Localized and Programmable Chemical Vapor Deposition Using an Electrically Charged and Guided Molecular Flux

Chemical vapor deposition is a widely used material deposition technique. It commonly provides a uniform material flux to the substrate to cause uniform thin film growth. However, the ability to precisely adjust the local deposition rate would be highly preferable. This communication reports on a chemical vapor deposition method performed in a localized and programmable fashion by introducing an electrically charged and guided molecular flux. This allows for local adjustments of the deposition rate and three-dimensional shape by controlling the electric fields. Specifically, the precursor molecules are charged and then guided by arrays of electrodynamic funnels, which are created by a patterned dielectric layer, to predetermined deposition locations with a minimal spot size of 250 nm. Furthermore, nearest neighbor coupling is reported as a shaping method to cause the deposition of three-dimensional nanostructures. Additionally, the integration of individually addressable domain electrodes offers programmable charge dissipation to achieve an ON/OFF control. The described method is applicable to a wide variety of materials and precursors. Here, the localized and programmable deposition of three-dimensional copper oxide, chromium oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon nanowires is demonstrated.