Kapilerlerde yumuşak litografi ve mikromolding kullanılan desenli polimer filmler (MIMIC)

This research work reports a low cost method to pattern large area surfaces using soft-lithographic approach through several polymers, particularly with the self-assembly of block co-polymers (BCPs) and also by fabricating end-grafted polymer chains for selective immobilization and assembly of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs). The approach relies on the capillary flow of end-functional polymers into the channels formed by an elastomeric mold and substrate, in a process called as micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC). P(S-b-PMMA) for BCPs, and Hydroxyl-terminated poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for polymer brushes are selectively deposited into linear features with the MIMIC process. BCPs self-assembled patterns are aligned and structures into desired geometries and shapes on a large area ranging from nanometers to centimeters. While, the localized grafting of the polymers through thermal annealing followed by washing leads to patterns of polymer brushes. The results show the ability to pattern polymer brushes with line widths as small as 1.5 um at a height of ~3.5 nm (P2VP) and ~10 nm (PEG), and a length up to 0.5 cm. These patterns serve as localized binding sites for the specific and uniform immobilization of Au NPs with diameters of 20 nm and 60 nm. The immobilized Au NPs exhibited strong and localized surface enhanced Raman scattering effects from the patterned regions. The ability to pattern polymer brushes and plasmonic NPs over large areas with a low-cost process may enable applications that range from molecular sensors to biotechnology. While, the less expensive method to pattern large areas using BCP self-assembly through elastomeric PDMS molds would give boost to the solution of the commercialization of nano-patterns below ~20nm for semiconductor industries with an explicit ease of fabrication.