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Abstract

We have succeeded in fabricating micropatterns of a metal oxide film with an arbitrary regulated thickness onto polymer substrate through a liquid phase process. In this study, polyimide (PI) sheet was employed. Oxide nanoskin (ONS) was first formed onto the PI substrate to achieve good adherence between the metal oxide film and the PI surface. Photolithographically micropatterned octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODS) layer on the ONS was used as an ultrathin molecular template. Although the metal oxide film was homogeneously deposited onto entire surface of the template, the deposits on the ODS-covered regions were completely eliminated by solution lithography using absolute toluene, resulting in the formation of the well-defined microstructures of the metal oxide.