Patent ID: 6964901

Claim:
A method of forming a rugged electrically conductive surface, comprising: forming a composition as a continuous layer across an electrically insulative substrate surface; at least partially dissociating the continuous layer to form gaps extending to the substrate surface: forming an electrically conductive surface extending within the gaps, the electrically conductive surface having a rugged topography imparted by the at least partially dissociated layer and the gaps; the forming the electrically conductive surface comprising (1) forming the at least Partially dissociated layer to comprise islands having first electrically conductive surfaces, and (2) forming a conductive layer to electrically connect the islands to one another, the conductive layer comprising a second electrically conductive surface; wherein the electrically conductive surface extending across the at least partially dissociated layer and within the gaps comprises the first and second electrically conductive surfaces; wherein the composition of the continuous layer comprises, silicon; and wherein the forming the islands to comprise first electrically conductive surfaces comprises incorporating at least some of the silicon into at least one silicide.