Method of Transferring Thin Films

• US 20140087191A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University of Singapore
• Original Assignee: National University of Singapore
• Inventors: Chua, Lay-Lay, Ho, Peter, Png, Rui-Qi, Loh, Kian Ping, Lim, Geok Kieng, Kam, Fong Yu, Song, Jie, Wong, Loke-Yuen, Zhuo, Jing-Mei
• Granted Patent: US 10,723,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/408
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2007 Bonding of semiconductor wafers to insulating substrates or to semiconducting substrates using an intermediate insulating layer H01L21/2011 takes precedence; bonding of semiconductor wafers to semiconductor wafers for junction formation H01L21/187
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for transferring a thin film from a first substrate to a second substrate comprising the steps of: providing a transfer structure and a thin film provided on a surface of a first substrate, the transfer structure comprising a support layer and a film contact layer, wherein the transfer structure contacts the thin film; removing the first substrate to obtain the transfer structure with the thin film in contact with the film contact layer; contacting the transfer structure obtained with a surface of a second substrate; and removing the film contact layer, thereby transferring the thin film onto the surface of the second substrate.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a thin film from a first substrate to a second substrate comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a transfer structure and a thin film provided on a surface of a first substrate, the transfer structure comprising a support layer and a film contact layer, wherein the transfer structure contacts the thin film, and wherein the support layer comprises an elastomer;

(b) removing the first substrate to obtain the transfer structure with the thin film in contact with the film contact layer;

(c) contacting the transfer structure obtained in the step (b) with a surface of a second substrate; and

(d) removing the film contact layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin film is one or more film with each film having a thickness of an atomic, molecular, or ionic layer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the support layer is released before or during the removing of the step (d).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin film is selected from the group consisting of:

graphene, boron nitride (BN), molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), molybdenum-sulphur-iodine (MoSI), molybdenum (V) telluride (MoTe₂), niobium (IV) telluride (NbTe₂), nickel selenide (NiSe₂), tungsten disulfide (WS₂), copper (Cu), gold (Au), silver (Ag), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), silicon (Si), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs), copper indium gallium arsenide, yttrium barium copper oxide, strontium titanate (SrTiO₃), cadmium telluride (CdTe), gallium indium phosphide (GaInP), alumina (Al₂O₃), and combinations thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thin film is patterned.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of:

poly(dimethylsiloxane), polyurethane, butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer, perfluoroalkoxy polymers, polyethylene, poly(ethyl acrylate), polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polychloropene, and combinations thereof.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the support layer is patterned.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the support layer has a thickness of 100 μ

m-10 mm.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the support layer provides a support for the thin film during the transfer of the thin film from the surface of the first substrate to a surface of the second substrate while the thin film is in contact with the film contact layer.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the film contact layer comprises a polymer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

polystyrene, polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polydimethylsiloxane, polyisobutylene, divinylsiloxane-bis-benzocyclobutene resin, poly(styrene sulfonic acid), polyacrylic acid, poly(allylamine hydrochloride), polyimide, copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene and 2,2-bistrifluoromethyl-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxiole, fluorinated methacrylate polymers, fluoroacrylate polymers, perfluoro(1-butenyl vinyl ether) homocopolymer, and a combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the film contact layer has a thickness of 10-5000 nm.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the contact of the thin film with the film contact layer is by van der Waals interaction.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the thin film is provided on the surface of the first substrate by electrospinning, spin coating, plating, chemical solution deposition, chemical vapour deposition, plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition, atomic layer deposition, thermal evaporation, electron beam evaporation, molecular beam epitaxy, sputtering, pulsed laser deposition, cathodic arc deposition, electrohydrodynamic deposition, inkjet printing, aerosol spraying, dip coating, drop casting, physical vapour deposition, vacuum sublimation, doctor blading, and a combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second substrate is a rigid or flexible substrate.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the second substrate is patterned.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising a step of patterning the thin film before or after the providing of step (a).

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the contacting of step (c) comprises applying a pressure of 0.01-8 bar on the transfer structure.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second substrate is comprised in a thin film device.

21. A device comprising a substrate having a thin film transferred onto a surface of the substrate according to the method of claim 1.

6. (canceled)