Embedded vertical nanosheets of SiO2 in PDMS using an alternative nanopatterning process

Abstract

The authors demonstrate for the first time the embedding of vertical nanosheets of thermal silicon dioxide into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The generic process is suitable for embedding a wide range of thin film nanosheets into PDMS-like polymers. The nanosheets are fabricated on a silicon template, and transferred into the PDMS by molding and releasing the nanosheets from the template during the peel-off of the cured PDMS. Since the template is fully fabricated using semiconductor and compatible processes, the presented technique aims at considerably expanding the range of materials that can be embedded in PDMS, thereby increasing the possible applications. As the width of the nanosheets is defined by the thickness of the deposited materials, nanoscale features can be directly embedded without relying on expensive nanolithography tools.