Patterning of conducting polymers using charged self-assembled monolayers

We introduce a new approach to pattern conducting polymers by combining oppositely charged conducting polymers on charged self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The polymer resist pattern behaves as a physical barrier, preventing the formation of SAMs. The patterning processes were carried Out using commercially available conducting polymers: a negatively charged PEDOT/PSS (poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene)/poly(4-stylenesulphonic acid)) and a positively charged polypyrrole (PPy). A bifunctional NH2 (positively charged) or COOH (negatively charged) terminated alkane thiol or silane was directly self-assembled oil a substrate (Au or SiO2). A suspension of the conducting polymers (PEDOT/PSS and PPy) was then spin-coated on the top surface of the SAMs and allowed to adsorb oil the oppositely charged SAMs via an electrostatic driving force. After lift-off of the polymer resist, i.e., poly(methyl methacrylate, PMMA), using acetone, the conducting polymers remained oil the charged SAMs surface. Optical microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy reveal that the prepared nanolines have low line edge toughness and high line width resolution. Thus, conducting polymer patterns with high resolution could be produced by simply employing charged bifunctional SAMs. It is anticipated that this versatile new method can be applied to device fabrication processes of various nano- and microelectronics.