Cost-effective production of highly regular nanostructured metallization layers

摘要

In this paper we describe how the effect of irradiation- and strain-induced surface processing of elastomer surfaces (Katzenberg 2001 Macromol. Mater: Eng. 286 26) can be exploited for production of highly regular nanostructured metallization layers. Poly(dimethyl siloxane) elastomer was treated under one-dimensional strain by an argon plasma to exhibit highly oriented surface undulations with nearly uniform periods and amplitudes. The microstructured silicone surface topography was evaporated under a tilt angle of 45 deg with platinum and subsequently mechanically strained up to 30 percent. This treatment results in the formation of platinum ribbons or rods with a width which is similar to the wavelength of the silicone surface undulations. The gaps between the rods can be reproducibly tuned by strain of the silicone substrate between a few um up to some 100 nm. To fix a special gap width between a set of nanorods arranged in parallel, the metallization on top of the silicone can be transferred completely to another polymer support.