Transfer of 1D Photonic Crystals via Spatially Resolved Hydrophobization

The facile transfer is reported of 1D photonic crystal based sensors applying a sacrificial layer method combined with hydrophobization of the sample through amine intercalation and subsequent peel ‐off in water. The intercalant does not impair the sensing capabilities and can be exchanged or removed post transfer. Pattern transfer can be conducted with spatially resolved hydrophobization. Abstract1D photonic crystals (1DPCs) are well known from a variety of applications ranging from medical diagnostics to optical fibers and optoelectronics. However, large ‐scale application is still limited due to complex fabrication processes and bottlenecks in transferring 1DPCs to arbitrary substrates and pattern creation. These challenges were addressed by demonstrating the transfer of millimeter‐ to centimeter‐scale 1DPC sensors comprised of alternating la yers of H3Sb3P2O14 nanosheets and TiO2 nanoparticles based on a non ‐invasive chemical approach. By depositing the 1DPC on a sacrificial layer of lithium tin sulfide nanosheets and hydrophobizing only the 1DPC by intercalation ofn‐octylamine via the vapor phase the 1DPC can be detached from the substrate by immersing the sample in water. Upon exfoliation of the hydrophilic sacrificial layer, the freestanding 1DPC remains at the water–air interface. In a second step, it can be transferred to arbitrary surfaces such as cur ved glass. In addition, the transfer of patterned 1DPCs is demonstrated by combining the sacrificial ...
Source: Small - Category: Nanotechnology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research