Self-organized patterning of molecularly thin liquid polymer films utilizing molecular flow induced by ultraviolet irradiation

摘要

A self-organized patterning method for molecularly thin liquid polymer films on solid surfaces has been demonstrated. In contrast to conventional methods that prepattern solid surfaces and then use the patterns as templates for polymer films, this method utilizes self-organization of polymers induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation through a mask, thereby directly patterning the polymer films and omitting the prepatterning process. Such UV irradiation locally modified the interaction between polymer films and solid surfaces. As a result, molecular flow occurred at the boundary between the irradiated and nonirradiated areas, leading to three-dimensional surface structures.