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Optical polymers with tunable refractive index for nanoimprint technologies.
J Landwehr1, R Fader, M Rumler
1Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology (IISB), Erlangen, 91058, Germany.
Nanotechnology
|November 27, 2014
Summary
Researchers developed UV-curable polymer composites with tunable refractive index using titanium dioxide nanoparticles. These nanocomposites are suitable for fabricating micro-optical elements via nanoimprint lithography.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- High-throughput production of micro-optical elements requires advanced materials.
- UV-curable polymer composites offer potential for microfabrication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prepare and characterize UV-curable polymer composites with titanium dioxide nanoparticles for micro-optical elements.
- To tune the refractive index and assess thermal stability of the nanocomposites.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (<10 nm) using a nonaqueous sol method.
- In situ steric stabilization of nanoparticles with organic surfactants.
- Characterization of optical properties and thermal stability of polymer composites.
Main Results:
- Composites exhibit high transparency and tunable refractive index (e.g., 1.626 with 23 wt% TiO2).
- Optical properties remain stable across visible and near-IR wavelengths with surfactant adaptation.
- Nanocomposites show low shrinkage (4%) up to 220 °C, suitable for micro-optical applications.
Conclusions:
- UV-curable polymer composites with titanium dioxide nanoparticles enable versatile micro-optical element fabrication.
- Nanoimprint lithography is effective for producing low-cost micro-optical elements from these nanocomposites.
- The materials demonstrate excellent thermal stability for industrial integration.
