Chemical Vapor Deposition and High-Resolution Patterning of a Highly Conductive Two-Dimensional Coordination Polymer Film

J Am Chem Soc. 2023 Jan 11;145(1):152-159. doi: 10.1021/jacs.2c09007. Epub 2022 Dec 19.

Abstract

Crystalline coordination polymers with high electrical conductivities and charge carrier mobilities might open new opportunities for electronic devices. However, current solvent-based synthesis methods hinder compatibility with microfabrication standards. Here, we describe a solvent-free chemical vapor deposition method to prepare high-quality films of the two-dimensional conjugated coordination polymer Cu-BHT (BHT = benzenehexanothiolate). This approach involves the conversion of a metal oxide precursor into Cu-BHT nanofilms with a controllable thickness (20-85 nm) and low roughness (<10 nm) through exposure to the vaporized organic linker. Moreover, the restricted metal ion mobility during the vapor-solid reaction enables high-resolution patterning via both bottom-up lithography, including the fabrication of micron-sized Hall bar and electrode patterns to accurately evaluate the conductivity and mobility values of the Cu-BHT films.