Dendrimer patterning and electrochemical deposition of thin metal films atop dendrimer-mediated silicon oxide

Microcontact printing is an effective method for creating patterns of molecules onto a surface. Patterned deposition of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer multilayers onto silicon oxide surfaces are reported herein. Data analysis shows a correlation between dendrimer ink concentration and dendrimer film thickness. Thicker patterns can be achieved by using a more concentrated dendrimer solution. Multilayer structures are stable with respect to sonication and solvent rinsing. Monolayer patterns can be maintained with little degradation in the absence of water. The long-term stability of both monolayer patterns and multilayer patterns is discussed within.;Multilayer PAMAM films can be constructed by reacting the surface-bound dendrimer with a co-polymer known as Gantrez. Alternating layers of PAMAM/Gantrez can be achieved, and the resulting films are stable over time. Another approach to constructing multilayer PAMAM films lies in the inclusion of copper ions. The divalent copper ion serves a coupler between adjacent layers of PAMAM.;Other reports have illustrated the dendrimer's use as a template for creating metal nanoparticles. In this dissertation, the addition of UV radiation appears to accelerate the rate at which ions are reduced to metal, specifically copper. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides evidence of metallic copper with and without UV irradiation, but the amount of metallic copper detected when using irradiation is significantly greater. The relationship between rate of metal reduction and irradiation time is discussed.;Adherent copper films have been electrochemically grown onto PAMAM dendrimer-mediated silicon oxide surfaces. Metallic copper is grown at nucleation sites, associated with adsorbed dendrimers, and films can be observed above a metal thickness of about 2.5 mum. Higher coverage and increased adhesion were observed upon employing galvanostatic control of the deposition process. It is hypothesized that reduction of Cu+2 ions through interaction with the dendrimer leads to the formation of metallic copper and that metal films grow from these copper nuclei.;Further improvement of the results included may give rise to the integration of metal electrodeposition with silicon microfabrication processes and selective metallization templated by dendrimer patterning.