Seed layer laser-induced deposition

Abstract

A method of creating a layer of a target deposit-material, in a first target pattern, on a substrate surface. The substrate surface is placed in a vacuum and exposed to a first chemical vapor, having precursor molecules for a seed deposit-material, thereby forming a first substrate surface area that has adsorbed the precursor molecules. Then, a charged particle beam is applied to the first substrate surface area in a second target pattern, largely identical to the first target pattern thereby forming a seed layer in a third target pattern. The seed layer is exposed to a second chemical vapor, having target deposit-material precursor molecules, which are adsorbed onto the seed layer. Finally, a laser beam is applied to the seed layer and neighboring area, thereby forming a target deposit-material layer over and about the seed layer, where exposed to the laser beam.

We claim as follows: 
     
         1 . A method comprising;
 forming a layer of adsorbed seed precursor molecules on a surface of a substrate;   irradiating the layer of adsorbed seed precursor molecules with charged particles to form a seed layer;   forming a layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules on the seed layer; and   irradiating the layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules with a pulsed laser beam to form a target deposit layer, wherein no heating of the substrate occurs while irradiating the layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules with the pulsed laser beam.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsed laser beam provides ultrashort pulses. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seed layer and the target deposit layer are formed from the same material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the charged particles are electrons. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the charged particles are ions. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 exposing the surface of the substrate to a first precursor gas, the first precursor gas including the seed precursor molecules; and   exposing the surface of the substrate to a second precursor gas, the second precursor gas including the target material precursor molecules.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second precursor gases are the same. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target deposit layer has greater purity than the seed layer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a filled closed geometrical shape of at least the target deposit layer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target deposit layer forms at a rate of 0.8 μm3/min to 1.5 μm3/min. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming a layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules on the seed layer and irradiating the layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules with a pulsed laser beam are contemporaneously performed. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target deposit layer is larger than the seed layer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 forming a second layer of adsorbed seed precursor molecules on the target deposit layer;   irradiating the second layer of seed precursor molecules with charged particles to form a second seed layer;   forming a second layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules on the second seed layer; and   irradiating the second layer of adsorbed target material precursor molecules with the pulsed laser beam to form a second target deposit layer.