Direct laser interference patterning of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS) thin films

Abstract We have developed a patterning procedure based on selective ablation using interference patterns with ns-laser pulses to fabricate periodic arrays on large areas of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT-PSS) thin films over a metallic gold–palladium layer. Single pulse laser-ablation experiments were performed to study the ablation characteristics of the thin films as a function of the film thickness. The ablation threshold fluence of the PEDOT-PSS films was found to be dependent on thickness with values ranging from 43 mJ/cm 2 to 252 mJ/cm 2 . Additionally, fluences at which the PEDOT-PSS films could be ablated without inducing damage in the underlying metallic films were observed (128 mJ/cm 2 and 402 mJ/cm 2 for film thicknesses of 70 nm and 825 nm, respectively). Linear periodic arrays with line spacings of 7.82 μm and 13.50 μm were also fabricated. The surface topography of these arrays was analyzed using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. For thicker polymeric layers, several peeled sub-layers of the conjugated polymer with average thicknesses of about 165–185 nm were observed in the ablation experiments. The size and scale of structures produced by this technique could be suitable for several biomedical applications and devices in which controlling cell adhesion, promoting cell alignment, or improving biocompatibility are important.

[1]  G. Petite,et al.  Experimental investigations of laser ablation efficiency of pure metals with femto, pico and nanosecond pulses , 1999 .

[2]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Muscular Thin Films for Building Actuators and Powering Devices , 2007, Science.

[3]  J. Güdde,et al.  Damage threshold dependence on electron–phonon coupling in Au and Ni films , 1998 .

[4]  Frank Mücklich,et al.  Periodic Pattern Formation of Intermetallic Phases with Long Range Order by Laser Interference Metallurgy , 2005 .

[5]  S. Beaupré,et al.  Optical and Electrical Properties of π-Conjugated Polymers Based on Electron-Rich 3,6-Dimethoxy-9,9-dihexylfluorene Unit , 2003 .

[6]  Douglas B. Chrisey,et al.  Absorbing film assisted laser induced forward transfer of fungi (Trichoderma conidia) , 2004 .

[7]  David G Lidzey,et al.  Laser-assisted patterning of conjugated polymer light emitting diodes , 2005 .

[8]  Alberto Piqué,et al.  Laser Direct-Write Techniques for Printing of Complex Materials , 2007 .

[9]  Claus Daniel,et al.  Laser interference metallurgy-periodic surface patterning and formation of intermetallics , 2005 .

[10]  J. M. Fernández-Pradas,et al.  Laser-induced forward transfer of liquids: Study of the droplet ejection process , 2006 .

[11]  H. Salavagione,et al.  Photolithographic Patterning of a Conductive Polymer Using a Polymeric Photoacid Generator and a Traceless Removable Group , 2006 .

[12]  F. Mücklich,et al.  Laser interference lithography as a new and efficient technique for micropatterning of biopolymer surface. , 2005, Biomaterials.

[13]  Femtosecond pulsed laser patterning of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) thin films on gold/palladium substrates , 2007 .

[14]  Ramki Kalyanaraman,et al.  Robust nanopatterning by laser-induced dewetting of metal nanofilms , 2006, Nanotechnology.

[15]  C. Barbero,et al.  Simple Fabrication Method of Conductive Polymeric Arrays by Using Direct Laser Interference Micro‐/Nanopatterning , 2007 .

[16]  V. Barsukov,et al.  The catalytic activity of conducting polymers toward oxygen reduction , 2005 .

[17]  Dong Hwan Kim,et al.  Ordered surfactant-templated poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) conducting polymer on microfabricated neural probes. , 2005, Acta biomaterialia.

[18]  C. Barbero,et al.  One‐Step Production of Organized Surface Architectures on Polymeric Materials by Direct Laser Interference Patterning , 2007 .

[19]  U. Bakowsky,et al.  Laser ablation patterning by interference induces directional cell growth , 2003, IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience.

[20]  Lorraine F. Francis,et al.  Transparent, conductive polymer blend coatings from latex-based dispersions , 2007 .

[21]  D. Bäuerle.  Laser Processing and Chemistry , 1996 .

[22]  C. Barbero,et al.  Advanced design of conductive polymeric arrays with controlled electrical resistance using direct laser interference patterning , 2008 .

[23]  J. Krüger,et al.  Femtosecond laser-induced damage of gold films , 2007 .

[24]  G. Johnson,et al.  Photoinduced Doping and Photolithography of Methyl-Substituted Polyaniline , 1995 .

[25]  J. Bonse,et al.  Ultrashort-pulse laser ablation of indium phosphide in air , 2001 .

[26]  R. W. Gymer,et al.  Chemical tuning of electroluminescent copolymers to improve emission efficiencies and allow patterning , 1992, Nature.