Kinetics of Localized Laser-Photochemical Deposition

Highly localized metal deposits can be produced at low temperature by direct writing using a focused laser beam to induce photodissociation of gaseous organometallic precursors. The deposition rate and localization of the deposit are influenced by the kinetics of photochemical reaction and transport of reactants and products. Two-dimensional finite-element computations were performed to determine the effect of deposition parameters, such as laser power, precursor concentration, system pressure, and sticking coefficient, on deposition rates and deposit profiles resulting from single-photon gas-phase dissociation of organometallic precursors. The effect of various gas-phase transport regimes and the conditions and importance of reactant depletion have been investigated. Numerical results have also been compared to theoretical and experimental results from the literature.