Silica coating of polymer nanowires produced via nanoimprint lithography from femtosecond laser machined templates

Nanotechnology. 2012 Mar 16;23(10):105304. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/10/105304. Epub 2012 Feb 24.

Abstract

In this paper we report on the fabrication of regular arrays of silica nanoneedles by deposition of a thin layer of silica on patterned arrays of polymer nanowires (or polymer nanohair). An array of high-aspect-ratio nanoscale diameter holes of depths greater than 10 µm was produced at the surface of a fused silica wafer by an amplified femtosecond laser system operated in single-pulse mode. Cellulose acetate (CA) film was imprinted into the nanoholes and peeled off to form a patterned array of standing CA nanowires, a negative replica of the laser machined nanoholes. The cellulose acetate replica was then coated with silica in a chemical vapor deposition process using silicon tetrachloride vapor at 65 °C. Field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam sectioning, energy dispersive x-ray analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the silica nanoneedles. Precisely patterned, functionalized arrays of standing silica nanoneedles are useful for a number of applications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cellulose / analogs & derivatives
  • Cellulose / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology / instrumentation*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Nanowires / chemistry*
  • Nanowires / ultrastructure
  • Silicon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared

Substances

  • acetylcellulose
  • Silicon Dioxide
  • Cellulose