Synthesis and preparation of ionically bound dendrimer monolayers and application toward scanning probe lithography

Dendrimer monolayers have been designed for use as positive resists for sca nning probe lithography (SPL). Several new amphiphilic poly(benzyl ether) d endrimers with carboxylic acids at either the focal point or the "periphery " have been prepared. These can form ionically bound dendrimer monolayers t hat may serve as either positive or negative tone resists for SPL. The amph iphilic dendrimers self-assemble onto (3-aminopropyl)silanized Si(100) wafe r surfaces to afford ultrathin films. The dendrimer monolayers were charact erized by AFM, ellipsometry, and contact angle goniometry. Patterning a sin gly charged dendrimer monolayer results in the formation of positive tone h oles similar to 35 nm in width. Similarly, patterning a multiply charged de ndrimer monolayer in a direct-write manner with the scanning probe microsco pe results in the formation of negative tone oxide features similar to 80 n m in width.