Premium
Water‐Bridge‐Assisted Ionic Conduction in Probe‐Induced Conical Polymer Pattern Formation
Author(s) -
Xie X. N.,
Chung H. J.,
Sow C. H.,
Bettiol A. A.,
Wee A. T. S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200500204
Subject(s) - materials science , conical surface , ionic bonding , polymer , thermal conduction , nanolithography , atomic force microscopy , nanotechnology , chemical physics , composite material , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , ion , fabrication , chemistry , organic chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
Formation of conical polymer structures by atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanolithography (see Figure) and the electrical‐conduction mechanism involved in the AFM‐ probe‐induced patterning process are reported. The current is dominated by water‐bridge‐assisted ionic conduction. Polymer phase transition and mass redistribution occur without modification or degradation of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) material.