Route to create large-area ordered polymeric nanochannel arrays

Abstract

Depositing polymdimethylsiloxane (PDMS) from an isopropanol solution onto a glass slide surface by wiping with a fuzz-free wipe results in highly ordered structures. Dewetting of the highly diluted PDMS solution and evaporation of the solvent yields nanostructures. The structure is well characterized as polymer nanochannels, separated by a mean distance of 166 nm. The mean height of the shallow channels is 3 nm only. The proof of having aligned structures on very large surface areas with a well defined orientation is performed with a very high resolution grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering setup. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.