Fabrication of Stable Ultrathin Transparent Conductive Carbon Nanotube Micropatterns Using Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly

Abstract

Stable ultrathin transparent conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) micropatterns were fabricated from photosensitive polymer diazoresin (DR) and carboxylic acid-modified CNT (COOH-CNT) using a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly technique. The CNT micropatterns were realized on LBL ultrathin film after UV exposure through a photomask and development in aqueous solution of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The CNT patterns were characterized systemically with scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy and four-point conductivity measurement system. All of the results indicate that the combined LBL self-assembly and photolithography technique is a promising method for constructing stable transparent conductive CNT micropatterns with nanoscale thickness.

Keywords:

• carbon nanotube
• diazoresin
• self-assembly
• micropattern

Additional information

Funding

This work is financially supported by the National Key Basic Research Development Program of China (973 special preliminary study plan, 2012CB722705), the Natural Science Foundation of China (21004035, 21344005, 21375069), the Fok Ying Tong Education Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (131045), Science and Technology Program of Qingdao (1314159jch), the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2010BQ020), the Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars of State Education Ministry (20111568), and the Promotive Research Fund for Excellent Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province (BS2010CL014).