PHYSISORBED TEMPLATE FOR SPATIAL PATTERNING OF ADSORBATES

The use of physisorbed species as a template for patterning of adsorba te monolayers at surfaces on the micron scale is demonstrated. A physi sorbed monolayer is partially removed by laser-induced thermal desorpt ion and serves as a mask during exposure of the final (chemisorbed) ad sorbate species, thus acting in a manner similar to a monolayer photor esist. The effect, which has been demonstrated for H/Xe/Si(111)-(7 x 7 ), permits clean and precise patterning of monolayers of strongly boun d and/or thermally unstable adsorbates.