Photoresist-free metal deposition

Abstract

Selectively accelerated or selectively inhibited metal deposition is performed to form metal structures of an electronic device. A desired pattern of an accelerator or of an inhibitor is applied to the substrate; for example, by stamping the substrate with a patterned stamp or spraying a solution using an inkjet printer. In other embodiments, a global layer of accelerator or inhibitor is applied to a substrate and selectively modified in a desired pattern. Thereafter, selective metal deposition is performed.

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         52 . A method comprising:
 selectively adsorbing in a pattern a pre-deposition agent to a substrate to form a treated region comprising the pre-deposition agent and a non-treated region not comprising the pre-deposition agent, wherein the pre-deposition agent is selected from the group consisting of deposition inhibitor and deposition inhibitor precursor; and   after selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the substrate, plating copper on the substrate, wherein a deposition rate of the copper in the non-treated region is higher than a deposition rate of the copper in the treated region.   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the pre-deposition agent is deposition inhibitor. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the pre-deposition agent is deposition inhibitor precursor and further comprising, before depositing the copper on the substrate, activating the deposition inhibitor precursor. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein activating the deposition inhibitor precursor comprises providing radiant energy from a lamp. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the substrate comprises physically contacting the substrate with a stamp, wherein the stamp comprises a contact surface comprising the pattern and wherein the stamp comprises the pre-deposition agent at the contact surface. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein the stamp comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carbon and silicon based polymer/plastics, plastics with incorporated plasticizers, elastic material, micro and nanoporous materials, and hydrogel polymers and ionomers, polyethylene, polyproprylene, polyvylidene difluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl alcohol, and PFA-f, polyvinylchloride, ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, natural rubber, polybutadiene, silicon rubber, silicon aerogel, and organic aerogels. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein, before selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the substrate, the substrate is substantially smooth. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the substrate does not include photolithography of the substrate. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the substrate comprises a seed layer above a dielectric base layer, and wherein selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the substrate comprises selectively adsorbing in the pattern the pre-deposition agent to the seed layer. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein plating the copper on the substrate continues at least until a thickness of the plated copper in the non-treated region is thicker than a thickness of the plated copper in the treated region. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , further comprising, after plating the copper on the substrate, removing copper from the treated region to form a desired copper pattern. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein removing the copper from the treated region comprises isolating raised copper portions in the non-treated region. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein removing the copper from the treated region comprises isotropically removing the copper from the treated region and the non-treated region. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 64 , wherein isotropically removing the copper from the treated region and the non-treated region comprises wet etching. 
     
     
         66 . A method comprising:
 adsorbing a pre-deposition agent to a substrate, wherein the pre-deposition agent is selected from the group consisting of deposition inhibitor and deposition inhibitor precursor;   selectively patterning the pre-deposition agent to form a first region comprising the pre-deposition agent and a second region not comprising the pre-deposition agent; and   after selectively patterning, plating copper on the substrate, wherein a deposition rate of the copper in the second region is higher than a deposition rate of the copper in the first region.   
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein selectively patterning the pre-deposition agent comprises anodically dissolving the pre-deposition agent in the second region. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein plating the copper on the substrate continues at least until a thickness of the plated copper in the second region is thicker than a thickness of the plated copper in the first region. 
     
     
         69 . A method comprising:
 adsorbing a deposition inhibitor precursor to a substrate;   selectively activating in a pattern the deposition inhibitor precursor to form a first region comprising the activated inhibitor and a second region not comprising the activated inhibitor; and   after selectively activating in the pattern, plating copper on the substrate, wherein a deposition rate of the copper in the second region is higher than a deposition rate of the copper in the first region.   
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein selectively activating the deposition inhibitor precursor comprises providing radiant energy from a lamp. 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein plating the copper on the substrate continues at least until a thickness of the plated copper in the second region is thicker than a thickness of the plated copper in the first region.