Contactless transfer of image via the gas phase in a thermoactivated process

The formation of hafnium oxide (HfO$_2$) layers in slit structures by pulsed metalorganic chemicalvapor deposition (MOCVD) method with discrete dosage of reactants has been studied. The MOCVD process employed hafnium tetrakisdipivaloylmethanate as a precursor and oxygen as a gaseous reactant. The slit structure was formed by a silicon plate and a glass substrate with a chromium-film pattern. The slit width was varied within 0.1–2.0 mm, so that the aspect ratio changed from 150 to 30. The deposited layers were studied by the scanning ellipsometry technique. The phenomenon of image transfer from the glass substrate to the opposite plate in the form of a nanosized HfO$_2$ film relief, which reproduces the chromium-film pattern, is discovered. The in-plane resolution of the obtained image in these experiments reached 0.025 mm. This effect can be used for nonlithographic formation of images of film structures.