Fabrication of highly oriented microstructures and nanostructures of ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer via dip-pen nanolithography

Microstructures and nanostructures of ferroelectric copolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluor-ethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] are fabricated on gold via dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). The thickness of the patterns is about 1 nm after a critical concentration, regardless of the pattern scale. The polymer molecules are well orientated according to an all-trans conformation and have ferroelectric properties on the gold surface through electrostatic interaction, rather than the formation of chemical bonds. Increasing temperature has a positive effect on the growth rate of the P(VDF-TrFE). The electrostatic interaction between the P(VDF-TrFE) and the gold substrate and the intramolecular interaction of polymer molecules play important roles in the growth rate of the P(VDF-TrFE) patterns.