Volume compensating materials after vapor phase infiltration: effect of different butyl isomers of polymer side-chains on high process temperature durability

Abstract Vapor phase infiltration is a facile process that adds metallic features to organic polymer patterns. Generally, volume expansion in typical polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is observed after metal infiltration, which limits the application of this technique in nanofabrication processes. In this study, poly( sec -butyl methacrylate) P( s BuMA) and poly( iso -butyl methacrylate) P( i BuMA) with leaving groups were selected as alternatives for PMMA and poly( tert -butyl methacrylate) P( t BuMA), and their aluminum (Al) infiltration behaviors were investigated. Notably, Al species infiltrated into P( s BuMA) and P( i BuMA) at 200 °C, whereas no Al infiltration was observed at 100 °C. Volume shrinkage was observed for both polymers after infiltration. This shows that the volume change in the base material after metal infiltration can be minimized by combining a conventional volume-expanding polymer, such as PMMA, with volume-shrinking polymers with high process temperature durability.