Patterning for selective area deposition

Abstract

A method of producing a patterned inorganic thin film element includes providing a substrate. A thin layer of polymeric inhibitor is uniformly depositing on the substrate. A patterned mask having open areas is provided on the thin layer of polymeric inhibitor. The thin layer of polymeric inhibitor is patterned by removing inhibitor from areas exposed by the open areas of the patterned mask using a highly reactive oxygen process. An inorganic thin film layer is deposited on the substrate in the areas exposed by the removal of the thin layer of polymeric inhibitor using an atomic layer deposition process.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Reference is made to commonly-assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Docket K001548), entitled “SUBSTRATE PREPARATION FOR SELECTIVE AREA DEPOSITION”, filed concurrently herewith.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates generally to patterned thin film fabrication and electronic and optoelectronic devices including patterned thin films. In particular, this invention relates to selective area deposition of materials including, for example, metal-oxides and devices including, for example, thin film transistors and photovoltaics produced using this fabrication technique.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Modern-day electronics require multiple patterned layers of electrically or optically active materials, sometimes over a relatively large substrate. Electronics such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, photovoltaics, optical and chemical sensors all require some level of patterning in their electronic circuitry....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention describes a way to deposit metal oxides or other materials selectively on a moving substrate, such as a web, using a process called atomic layer deposition. A thin layer of polymer is first deposited on the substrate and then a patterned mask is added which removes the polymer in the areas where the inorganic material is to be deposited. An inorganic layer is then deposited on the substrate selectively using this polymer removal process. This invention allows for the creation of patterned thin films on large areas with high precision.

Problems solved by technology

Plastics, however, typically limit device processing to below 200° C. There are other many issues associated with plastic supports when using traditional photolithography during conventional manufacturing, making it difficult to perform alignments of transistor components across typical substrate widths up to one meter or more.

Traditional photolithographic processes and equipment may be seriously impacted by the substrate's maximum process temperature, solvent resistance, dimensional stability, water, and solvent swelling, all key parameters in which plastic supports are typically inferior to glass.

In practice, as in any process, it is difficult to avoid some direct reaction of the different precursors leading to a small amount of chemical vapor deposition reaction.

No information is provided, however, on the use of other substrates, or the results for other metal oxides.

There persists a problem of combining multiple SAD steps to form working devices.

Images