University of Illinois

Tiptek, LLC

Gregory S Girolami

John Abelson

Navneet Kumar

Joseph W Lyding

Scott P Lockledge

Jinju Lee

Sumeng Liu

Yu Yang

Do Young Kim

Elham Mohimi

Angel Yanguas-Gil

Shaista Babar

Scott Daly

Sreenivas Jayaraman

Zhejun Zhang

Provided herein are methods for forming a layer on a substrate wherein the layer is formed selectively on a first region of the substrate relative to a second region having a composition different than the first region. Methods of the invention include selectively forming a layer using an inhibitor agent capable of reducing the average acidity of a first region of the substrate having a composition characterized by a plurality of hydroxyl groups. Methods of the invention include selectively forming a layer by exposure of the substrate to: (i) an inhibitor agent comprising a substituted or an unsubstituted amine group, a substituted or an unsubstituted pyridyl group, a carbonyl group, or a combination of these, and (ii) a precursor gas comprising one or more ligands selected from the group consisting of a carbonyl group, an allyl group, combination thereof.

Area selective CVD of metallic films using precursor gases and inhibitors

Provided herein are methods of catalytic hydrosilylation, including triggerable methods, using metal-ligand complexes as catalysts, characterized by formula MLD; wherein: M is a metal; x is equal to the oxidation state of M; each D is independently a neutral coordinating ligand; y is zero or an integer selected from the range of 1 to 4; and each L is independently a mono-anionic ligand. L may be a &#x3b7;,&#x3b7;-&#x3b2;,&#x3b2;-disubstituted-&#x3c9;-alkenyl ligand.

Metal complexes for depositing films and method of making and using the same

Methods are described for the economical manufacture of Scanning Probe and Electron Microscope (SPEM) probe tips. In this method, multiple wires are mounted on a stage and ion milled simultaneously while the stage and mounted probes are tilted at a selected angle relative to the ion source and rotated. The resulting probes are also described. The method provides sets of highly uniform probe tips having controllable properties for stable and accurate scanning probe and electron microscope (EM) measurements.

Scanning probe and electron microscope probes and their manufacture

Provided herein are metal-ligand complexes, and associated methods, characterized by formula MLD; wherein: M is a metal; x is equal to the oxidation state of M; each D is independently a neutral coordinating ligand; y is zero or an integer selected from the range of 1 to 4; and each L is independently a mono-anionic ligand. L may be a &#x3b7;,&#x3b7;-&#x3b2;,&#x3b2;-disubstituted-&#x3c9;-alkenyl ligand.

Provided herein are methods for selectively forming layers of metal films on one portion of a substrate while leaving adjacent portions of the substrate uncoated. The methods provide for selectively depositing metal films on a conductive surface, such as ruthenium oxide, disposed on or near an insulating portion of the substrate, such as a silicon dioxide (SiO) surface. The invention provides methods to simultaneously contact the substrate surface with both the precursor gas and the inhibitor agent leading to the selective formation of metal nuclei on the conductive portion of the substrate. In the methods described, nuclei are selectively formed by a disproportionation reaction occurring on the conductive portion of the substrate but not on the insulating portion of the substrate.

Use of an inhibitor molecule in chemical vapor deposition to afford deposition of copper on a metal substrate with no deposition on adjacent SIO2 substrate

The present invention provides methods for making structures, including nanosized and microsized thin film structures that exhibit a high degree of smoothness useful for applications in microelectronics. Deposition processing of the invention utilize smoothing agents capable of selectively adjusting the relative rates of processes involved in thin film formation and growth to access enhanced nucleation densities resulting in smooth thin film structures, including ultrathin (e.g., &#x3c;10 nm) smooth films.

Smoothing agents to enhance nucleation density in thin film chemical vapor deposition

The present invention provides compositions of matter useful as deposition agents for making structures, including thin film structures and hard coatings, on substrates and features of substrates. In an embodiment, for example, the present invention provides metal complexes having one or more diboranamide or diboranaphosphide ligands that are useful as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and/or atomic layer deposition (ALD) precusors for making thin film structures and coatings. Metal complex CVD precursors are provided that possess volitilities sufficiently high so as to provide dense, smooth and homogenous thin films and coatings.

Metal complex compositions and methods for making metal-containing films

Various processes and related systems are provided for making structures on substrate surfaces. Disclosed are methods of making a structure supported by a substrate by providing a substrate having a receiving surface and exposing at least a portion of the receiving surface to output from a remote plasma of an inert gas. The remote plasma has an energy low enough to substantially avoid etching or sputtering of the receiving surface but sufficient to generate a treated receiving surface. The treated surface is contacted with a deposition gas, thereby making the structure supported by the substrate.

Surface preparation for thin film growth by enhanced nucleation

The present invention provides methods for conformally or superconformally coating and/or uniformly filling structures with a continuous, conformal layer or superconformal layer. Methods of the present invention improve conformal or superconformal coverage of surfaces and improve fill in recessed features compared to conventional physical deposition and chemical deposition methods, thereby minimizing formation of voids or gaps in a deposited conformal or superconformal layer. The present methods are capable of coating or filling features useful for the fabrication of a broad class of electronic, electrical and electromechanical devices.

Growing community of inventors

Urbana, IL, United States of America

Gregory S Girolami