Forming thin films on substrates using a porous carrier

Abstract

The invention relates to a composite containing a porous carrier and an amphiphilic material. The composite may be employed in methods and systems for forming thin films on substrates.

1 . A method of forming a thin film on a substrate, comprising: 
 providing the substrate in a chamber;    inserting a composite comprising a metallic porous carrier and an amphiphilic material into the chamber, wherein the amphiphilic material is represented by Formula I:      R m SiZ n   (I)    where each R is individually fluorinated alkyl or fluorinated alkyl ether containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; each Z is individually one of hydrogen, halogens, hydroxy, alkoxy and acetoxy; and m is from about 1 to about 3, n is from about 1 to about 3, and m+n equal 4;    in the chamber, setting at least one of a temperature of the composite from about 20 to about 400° C. and a pressure from about 0.000001 to about 760 torr to induce vaporization of the amphiphilic material; and    recovering the substrate having the thin film thereon.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a glass, a glass having an antireflection coating thereon, silica, germanium oxide, a ceramic, porcelain, fiberglass, a metal, a thermoset, and a thermoplastic.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic porous carrier comprises pores having an average pore size from about 1 micron to about 1,000 microns.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic porous carrier has a porosity so that it absorbs from about 0.001 g to about 5 g of amphiphilic material per cm 3  of metallic porous carrier.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic porous carrier comprises at least one of aluminum, brass, bronze, chromium, copper, gold, iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, stainless steel, tin, titanium, tungsten, zinc, and zirconium.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , after setting at least one of the temperature and the pressure, keeping the substrate in the chamber for a time from about 10 seconds to about 24 hours.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein 
 where each R is fluorinated alkyl ether containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure is set prior to setting the temperature.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temperature is set from about 40 to about 350° C. and the pressure is set from about 0.00001 to about 200 torr.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thin film is formed at a rate of about 0.01 nm/sec or more and about 1 nm/sec or less.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thin film has a thickness from about 1 nm to about 250 nm.  
     
     
         12 . A system for forming a thin film, comprising: 
 a film forming chamber in communication with at least one of a heat source and a vacuum system;    a composite comprising a metallic porous carrier and an amphiphilic material positionable within the film forming chamber, the amphiphilic material comprising at least one of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and a compound represented by Formula I:      R m SiZ n   (I)    where each R is individually fluorinated alkyl or fluorinated alkyl ether containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; each Z is individually one of hydrogen, halogens, hydroxy, alkoxy and acetoxy; and m is from about 1 to about 3, n is from about 1 to about 3, and m+n equal 4; and    a substrate on which the thin film is formed positionable within the film forming chamber.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the film forming chamber is in communication with a heat source and a vacuum system.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the metallic porous carrier comprises pores having an average pore size from about 5 microns to about 500 microns.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the composite comprises from about 0.01 g to about 2 g of the amphiphilic material per cm 3  of metallic porous carrier.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the composite further comprises at least one of a non-polar organic solvent, a film forming catalyst, and a quencher.  
     
     
         17 . A film forming composite, comprising: 
 a metallic porous carrier comprising pores having an average pore size from about 1 micron to about 1,000 microns; and    an amphiphilic material, the amphiphilic material comprising at least one of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane and a compound represented by Formula I:      R m SiZ n   (I)    where each R is individually fluorinated alkyl or fluorinated alkyl ether containing from about 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; each Z is individually one of hydrogen, halogens, hydroxy, alkoxy and acetoxy; and m is from about 1 to about 3, n is from about 1 to about 3, and m+n equal 4, wherein the metallic porous carrier has a porosity so that it absorbs from about 0.001 g to about 5 g of amphiphilic material per cm 3  of metallic porous carrier.    
     
     
         18 . The film forming composite of claims  17 , wherein the metallic porous carrier comprises at least one of aluminum, brass, bronze, chromium, copper, gold, iron, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, stainless steel, tin, titanium, tungsten, zinc, and zirconium.  
     
     
         19 . The film forming composite of claims  17 , wherein the metallic porous carrier comprises pores having an average pore size from about 5 microns to about 500 microns and the porous carrier has a porosity so that it absorbs from about 0.01 g to about 1 g of amphiphilic material per cm 3  of metallic porous carrier.  
     
     
         20 . The film forming composite of claims  17 , wherein the composite has one of a cylindrical shape, a spherical shape, an oval shape, a tablet shape, a disc shape, a plug shape, a pellet shape, a cubical shape, a rectangular shape, and a conical shape.  
     
     
         21 - 23 . (canceled)