Solution-Based Photo-Patterned Gold Film Formation on Silicon Nitride

摘要

Silicon nitride fabricated by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to be silicon-rich (SiNx), is a ubiquitous insulating thin film in the microelectronics industry, and an exceptional structural material for nanofabrication. Free-standing <100 nm thick SiNx membranes are especially compelling, particularly when used to deliver forefront molecular sensing capabilities in nanofluidic devices. We developed an accessible, gentle, and solution based photodirected surface metallization approach well-suited to forming patterned metal films as integral structural and functional features in thin-membrane-based SiNx devices for use as electrodes or surface chemical functionalization platforms, for example augmenting existing device capabilities and properties for a wide range of applications.