US4456675A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dry process for forming metal patterns wherein metal is deposited on a depolymerizable polymer and selectively removed
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1983-07-26
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Granted: 1984-06-26
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Expires: 2003-07-26
Abstract
Abstract A process for forming a desired metal pattern on a substrate which comprises, forming a mask of a thermally depolymerizable polymer on the substrate with a pattern of openings complementary to the desired metal pattern, blanket coating the substrate and the mask with a metal, heating the substrate to depolymerize the depolymerizable polymer, cooling the surface of the metal to thereby delaminate the metal coated in areas where thermally depolymerizable polymer is present, removing the delaminated metal where necessary, and optionally plasma ashing the depolymerized polymer, if residue thereof remains, to remove the same from said substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Herbert R. Anderson, Jr.
- 👤 Constance J. Araps
- 👤 Catherine A. Lotsko
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 23:45
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/004; G03F7/039; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/04; C23C14/042; G03F7/26; G03F7/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A process for forming a desired metal pattern on a substrate which comprises: forming a mask of a thermally depolymerizable polymer on the substrate with a pattern of openings complementary to the desired metal pattern; blanket coating the substrate and the mask with a metal; heating the substrate to depolymerize the depolymerizable polymer; cooling the surface of the metal to thereby delaminate the metal coated in areas where thermally depolymerizable polymer is present; removing the delaminated metal where necessary; and optionally plasma ashing the depolymerized polymer if residue thereof remains to remove the same from said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A process for forming a desired metal pattern on a substrate which comprises: forming a mask of a thermally depolymerizable polymer on the substrate with a pattern of openings complementary to the desired metal pattern; blanket coating the substrate and the mask with a metal; heating the substrate to depolymerize the depolymerizable polymer; cooling the surface of the metal to thereby delaminate the metal coated in areas where thermally depolymerizable polymer is present; removing the delaminated metal where necessary; and optionally plasma ashing the depolymerized polymer if residue thereof remains to remove the same from said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said depolymerizable polymer is an unzippable polymer which is converted to the corresponding gaseous monomer(s) upon the heating of the substrate, whereby plasma ashing is not necessary to remove residue.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
56 words
The process of claim 1 which further comprises forming a reactive ion etch stop barrier between the depolymerizable polymer layer and the metal, whereupon cooling the surface of the metal to thereby delaminate the metal coated in areas where thermally depolymerizable polymer is present results in delaminating the metal and the reactive ion etch stop barrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein a depolymerizable polymer is selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate and poly-α-methylstyrene.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the molecular weight of the depolymerizable polymer is about 2,000 to about 100,000.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the molecular weight of the depolymerizable polymer is about 15,000 to about 50,000.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-06-26 | 1987-12-26 | 1988-06-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-06-26 | 1991-12-26 | 1992-06-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-06-26 | 1995-12-26 | 1996-06-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |