Microcutting Materials on Polymer Substrates

Abstract

The production of micrometer and sub‐micrometer features over large areas for use in electronic and optical structures remains challenging, particularly as requirements extend beyond traditional electronic materials to ceramics and polymers. We demonstrate that the technique of microcutting allows patterning of such structures on polymer substrates of these materials as exemplified by the ceramic indium tin oxide (ITO) and the conducting polymer poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Given the brittleness of most ceramics such as ITO, this is very unexpected, but we find no evidence for microcracking and find high electrical conductivities in narrow tracks (∼2.5 μm) that are separated by less than 500 nm. The micrometer‐scale patterns also act as very efficient alignment layers for liquid crystals (LCs), and allow complex alignment patterns.

Influence of the substrate hydrophilicity on the grid assisted deposition of tris-(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum(III) thin films

“…Grid assisted deposition (GAD) is a simple patterning approach we previously designed, where a grid with a micrometer rule is used in order to control the deposition of a solute. It has proved to be a versatile technique [21][22][23] for the fabrication of periodic arrays of material starting from dilute solutions. A scheme showing this fabrication technique is reported in Fig.…”

“…Nanostructured thin films made of functional materials and nanopatterned surfaces have been fabricated with techniques such as contact printing [15], nano-imprinting [16], micro transfer molding [17], lithographically induced self-construction [18], lithographically controlled wetting [19], self assembly [20], grid assisted deposition [21], and microcutting [22]. Several of these techniques rely on a soft mold or stamp that makes them particularly attractive in view of a possible technological transfer for large area capability and upscaled nano-fabrication.…”

Liquid-Crystal Composites Composed of Photopolymerized Self-Assembled Fibers and Aligned Smectic Molecules

“…It is known that organic and inorganic anisotropic architectures formed on substrate surfaces such as anisotropic grooves and porous structures affect liquidcrystal alignment. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] In the present system, the surface morphologies of the grooves formed by the polymerized fibers should control the liquid-crystal alignment. Similar parallel anchoring of liquid-crystalline molecules along the fibers was observed for nematic composites containing self-assembled fibers.…”

Electrochemical and optical properties of a new donor–acceptor type conjugated polymer derived from 3,4–didodecyloxythiophene

“…Much attention was concentrated on conjugated polymers due to the broad range of applications for which they are potentially useful (Skotheim and Reynolds 1998). Photovoltaic devices (Brabec et al 2001), light emitting diodes (Friend et al 1999), field effect transistors (Stutzmann et al 2003), electrochromic devices (Argun et al 2003), and various types of sensors (McQuade et al 2000) based on conjugated polymers are under investigation by numerous researchers around the world. A polymer that possesses a combination of several of these properties is especially an attractive target (Pei et al 2000;Thompson et al 2005).…”