title: One-step photoembossing for submicrometer surface relief structures in liquid crystal semiconductors.
abstract: We report a new single-step method to directly imprint nanometer-scale structures on photoreactive organic semiconductors. A surface relief grating is spontaneously formed when a light-emitting, liquid crystalline, and semiconducting thin film is irradiated by patterned light generated using a phase mask. Grating formation requires no postannealing nor wet etching so there is potential for high-throughput fabrication. The structured film is cross-linked for robustness. Gratings deeper than the original film thickness are made with periods as small as 265 nm. Grating formation is attributed to mass transfer, enhanced by self-assembly, from dark to illuminated regions. A photovoltaic device incorporating the grating is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liedtke
authors.forename: Chunhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Dyer
authors.forename: Stuart P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kitney
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kelly
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances / Q000737:chemistry; D008422:Materials Testing; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010316:Particle Size; D010781:Photography / Q000379:methods*; D012666:Semiconductors; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances