Wear-resistant, carbon-doped metal oxide coatings for MEMS and nanoimprint lithography

• Main Authors: KOBRIN BORIS, NOWAK ROMUALD, CHINN JEFFREY D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 18.03.2010
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS, SLAG, OR MIXTURESCONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE

The carbon-doped metal oxide films described provide a low coefficient of friction, typically ranging from about 0.05 to about 0.4. Applied over a silicon substrate, for example, the carbon-doped metal oxide films provide anti-stiction properties, where the measured work of adhesion for a coated MEMS cantilever beam is less than 10 μJ/m2. The films provide unexpectedly low water vapor transmission. In addition, the carbon-doped metal oxide films are excellent when used as a surface release coating for nanoimprint lithography. The carbon content in the carbon-doped metal oxide films ranges from about 5 atomic % to about 20 atomic %.