Highly tunable, high-throughput nanolithography based on strained regioregular conducting polymer films

Abstract

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is now a standard imaging tool in laboratories but has displayed limited capability of nanolithography. We discover that an internal tensile strain exists in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) films, and the physical effect is utilized to achieve highly tunable and high-throughput nanolithography. Trenches with widths spanning nearly two orders of magnitude from 40nmto2.3μm are fabricated. We show that P3HT is also excellent for pattern transfer to inorganic materials. Furthermore, a lithography speed of 0.5mm∕s is achieved, which is a few orders of magnitude higher than other known methods of AFM-based nanolithography.

Scanning Probe Lithography of Polymers: Tailoring Morphology and Functionality at the Nanometer Scale

“…A new strategy for mechanical cutting controls the width of the trench not by the size of the scan area but by prestressing the film. By controlling the spin-coating parameters, Jones et al . (2006) prestressed a semiconducting polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT), that was then mechanically cut with the SPM probe, as shown in Figure 3.…”

“…Jones et al . (2006) fabricated trenches by cutting a prestressed semiconducting polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene) film.…”

Nondestructive Evaluation of Plane Crack Tip in a Thin Plate Using Laser-Induced Pulse Wave and Symmetric Lamb Wave

“…Among the lithographic techniques for nanostructuring of materials, atomic force microscope (AFM) based techniques are the finest examples to create patterns below 100 nm with ease and reproducibility [2,3]. Nanoploughing is a simple lithographic technique used for modifying metal, semiconducting and polymer surfaces, mechanically using a AFM tip [4][5][6]. While the much celebrated dip-pen nanolithography technique has successfully demonstrated a method of producing raised nanopatterns using an AFM tip to deliver molecular [7,8] or colloidal inks [9][10][11], nanolithography based on the local anodic oxidation (LAO) has emerged as a genuine tattooing technique [12][13][14][15][16].…”

Nanopatterning via Pressure‐Induced Instabilities in Thin Polymer Films

“…[5] Interestingly, residue-free nano-to micrometer-scale trenches were generated by scribing poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (rr-P3HT) thin films with an AFM tip, presumably as a result of the release of residual strain in the films. [6] These examples open up interesting opportunities in developing a general strategy based on film rupturing phenomena for creating features without residual films using NIL. Dewetting of thin polymer films at temperatures above the T g is a well-understood, although often undesirable phenomenon.…”