Collapse of polymer brushes grafted onto planar ... - Wageningen UR

Using this patterned electrode, we induce a lateral anisotropy in the electric field. The instability is focused
towards regions of highest fields and the final structure is a replica of the master pattern. In our experiments,
due to the use of a polymer bilayer, a hierarchical pattern is formed. The first instability replicated the topography
of the upper electrode. A subsequent instability creates a polymer structure that surrounds the main
structure. In conclusion we have developed here a new non–optical lithographic technique, that can produce
structures on sub-100 nm lateral scales. The method is very simple and does not need special equipment or
materials. By tuning the system parameters, such as the applied voltage (U), distance between capacitor
plates (d) or polymer film thickness and imposing a lateral non-uniformity in the electric field by using a
patterned master electrode, we can produce hierarchical structures with high aspect ratio.
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