Surface design for precise control of spatial growth of a mesostructured inorganic/organic film on a large-scale area

A microfabrication technique is presented to fabricate a mesostructured inorganic/organic composite film, i.e., silica/cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) film, with near-perfect site-selectivity on a large surface area based on a spatially regulated growth method. To precisely regulate the site-selective growth of this mesocomposite film at the solid/liquid interface, we designed a novel microtemplate consisting of a "dual-component" self-assembled monolayer (SAM) with alternating hydrophobic trifluorocarbon (CF3) and cationic amino (NH2) groups. First, (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)trimethoxysilane (FAS)-SAM was formed onto Si substrate covered with native oxide (SiO2/Si) from vapor phase. The substrate was then photolithographically micropatterned using 172 nm vacuum UV light. Finally, the micropatterned FAS-SAM was immersed in a solution of 1 vol % (aminoethylaminomethyl)phenethyltrimethoxysilane (AEAMPS) in absolute toluene. Due to these treatments, a dual-SAM microtemplate with CF3- and NH2-terminated surfaces was fabricated, as evidenced by lateral force microscopy, ellipsometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using this template, the microfabrication of a mesocomposite film was demonstrated. As a control, the micropatterned hydrophobic FAS-SAM template (composed of CF3- and OH-terminated surfaces) was also treated under the same conditions. Optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed that the formation of the continuous mesocomposite film proceeded only on the FAS-SAM-covered regions, while the AEAMPS-SAM-covered regions remained free of deposits. This shielding effect also remained constant regardless of the pattern's geometry, i.e., the interval distance between the FAS-SAM-covered areas in the pattern. Through this approach, we were able to obtain well-defined 5-, 10-, and 20-mum wide mesocomposite microlines over the entire 10 x 10 mm2 area with high area-selectivity. On the other hand, when the SiO2 regions were not terminated with the cationic NH2 groups, cluster formation proceeded not only on the hydrophobic CF3 regions but also on the SiO2 regions, particularly with an increase in the pattern interval distance, resulting in lower final pattern resolution.