Fabrication of patterned organic thin film by low-energy electron beam lithography and surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization

High densities of immobilized polymer brushes have been created on solid supports in a spatially addressable fashion. Octadecyltrichlorosilane was self-assembled on a silicon substrate to form an inert monolayer. The substrate was then patterned by low-energy electron beam lithography. Finally, the exposed region was back-filled with a second functionalized silane and the pattern was further amplified by surface-initiated ring-opening metathesis polymerization. The patterned substrate was imaged by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.