layer;
wherein a planarization step is performed on said disc.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating material is applied with a method selected from the group comprising: thermo-oxidation, Plasma-Enhanced-Chemical-Vapor Deposition (PECVD), Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), Chemical-Vapor-Deposition (CVD), electrical anodization, Atomic-Layer-Deposition (ALD), spin-coating, spray-coating, roller-coating, powder-coating, adhesive taping, pyrolysis, bonding, and combinations thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said conducting electrode layer is applied with methods selected from the group comprising: ALD, Metallorganic-Chemical-Vapor-Deposition (MOCVD), PVD, CVD, sputtering, electroless deposition, immersion deposition, electrodeposition, electro-grafting, chemical grafting and combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said conducting electrode layer is treated by thermal methods selected from the group comprising: rapid-thermal-annealing (RTA), furnace heating, hot-plate heating, and combinations thereof.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said conducting electrode layer is formed by applying several layers of at least one material and by treating at least one layer by said thermal methods before applying a next layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising arranging an adhesion layer on at least some parts of said disc prior to arranging said insulating pattern layer, wherein said adhesion layer comprises at least one layer of material that improves the adhesion properties between the insulating pattern layer and the disc, wherein said adhesion layer is applied using deposition methods selected from the group comprising: electrodeposition, spin-coating, spray-coating, dip-coating, Molecular-Vapor-Deposition (MVD), ALD, MOCVD, CVD, PVD, sputtering, electroless deposition, immersion deposition, electrografting, chemical grafting, and combinations thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a planarization step is performed on the arranged insulating pattern layer, wherein said planarization step is performed by a method selected from the group comprising: chemical-mechanical-polishing (CMP), lapping, contact planarization (CP), ion-sputtering, reactive-ion-etching (RIE), plasma-assisted-etching, laser-ablation, ion-milling, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess in said insulating pattern layer is formed by using lithography, etching methods, and/or mechanical abrasive methods.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said etching methods comprise arranging a patterned etch-mask onto at least some areas of said insulating pattern layer, said areas being protected from etching, wherein said patterned etch-mask is produced by lithography and/or etching methods, wherein said etch-mask is comprised of a polymer resist used in said lithographical methods or a hard-mask.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said etch-mask comprises at least one structure layer forming in said at least one electrochemical cell formed by a further master electrode.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: using a damascene process is used to create the cavities of said insulating pattern layer, said damascene process involving applying a sacrificial pattern layer, having recesses, onto the disc; applying an insulating material so that it covers said sacrificial pattern layer and fills up the recesses of the sacrificial pattern; planarizing said insulating material until the sacrificial pattern layer is uncovered; and removing said sacrificial pattern layer to form an insulating pattern layer, wherein said sacrificial pattern is arranged by applying a material which is patterned by lithography, plating, and/or etching methods or said sacrificial pattern layer comprises at least one structure layer being formed in an electrochemical cell with a further master electrode.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising coating a release layer onto at least some parts of the insulating pattern layer.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising treating at least some surfaces of said insulating pattern layer with thermal treatment, oxygen/nitrogen/argon plasma treatment, surface conversion for anti-sticking (SURCAS), strong oxidizing agents, or combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: forming the insulating pattern layer with lithographical and/or etching methods; creating cavities reaching down to the disc or conducting electrode; patterning the insulating pattern layer once more in at least some areas; and creating cavities that compensate for topography on the substrate but do not reach the disc or conducting electrode layer.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said insulating pattern layer is patterned by repeating lithography and/or etching steps to thereby create multiple levels of cavities so as to compensate for multiple levels of topography of different heights and shapes on a substrate.