Facile patterning and transfer printing of ferroelectric P (VDF-TrFE) microstructures by topographic dewetting and Rayleigh-Plateau instability

Facile microscale patterning of ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE) thin films are presented. Simple spin-coating of the polymer solution on a patterned stamp has led to a variety of features due to the topographic dewetting. The effects of important experimental parameters, such as polymer solution concentration, spin speed, and stamp geometry, are systematically examined and the results are presented as morphological phase diagrams. Further, the dewetted cylindrical lines on the stamp protrusions are found to undergo Rayleigh-Plateau instability, which leads to the break-up of lines into dots in a row. The various pattern features formed on structured stamp has then been successfully transfer-printed onto various substrates such as Si, glass, polymers. The P(VDF-TrFE) micropatterns have shown more uniform ferroelectric performances than those of unpatterned film, due likely to confinement effect. The proposed simple patterning and transfer-printing of ferroelectric polymer thin films can be found very useful in various emerging applications.