Abstract
A method to directly electrolessly plate silicon-rich silicon nitride with thin gold films was developed and characterized. Films with thicknesses <100 nm were grown at 3 and 10 °C between 0.5 and 3 h, with mean grain sizes between ∼20 and 30 nm. The method is compatible with plating free-standing ultrathin silicon nitride membranes, and we successfully plated the interior walls of micropore arrays in 200 nm thick silicon nitride membranes. The method is thus amenable to coating planar, curved, and line-of-sight-obscured silicon nitride surfaces.
Highlights
Thin gold films have widespread technological utility, from forming conductive elements and overlayers, to serving as a platform for chemical surface modification by molecular selfassembly[1]
Electroless deposition is a compelling approach to film formation: deposition proceeds from solution allowing the coating of three-dimensional surfaces, including surfaces hidden from line-of-sight deposition methods; no electrochemical instrumentation is required; no electrical power must be supplied nor must the substrate be conductive; there is no need for expensive vacuum deposition equipment; and a variety of classical physicochemical parameters such as reagent composition, solution properties such as pH and viscosity, and temperature, are available to tune the film properties[10,11]
We present a dramatically simplified electroless gold deposition method in which we eliminate the initial covalent attachment of an organic monolayer to the substrate, and in which we do not need to initially mask the silicon nitride surface chemistry with a silica overlayer
Summary
Please let us know how Open Access to this research benefits you. Buddini Iroshika Karawdeniya, Y.M. Nuwan D.Y. Bandara, Brian D.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call