Ionic Self Assembled Monolayer (ISAM) Processes for Electronic Materials and Devices

Novel ionic self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) processes for the fabrication of advanced electronic materials and devices will be developed through this program. Revolutionary ISAM methods to create nanostructured multi-layer inorganic/organic thin-films offer major advantages over conventional manufacturing processes, since the process is simple, low-cost and environmentally friendly in that no volatile organic compounds are used. It may be scaled to sequentially create ultrathin coatings of uniform thickness on semiconductor, metal, ceramic or poly-mer substrates. Judicous selection of nanoscale inorganic particles and high performance polymer components, and their layer-by-layer self-assembly results in nanostructured films having tailored ranges of electrical, electronic, electro-optical, electromagnetic, magnetic, mechanical and chemical properties. This program will design, fabricate and test prototype nanostructured EMI-shielding coatings, conductive interconnects and active electronic elements. F&S has li-censed the enabling Virginia Tech patent for such device processing, and would build on recent Virginia Tech ISAM laboratory demonstrations of basic research devices. PI Michael Miller has nearly twenty years industrial experience in the manufacturing of advanced microelectronic military and consumer products, most recently as Advanced Products Manager for Litton Poly-Scientific. Commercializa-tion funding is pledged by private industry and the State of Virginia. ISAM processing methods may be used to fabricate high performance inorganic/organic EMI-shielding coatings, conductive interconnects and nanostructured electronic and optical switching devices. The same ISAM process may be used to fabricate protec-tive coatings for space-based optical components, aircraft materials, commercial and consumer optics and window glazing.