Metal-pattern preparation based on selective deposition using soft organofluorine surfaces

Abstract

Metal-pattern formation using vacuum evaporation is a critical process from basic research to industrial mass-production. Selective metal deposition using metal-atom desorption from an organic surface is a promising metal-patterning method by maskless vacuum deposition. In this study, we demonstrate metal-pattern formation by maskless deposition for various metal species using a vacuum-depositable and printable perfluoropolyether (PFPE) based material. A PFPE-based film has a low dispersion component of surface free energy and surface softness, and its surface has the ability to efficiently desorb for various metals. This method, which enables metal-pattern formation using maskless vacuum deposition for a variety of metal species with a high melting point and low intrinsic vapor pressure, including Ag, Cr, and Ni, can be applied to such applications as electrode-pattern formations.