Patterned Polyferrocenylsilane Multilayer Thin Films

In addition to producing continuous fliUy organometallic multilayer thin films, we were interested in forming patterned organometallic multilayer 

The patterned substrate was then coated wifli 12 bilayers of organometallic polyions (5/7) and again examined by contact-mode AFM. Clearly, after deposition, the height contrast increased and the contrast in fiiction force was reversed, which shows that flie multilayers grow selectively on flie broad, methyl-terminated stripes (Fig. 7c,d).  

Fmther support for the role of hydrophobic interactions in the area-selective adsorption was obtained by reversing the dipping sequence. A single bilayer was adsorbed on a methyl- and hydroxyl-terminated stripe pattern (10 and 5 pm, respectively), in one case starting with the polycation, in the other case with first adsorbing the polyanion. Both substrates were subsequently analyzed by AFM in contact mode. The friction force images (Fig. 8) clearly show a reversal in contrast for both experiments, compared with the template without the polymers, indicating that in both cases one bUayer had been deposited selectively on the methyl-terminated areas. 

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In addition to forming continuous organometallic multilayer thin films, we explored the LbL deposition of polyferrocenylsilane polyions onto, for instance, hydrophilically/hydrophobically modified substrates with the aim of building two-dimensionally patterned organometallic multilayers. In general, surfaces modified with microscopically patterned conducting, luminescent, or redox-active polymer films have potential use in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices and microsensor arrays. Area-selective deposition of polyferrocenylsilane polyions can be an attractive method to obtain two-dimensionally patterned redox active films, which may be used as electrochemically modulated diffraction gratings. ... 

Patterned organometallic multilayers may be of interest also as etch barriers in RIE processes. For this purpose it is essential that these films can be fabricated from etch resistant organometallic polyferrocenylsilane chains only, as organic polymers offer no resistance to reactive ion etching. This chapter deals with the formation of continuous organometallic multilayer thin films, and with the fabrication of patterned organometallic thin films, formed by area-selective deposition of organo-metaUic polyions on prepattemed substrates. 

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