Patterned structures of high refractive index materials

Abstract

A process for forming a polymer template includes exposing a photoresist having polymer molecules to a light pattern and baking the photoresist to chemically react polymer molecules in portions of the photoresist that were exposed to light of the light pattern. The reacted polymer molecules have a different solubility in a solvent than chemically unreacted polymer molecules. The process also includes washing the baked photoresist with the solvent to produce a porous structure by selectively solvating one of the reacted polymer molecules and the unreacted polymer molecules. The porous structure can be used as template for forming porous structures of high refractive index materials.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . A process comprising: 
 exposing a polymer photoresist to a light pattern to generate acid in illuminated regions of the photoresist;    baking the photoresist to cause polymer molecules located in the illuminated regions to react with the acid without being crosslinked;    washing the baked photoresist in a nonpolar solvent to produce voids in the baked photoresist by selectively solvating one of the reacted polymer molecules of the photoresist and the unreacted polymer molecules of the photoresist; and    producing a filled structure by filling the voids in the photoresist with a material; and    removing unsolvated ones of the polymer molecules from the filled structure to produce a photonic bandgap structure.    
   
   
       18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein the removing further comprises washing the filled structure with a polar solvent to produce a porous structure by dissolving the polymer molecules of the filled structure.  
   
   
       19 . A process, comprising: 
 exposing a photoresist comprising polymer molecules to a light pattern;    baking the photoresist to chemically react ones of the polymer molecules exposed to light of the light pattern, the reacted ones of the polymer molecules having a different solubility in a solvent than chemically unreacted ones of the polymer molecules;    washing the baked photoresist with the solvent to produce voids in the baked photoresist by selectively solvating one of the reacted ones of the polymer molecules and the unreacted ones of the polymer molecules;    filling the voids with a material to produce a filled structure; and    forming a photonic bandgap structure from to filled structure.    
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 19 , further comprising washing the filled structure with a solvent that solvates polymer molecules to produce a porous structure.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the filling includes filling the voids with a melted material.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the material comprises selenium or bismuth.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the filling includes subliming the material into the voids.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the filling includes performing a gas-phase reaction to deposit the material in the voids.