Substrate preparation for selective area deposition
View Patent ↗A method of producing a patterned inorganic thin film element includes providing a substrate having a patterned thin layer of polymeric inhibitor on the surface. The substrate and the patterned thin layer of polymeric inhibitor are exposed to a highly reactive oxygen process. An inorganic thin film layer is deposited on the substrate in areas without inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process.
1. A method of producing a patterned thin film element comprising:
providing a substrate having a patterned layer of hydrophobic polymeric inhibitor on the surface thereof;
exposing the substrate and the patterned layer of hydrophobic polymeric inhibitor to a highly reactive oxygen process, the remaining polymeric inhibitor retaining its ability to inhibit growth after exposure to the highly reactive oxygen process; and
depositing an inorganic thin film layer on the substrate using an atomic layer deposition process to form a patterned inorganic thin film layer on the substrate in areas without the polymeric inhibitor.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an oxygen plasma.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an UV-ozone process.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor includes a solvent-soluble polymer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the solvent-soluble polymer has a molecular weight greater than 10000.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor includes an acrylate.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor includes polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).
8. The method of claim 1 , further including removing the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor after depositing the inorganic thin film layer.
9. The method of claim 1 , the inorganic thin film layer being a first inorganic thin film layer, further comprising:
depositing a second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer in areas not containing the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process to form a patterned second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor includes polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an oxygen plasma.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an UV-ozone process.
13. The method of claim 10 , further including removing the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor after depositing the inorganic thin film layer.
14. The method of claim 10 , the inorganic thin film layer being a first inorganic thin film layer, further comprising:
depositing a second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer in areas not containing the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process to form a patterned second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer.
15. The method of claim 14 , further including exposing the first inorganic thin film layer and the patterned polymeric inhibitor layer to a highly reactive oxygen process prior to depositing the second inorganic thin film.
16. A method of producing a patterned thin film element comprising:
providing a substrate having a patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor on the surface thereof;
exposing the substrate and the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor to a highly reactive oxygen process; and
depositing a first inorganic thin film layer on the substrate in areas without inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process to form a patterned inorganic thin film layer on the substrate;
depositing a second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer in areas not containing the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process to form a patterned second inorganic thin film layer on the first inorganic thin film layer; and
exposing the first inorganic thin film layer and the patterned polymeric inhibitor layer to a highly reactive oxygen process prior to depositing the second inorganic thin film.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the patterned layer of polymeric inhibitor includes polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA).
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an oxygen plasma.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the highly reactive oxygen process is an UV-ozone process.