Pattern replication in blends of semiconducting and insulating polymers casted by horizontal dipping

Pattern replication in solution‐deposited thin films of insulating and conjugated polymer mixtures might provide an alternative to spatially resolved printing techniques for the fabrication of polymer‐based circuitries. Though it has been previously shown that phase separation in the course of spin‐casting leads to the formation of domain structures resembling the chemical patterns pre‐set on the film substrate, finding optimal casting conditions is a tedious process, which requires multiple sample preparations. Here, we have demonstrated pattern replication in a mixture of poly(3,3′′′‐didodecyl quarter thiophene) (PQT‐12) and deuterated poly(styrene‐co?4‐bromostyrene) (dPBrS) deposited by horizontal‐dipping on substrates, patterned with self‐assembling molecules by micro‐contact printing. Moreover, we show that casting conditions for accomplishing pattern replication can be efficiently screened by preparing thickness gradient samples. We have optimized the reconstruction of the substrate pattern in the PQT‐12:dPBrS film. Our results prove that desired structures of semiconducting and insulating polymers can be produced in a simple, high‐throughput technological process. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1419–1426