Photoresist-free deposition and patterning with vacuum ultraviolet lamps

A photolithography or photoprocessing fabrication tool, comprising:

• a chamber;
• a gas inlet and exhaust;
• a wafer or substrate holder;
• a VUV lamp photon source having a specific wavelength that is in the range of 160 nm-200 nm or wavelengths extending over a fraction of the 160-200 nm range and intensity sufficient to break chemical bonds in and alter surface chemistry or structure of a semiconductor surface;
• and
• a mask for masking the VUV light directed toward a surface of a wafer or substrate on the holder.

A method for photoresist-free deposition of metal onto a material surface, the method comprising:

• depositing a seed film onto the material surface;
• generating photons with a VUV lamp having a specific wavelength that is in the range of 160 nm-200 nm or wavelengths extending over a fraction of the 160-200 nm range and intensity sufficient to break chemical bonds in and alter surface chemistry or surface structure of the seed film;
• directing the photons through a mask pattern to alter surface chemistry or surface structure of the seed film in the mask pattern;
• and
• electroplating metal, without using any photoresist, onto the seed film in areas not exposed by the mask pattern.

A method for photoresist-free deposition of metal onto a dielectric surface, the method comprising:

• generating photons with a VUV lamp having a specific wavelength that is in the range of 160 nm-200 nm or wavelengths extending over a fraction of the 160-200 nm range and intensity sufficient to break chemical bonds in and alter the surface chemistry or surface structure of the dielectric surface so as to produce surface charge;
• directing the photons through a mask pattern to alter surface chemistry or structure of the dielectric surface according to the pattern of the mask;
• and
• without using any photoresist, depositing metal by electroless deposition onto the dielectric surface to create a metal film pattern in the pattern of the mask.