Electrode structure and method of manufacturing an electrode structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018106749-A1
Application number	US-201715847474-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrode structure includes providing an initial structure, the initial structure including at least two elevated regions extending from a substrate, wherein top portions of the two elevated regions are separated by a first lateral distance, depositing material onto the elevated regions by means of physical vapor deposition such that adjacent top portions of the deposited material are separated by a second lateral distance that is smaller than the first lateral distance, and applying electrodes onto the top portions of the material.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing an electrode structure, the method comprising:
providing an initial structure, the initial structure comprising at least two elevated regions extending from a substrate, wherein top portions of the two elevated regions are separated by a first lateral distance, depositing material by means of physical vapor deposition onto the elevated regions such that adjacent top portions of the deposited material are separated by a second lateral distance that is smaller than the first lateral distance, and applying electrodes onto the top portions of the material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein depositing material onto the elevated regions comprises sputtering material onto the elevated regions.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the material deposited onto an elevated region comprises a first lateral width adjacent to the elevated region and a second lateral width remote from the elevated region, wherein the first lateral width is smaller than the second lateral width.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated regions are permanently maintained at the initial structure.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deposited material is a dielectric.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are applied onto the top portions of the deposited material by evaporation of conductive material.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the elevated regions comprise an aspect ratio of width to height of about 1:1.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the top portions of the elevated regions comprise a lateral width of about 1 μm and the first lateral distance between the top portions of the elevated regions is about 1 μm.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first lateral distance between the elevated regions is between about 3 μm and about 1 μm, advantageously between about 1 μm and about 800 nm, and more advantageously between about 800 nm and 500 nm.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrode structure comprises electrodes that are separated by an electrode gap, the electrode gap comprising a lateral distance that is less than about 100 nm, advantageously less than about 50 nm and more advantageously between about 50 nm and 20 nm.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the deposited material comprises a thickness between about 400 nm and about 700 nm.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprises providing a material layer that is arranged between the elevated regions and the deposited material.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the initial structure is formed by injection molding, or by hot embossing, or by nano-imprinting, or by dry-etching, or by wet-etching.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein adjacent areas of top portions of the deposited material provide a Line Width Roughness of about 20 nm.

15 . An electrode structure comprising:
an initial structure, the initial structure comprising at least two elevated regions extending from a substrate, wherein top portions of the two elevated regions are separated by a first lateral distance, a material deposited onto the elevated regions by means of physical vapor deposition, wherein adjacent top portions of the material are separated by a second lateral distance that is smaller than the first lateral distance, and electrodes applied onto the top portions of the material.

16 . A biosensor chip comprising the electrode structure comprising:
an initial structure, the initial structure comprising at least two elevated regions extending from a substrate, wherein top portions of the two elevated regions are separated by a first lateral distance, a material deposited onto the elevated regions by means of physical vapor deposition, wherein adjacent top portions of the material are separated by a second lateral distance that is smaller than the first lateral distance, and electrodes applied onto the top portions of the material.

Assignees

• Univ Freiburg Albert Ludwigs
• Fachhochschule Vorarlberg Gmbh

Inventors

• Partel Stefan
• Kasemann Stephan
• Dincer Can
• Kieninger Jochen
• Urban Gerald

Classifications

• C23C14/24

  Vacuum evaporation · CPC title

• C23C14/34

  Sputtering · CPC title

• G01N27/307 Primary

  Disposable laminated or multilayered electrodes (G01N27/3272 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/14

  Metallic material, boron or silicon · CPC title

• C23C14/10

  Glass or silica · CPC title