Use of Microcontact Printing for Generating Selectively Grown Films of Poly(<i>p</i>-phenylene vinylene) and Parylenes Prepared by Chemical Vapor Deposition

Several non-photolithographic methods for growing patterned films of parylene-based polymers prepared by chemical vapor deposition are presented. These patterns were generated using transition metals and metal salts known to inhibit polymer deposition, in combination with alkanethiols deposited by microcontact printing. By patterning the alkanethiols on gold or silver surfaces, well-defined selectively grown structures of vapor-deposited parylene-N and parylene-C were realized, with lateral dimensions ranging from 1.5 to 35 μm. Using carboxylic acid-terminated alkanethiols deposited by microcontact printing to define regions of iron salt exposure on the surface, selectively grown films of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) were generated, with features having lateral dimensions of 12.5 μm separated by 2.5 μm, and thicknesses of 750 Å. The structures fabricated with this approach have dimensions relevant to applications in microelectromechanical systems and polymer-based displays.