Patterning of electroless metals by selective deactivation of catalysts

Abstract

Devices produced by patterning electroless metals on a substrate are presented. An active catalyst layer on the substrate is covered with a patterned mask and treated with a deactivating chemical reagent, which deactivates the catalyst layer not covered by the mask. Once the patterned mask is removed, the electroless metal layer can be placed to have a patterned electroless metals. Alternatively, a substrate can be coated with a blocking reagent in a pattern first to inhibit formation of the catalyst layer before a catalyst layer can be placed over the blocking agent layer and then electroless metal layer is placed on the catalyst layer. The pattern of the blocking reagent acts as a negative pattern of the final conductive line pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device having an electrical conductivity, comprising:
 a substrate comprising a surface coated with a blocking reagent, wherein the blocking agent is distributed on the surface in a pattern;   a layer of catalyst deposited on the substrate; and   an electroless metal layer deposited upon the layer of catalyst.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking reagent is selected from the group consisting of copper sulfide, antimony pentasulfide, an organo disulfide, a diselenide, and a telluride. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the electroless metal comprises a conductive metal selected from the group consisting of copper and nickel. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises a catalytic metal selected from the group consisting of palladium, silver, gold, tin, and platinum. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the blocking reagent comprises a resin in combination with copper sulfide (CuS) or Antimony Pentasulfide (Sb 2 S 5 ). 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of catalyst has a thickness of less than 80 atoms. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the layer of catalyst has a thickness of less than 10 atoms. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern has a resolution of at least 50 nm.