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Updated: May 21, 2026
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High-resolution Patterning Using Two Modes of Electrohydrodynamic Jet: Drop on Demand and Near-field Electrospinning
Published on: July 10, 2018
Patterning of crystalline organic materials by electro-hydrodynamic lithography
Pola Goldberg-Oppenheimer1, Peter Kohn, Richard M Langford
1Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|June 8, 2012
Summary
Electro-hydrodynamic lithography (EHL) precisely patterns semi-crystalline polymers, controlling crystal orientation for advanced optoelectronic applications. This method creates aligned polymer crystal arrays on the micrometer scale.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanofabrication
Background:
- Controlling semi-crystalline polymers in thin films and micro-patterns is crucial for developing novel (opto-)electronic devices.
- Existing methods often struggle to achieve precise control over both structure formation and crystal orientation simultaneously.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the capabilities of electro-hydrodynamic lithography (EHL) for fabricating micro-patterned arrays of semi-crystalline polymers.
- To explore the relationship between EHL processing parameters, polymer crystal structure formation, and crystal orientation.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for achieving uniaxial crystal alignment within EHL-generated structures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized electro-hydrodynamic lithography (EHL) to pattern organic crystalline materials.
- Analyzed the resulting micro-structures to assess crystal alignment and orientation.
- Investigated the interplay between lithography parameters and the self-assembly of polymer crystals.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated EHL's ability to form well-defined micro-patterned arrays of semi-crystalline polymers.
- Achieved precise control over crystal orientation, resulting in uniaxially aligned polymer crystals.
- Identified key mechanisms governing crystal orientation during the EHL process.
Conclusions:
- Electro-hydrodynamic lithography is a powerful technique for fabricating ordered microstructures of semi-crystalline polymers.
- EHL offers simultaneous control over pattern formation and uniaxial crystal alignment, essential for optoelectronic applications.
- The study provides fundamental insights into the mechanisms driving crystal orientation in EHL-processed materials.
