Super-resolution photothermal patterning in conductive polymers and nanowire patterning

The largest need in organic electronic devices is a universal method to produce micro- to nano-scale features for devices from semiconducting polymers cheaply, and at scale. We recently developed a solution method to optically pattern conjugated polymers with resolution that exceeds the linear Abbe diffraction limit. We examine the relationship between optical write intensity, write speed, and write wavelength on the resulting pattern fidelity. Finite element modeling reveals that nearly all patterning occurs as a result of local heating and superlinear resolution is a result of a highly non-linear dissolution rate for the polymer as a function of temperature. This result is general to any conjugated polymer. We used this new technique to fabricate P3HT/F4TCNQ nanowires We also demonstrate that a P3HT nanowires can be doped and de-doped from solution without changing the dimension of the wire.