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Title | Tuning the refractive index of blended polymer films by RIR-MAPLE deposition |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2012 |
Authors | RD McCormick, ED Cline, AS Chadha, W Zhou, and AD Stiff-Roberts |
Journal | Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Active Materials: Behavior and Mechanics |
Volume | 8258 |
Pagination | - |
Date Published | 03/2012 |
Abstract | Graded index polymer films enable novel optics using rigid or flexible substrates, such as waveguides or anti-reflection coatings. Previously, such films have been fabricated by nanoimprint lithography or the decomposition of a single component in polymer blends. Yet, it is desirable to have precise control over the polymer film composition in order to have the most flexibility in designing refractive index profiles. Resonant-infrared matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (RIR-MAPLE) is a polymer thin film deposition technique that enables multi-layer structures on a wide variety of substrate materials, regardless of the solubilities of constituent polymers. In this work, the feasibility of tuning the refractive index of blended polymer films of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) deposited by RIR-MAPLE is demonstrated. Different polymer blend film compositions are deposited using RIR-MAPLE by varying the polymer target ratio. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy are used to characterize the film morphology. © 2012 Copyright Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). |
DOI | 10.1117/12.906878 |
Short Title | Smart Structures and Materials 2005: Active Materials: Behavior and Mechanics |