Patterning of single-wall carbon nanotubes via a combined technique (chemical anchoring and photolithography) on patterned substrates

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been chemically attached with high density onto a patterned substrate. To form the SWNT pattern, the substrate was treated with acid-labile group protected amine, and an amine prepattern was formed using a photolithographic process with a novel polymeric photoacid generator (PAG). The polymeric PAG contains a triphenylsulfonium salt on its backbone and was synthesized to obtain a PAG with enhanced efficiency and ease of spin-coating onto the amine-modified glass substrate. The SWNT monolayer pattern was then formed through the amidation reaction between the carboxylic acid groups of carboxylated SWNTs (ca-SWNTs) and the prepatterned amino groups. A high-density multilayer was fabricated via further repeated reaction between the carboxylic acid groups of the ca-SWNTs and the amino groups of the linker with the aid of a condensation agent. The formation of covalent amide bonding was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis-near-IR results show that the patterned SWNT films have uniform coverage with high surface density. Unlike previously reported patterned SWNT arrays, this ca-SWNT patterned layer has high surface density and excellent surface adhesion due to its direct chemical bonding to the substrate.