Two-photon-induced thiol-ene polymerization as a fabrication tool for flexible optical waveguides

In this contribution, we present two flexible thiol-ene-based hybrid materials based on epoxy and acetoxy polysiloxane matrix materials. The latter cross-linking mechanisms allow for orthogonal curing of the matrix in the presence of thiol-ene monomers enabling fast one-step access to two-photon-polymerization (2PP) curable substrates for waveguide fabrication. Another time-saving feature of our concept is the straightforward UV-flood-curing after 2PP, which is also a progress compared to previous works with elaborate postprocessing. Optimization of the ratio of thiol/ene moieties with respect to reactivity and analyses of the thermal stability of the materials, which is required for the industrial process, were carried out. Besides investigations regarding the refractive index of the materials, the proof of principle for successful waveguiding will be given. Flexible optical waveguides were successfully fabricated inside a low refractive polysiloxane matrix material.

[1]  Anja Haase,et al.  Functional polymers by two-photon 3D lithography , 2007 .

[2]  Charles E. Hoyle,et al.  Thiol–enes: Chemistry of the past with promise for the future , 2004 .

[3]  R. Liska,et al.  Two-photon-induced Microfabrication of Flexible Optical Waveguides , 2011 .

[4]  Kevin D. Belfield,et al.  Two-Photon Photoinitiated Polymerization , 2003 .

[5]  John T. Fourkas,et al.  Cover Picture: Multiphoton Fabrication (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 33/2007) , 2007 .

[6]  Tsuneo Mitsuyu,et al.  Photowritten optical waveguides in various glasses with ultrashort pulse laser , 1997 .

[7]  Jang‐Ung Park,et al.  Inorganic–organic hybrid materials for application in optical devices , 2002 .

[8]  W. Kern,et al.  Functional flexible organic–inorganic hybrid polymer for two photon patterning of optical waveguides , 2012 .

[9]  Paras N. Prasad,et al.  Three-dimensional optical circuitry using two-photon-assisted polymerization , 1999 .

[10]  Valentin Satzinger,et al.  Structure−Activity Relationship in D-π-A-π-D-Based Photoinitiators for the Two-Photon-Induced Photopolymerization Process , 2009 .

[11]  W. Kern,et al.  Epoxy silicone based matrix materials for two-photon patterning of optical waveguides , 2011 .

[12]  Niklas Pucher,et al.  A Straightforward Synthesis and Structure−Activity Relationship of Highly Efficient Initiators for Two-Photon Polymerization , 2013 .

[13]  Saulius Juodkazis,et al.  Two-photon lithography of nanorods in SU-8 photoresist , 2005 .

[14]  H Thienpont,et al.  Fully Flexible Optoelectronic Foil , 2010, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[15]  Tommaso Baldacchini,et al.  Multiphoton fabrication. , 2007, Angewandte Chemie.

[16]  Saburo Imamura,et al.  Polymeric optical waveguide circuits formed using silicone resin , 1998 .

[17]  Satoshi Kawata,et al.  Two-photon photopolymerization and 3D lithographic microfabrication , 2005 .