Atomic step-and-terrace surface of polyimide sheet for advanced polymer substrate engineering. (10th June 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tan, G; Shimada, K; Nozawa, Y; Kaneko, S; Urakami, T; Koyama, K; Komura, M; Matsuda, A; Yoshimoto, M
• Is Part Of: Nanotechnology. Volume 27:Number 29(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-06-10
• Subjects: atomic-scale patterning -- thermal nanoimprint -- polymer substrate; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Publications périodiques; Nanotechnologies; Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/29/295603
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4484

Abstract

Abstract: Typical thermostable and flexible polyimide polymers exhibit many excellent properties such as strong mechanical and chemical resistance. However, in contrast to single-crystal substrates like silicon or sapphire, polymers mostly display disordered and rough surfaces, which may result in instability and degradation of the interfaces between thin films and polymer substrates. As a step toward the development of next-generation polymer substrates, we here report single-atom-layer imprinting onto the polyimide sheets, resulting in an ultrasmooth 0.3 nm high atomic step-and-terrace surface on the polyimides. The ultrasmooth polymer substrates are expected to be applied to the fabrication of nanostructures such as superlattices, nanowires, or quantum dots in nanoscale-controlled electronic devices. We fabricate smooth and atomically stepped indium tin oxide transparent conducting oxide thin films on the imprinted polyimide sheets for future use in organic-based optoelectronic devices processed with nanoscale precision. Furthermore, toward 2D polymer substrate nanoengineering, we demonstrate nanoscale letter writing on the atomic step-and-terrace polyimide surface via atomic force microscopy probe scratching.