Nondestructive mechanical release of ordered polymer microfiber arrays from porous templates.
The fabrication of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures and microstructures inside the pores of porous templates is intensively investigated. The release of these structures is commonly accomplished by etching and destroying the templates. The 1D nanostructures and microstructures tend to condense because of the occurrence of capillary forces during drying of the specimens. It is shown that highly ordered arrays of polymer microfibers can be easily detached from silanized porous templates by mechanical lift-off. This procedure leaves the templates intact, thus allowing their recycling, and does not involve the use of solutions or solvents, thus circumventing condensation. Therefore, mechanical lift-off may enable the up-scaling of template-based approaches to the fabrication of highly ordered assemblies of 1D nanostructures and microstructures.
Grimm
Silko
S
Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, 06120 Halle, Germany.
Schwirn
Kathrin
K
Göring
Petra
P
Knoll
Heiko
H
Miclea
Paul T
PT
Greiner
Andreas
A
Wendorff
Joachim H
JH
Wehrspohn
Ralf B
RB
Gösele
Ulrich
U
Steinhart
Martin
M
D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011137:Polystyrenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers
D011137:Polystyrenes; D011145:Polyvinyls; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; C024865:polyvinylidene fluoride; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers