Polymerization of Langmuir-Blodgett films of diacetylenes

Monolayer and multilayer assemblies of Langmuir-Blodgett films of 10-12 pentacosadyinoic acid (12-8 diacetylene) were deposited on flat gold substrates. Micrometre-size features were patterned by polymerization of the films by using standard electron beam lithography. Polymerized areas on a monolayer and bilayer, as well as multilayer films, were examined by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and resonant Raman spectroscopy. It was established that polymerized areas on a monolayer and bilayer LB film adhere onto the gold substrate after development. The exposure curve, sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the polymer have been determined by using atomic force microscopy and correlated with the deposition conditions and molecular parameters. Stresses induced in the organic film during polymerization lead to an in-plane buckling of the micrometre-size polymer structure. A simple self-consistent theory was developed to predict critical strain and critical length of buckling. The observed effect of buckling of polymers might open an avenue for a wide range of important practical applications in the area of nanomechanical engineering. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.