# US 8,569,103 B2 · Selective polymer growth on a semiconductor substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,569,103 B2 - Document ID: US8569103B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/438,336 - Filed: 2012-04-03 - Published: 2012-07-26 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-31 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Eyal Bar-sadeh; Nuriel Amir; Alexander Ripp; Yakov Shor; Dror Horvitz - Inventors: Eyal Bar-sadeh; Nuriel Amir; Alexander Ripp; Yakov Shor; Dror Horvitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569103B2 ## CPC - B81C 1/00111: {Tips, pillars, i.e. raised structures (microneedles A61M37/0015)} - H10P 14/68: Organic materials, e.g. photoresists - H10W 20/48: Insulating materials thereof - H10W 40/228: {the projecting parts being wire-shaped or pin-shaped} - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Method and systems provide growth of polymer structures at a high rate in a selective manner. In various embodiments, the method or system can expose the growth site to a polymer source and growing a polymer tube at a rate of at least 80 micrometer per hour at the growth site. The method or system can provide selectivity by providing a growth site on a substrate by patterning a metal, such as copper, that provides a seed site for the polymer. Non-selected sites can be coated with a polymer growth inhibitor, such as polyimide or silicon nitride. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: providing a growth site on a metal layer of an integrated circuit substrate; exposing the growth site to a polymer source; and growing a polymer tube at a rate of at least 80 micrometer per hour at the growth site. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein growing a polymer tube includes growing polymer tubes with a diameter of less than one micrometer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein growing a polymer tube includes controlling the length of the polymer tube by controlling exposure time to the polymer source. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein growing a polymer tube includes growing polymer tubes with a diameter at a nanometer scale. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein providing a growth site on a metal layer includes patterning copper on a solid semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein patterning copper includes uniformly coating a silicon wafer with a copper layer and forming a pattern layer to expose select portions of the copper layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein forming a pattern layer includes patterning using at least one of lithography and etching. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein exposing the growth site to a polymer source comprises exposing the growth site to an acrylate ester that provides carbon and oxygen to grow the polymer tube. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: exposing a metal growth site on an integrated circuit substrate to a polymer source at a temperature of less than 50 degrees Celsius; and growing a vertical polymer structure at a rate of at least 80 micrometer per hour at the growth site. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein growing a vertical polymer structure includes growing a polymer structure with a width of less than one micrometer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein exposing a metal growth site on an integrated circuit substrate to a polymer source comprises exposing the metal growth site to an acrylate ester that provides carbon and oxygen to grow the polymer structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein growing a vertical polymer structure includes growing a polymer tube with a diameter at a nanometer scale. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein exposing a growth site includes: patterning copper on a solid semiconductor substrate; and selectively exposing the copper to create growth sites. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein selectively exposing includes selectively coating the copper with at least one of polyimide and silicon-nitride. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein growing a vertical polymer structure includes controlling density of the polymer structure by controlling volume of a reactive species of the polymer. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: exposing a metal growth site on a semiconductor substrate to a source of an acrylate ester; and growing a vertical polymer structure at a rate of at least 80 micrometer per hour at the growth site. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein exposing a metal growth site on a semiconductor substrate to a source of an acrylate ester comprises placing the source within ten centimeters of the substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein exposing a metal growth site on a semiconductor substrate to a source of an acrylate ester comprises placing the source between one centimeter and nine centimeters from the substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein exposing a metal growth site includes: patterning copper on the semiconductor substrate; and selectively exposing the copper to create growth sites. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein growing a vertical polymer structure includes controlling density of the polymer structure by controlling volume of the source of the acrylate ester.