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Photostructural modifications in poly(methylphenylsilylene) thin films: Excitation wavelength and atmosphere dependence

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Abstract

Electronic (UV-vis) and vibrational absorption spectroscopies were used to examine the impact of incident photon energy and local atmospheric composition on the development of photo-induced structural changes in poly[(methyl)(phenyl)silylene] thin films. The relative impact of atmosphere on the magnitude and nature of photostructural modifications in this material is found to be enhanced under 3.68 eV photon exposure where the incident photon is resonant with the lowest energy absorption of the Si-Si-conjugated backbone structure. This is in contrast to a greater overall magnitude of photo-induced structural change, with limited atmospheric dependence, observed under 5.1 eV exposure, resonant with absorption transitions associated with the π-conjugated phenyl ring side group. These results provide insight into the underlying structural mechanisms contributing to the large refractive index changes typically observed in these materials.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Science and Engineering Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85718, USA

    B. G. Potter Jr. & H. Chandra

  2. Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85718, USA

    K. Simmons-Potter

  3. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87185, USA

    G. M. Jamison & W. J. Thomes Jr.

Authors
  1. B. G. Potter Jr.
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  2. H. Chandra
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  3. K. Simmons-Potter
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  4. G. M. Jamison
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  5. W. J. Thomes Jr.
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Correspondence to B. G. Potter Jr..

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Potter, B.G., Chandra, H., Simmons-Potter, K. et al. Photostructural modifications in poly(methylphenylsilylene) thin films: Excitation wavelength and atmosphere dependence. Journal of Materials Research 21, 2393–2400 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0288

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