Athermal and Soft Multi‐Nanopatterning of Azopolymers: Phototunable Mechanical Properties

Imprinting nanopatterns on flexible substrates has diverse applications in advanced fabrication. However, the traditional thermal nanoimprint lithography (T‐NIL) often causes shrinkage upon cooling. Here, a simple yet versatile method is introduced to fabricate multiple nanopatterns on a flexible su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2020-03, Vol.59 (10), p.4035-4042
Main Authors: Yang, Bowen, Cai, Feng, Huang, Shuai, Yu, Haifeng
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
azo compounds
Color imagery
Fabrication
Image processing
Lithography
Mechanical properties
Nanopatterning
Nanotechnology
photochemistry
Photolithography
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polymers
Positron emission
Substrates
Tomography
Transition temperatures
Viscoplasticity
Wavelengths
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Summary:Imprinting nanopatterns on flexible substrates has diverse applications in advanced fabrication. However, the traditional thermal nanoimprint lithography (T‐NIL) often causes shrinkage upon cooling. Here, a simple yet versatile method is introduced to fabricate multiple nanopatterns on a flexible substrate coated with an azopolymer by combining athermal nanoimprint lithography (AT‐NIL) and photolithography. The azopolymer has various mechanical properties upon photoirradiation: 1) phototunable glass‐transition temperatures (Tg) and concomitantly photoinduced switch from glassy plastic to viscoplastic polymer; 2) prominent modulation of viscoplasticity under light illumination at different wavelengths. Regionally selective multiple nanopatterns are conveniently fabricated, presenting angle‐dependent structural color images on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates. The flexible, athermal and multiple nanopatterning method has the potential for on‐demand fabrication of complex nanopatterns. Changing tunes: The phototunable mechanics of an azopolymer include a photoswitchable glass‐transition temperature and photoinduced change from glassy plastic to viscoplastic polymer. The tunable mechanical properties enable the fabrication of multiple nanopatterns on flexible substrates by combining athermal nanoimprint lithography and photolithography.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.201914201