Photoassisted CVD on Thermally Sensitive Substrates

Metallized organic and polymer layers can function as magnetic, electronic and optical devices, and so have applications in energy harvesting, electronics and sensing. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is an attractive technique for the metallization of organic thin films because it is selective and the thickness of the deposited film can easily be controlled. However, thermal CVD processes often require high temperatures which are incompatible with organic films. An alternative is to employ photochemical CVD, in which photochemical reactions of the precursor generate highly reactive species which deposit metal without damaging the substrate surface. We are using selective photochemical deposition of metals on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as a model for metallization of organic thin films. Our photoassisted CVD work is carried out in collaboration with Prof. Amy Walker at the University of Texas, Dallas.