CFN Colloquium

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), typically utilized for coating ultrathin conformal inorganic films for semiconductor device processing, is fundamentally enabled by the reaction specificity between vapor-phase organometallic precursors and chemical groups available on the substrate surface. The infiltration synthesis (IS), a recently developed ALD-derived method, expands the concept by driving precursors into the matrix of organic polymer substrates to form embedded inorganic molecules. This not only generates organic-inorganic hybrids with new materials functionalities but also provides non-conventional nanopatterning routes for inorganic nanostructures that can be directly integrated into electronic devices. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts of applying IS for developing organic-inorganic hybrids and semiconductor nanostructures with unique properties and enhanced device functionalities, such as hybrid nanopillars with the highest capacity to store/release elastic mechanical energy among engineering materials and wafer-scale-integrated, in-plane-aligned ZnO nanowire array phototransistors with ultrahigh UV sensitivity and usual superlinear photoconductivity. Also highlighted is the generation of metal oxide nanopatterns by combining IS with self-assembled block copolymer and lithographically patterned polymer templates, revealing important roles of selective interaction of organometallic precursors and chemical groups in the organic matrix on enabling IS. I will conclude the talk by briefly mentioning other potential applications of IS on improving energy and nanotechnologies, such as gas separation membranes, hybrid gravimetric vapor sensors, and next-generation lithography.