Self-developable surface relief photoimaging generated by anionic UV-Curing of epoxy resins

Abstract

The self-developable formation of photoinduced surface relief was achieved by the post-exposure baking (PEB) of pattern-wise UV-exposed films consisting of a photobase generator, a branched base amplifier and an epoxy resin. A photogenerated amine triggered the self-catalytic fragmentation of a branched base amplifier to give branched molecules substituted with ω-amino groups, which reacted with an epoxy resin during PEB to form crosslinked networks. The consumption of ingredients as a result of the fragmentation and the crosslinking reactions during PEB generates the concentration gradients of components, leading to the mass transfer from unexposed areas to exposed ones to give surface relief structures. © 2009 The Society of Polymer Science, Japan.