Micropatterning of poly(p-phenylene vinylene) by femtosecond laser induced forward transfer

Abstract

Conjugated polymers are important materials for optical applications, among which poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) has a major role due to its applicability in sensors, organic light-emitting diodes and large area displays. Despite advances on the synthesis of PPV-based polymers and the improvements of their properties, its printing process, in particular involving the solid phase, remains unsuitable for the development of electro-optical microcircuits. This paper demonstrates the printing of PPV from the solid phase in 2D micropatterns. Such an achievement was performed using laser induced forward transfer with femtosecond pulses, which allows area-selective deposition within reduced scales as thin as ca 100 nm and 5 µm wide. Raman, fluorescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopies confirm that the printed PPV micropatterns have the same structure, emission spectrum and conductivity as the target material, revealing the conservation of their original properties even after laser irradiation. The printing process was carried out using PPV films, overcoming the insolubility issue of this material. The optical and electrical characterization of the transferred PPV demonstrates the potential of this method for the patterning of electro-optical microdevices, since luminescence and electrical conductivity were preserved. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.