Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microfabrication and characterization of UV micropatternable, electrically conducting polyaniline photoresist blends for MEMS applications

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Microsystem Technologies Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present the preparation and electrical characterization of an electrically conductive blend of polyaniline (PANi) and SU-8 UV micropatternable photoresist that offers promising opportunities for MEMS applications. The blend was prepared by shear mixing of PANi and SU-8 2010 resist at an rpm of 1,000 for 15 h. The composite was spin-coated on a silicon wafer at an 850 rpm in order to achieve a thickness of 50 µm, followed by soft baking at 70 °C for 35 min and cooling to room temperature. The desired structures were patterned using masked UV exposure for 60 s. Full cross-linking of PANi and SU-8 blend was achieved by a post-exposure bake at a temperature of 90 °C for 25 min, followed by cooling to room temperature. The desired electrode structures and trace lines were then developed in SU-8 developer for 10 min by manual agitation. The fabricated structures were characterized under Scanning Electron Microscope and through Electron Dispersion X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) demonstrating that good patternability was achieved when using photo-initiator (triarylsulfonium hexafluoro-anitimonate salts) and gamma-butyrolactone solvents in the blend. Further, electrical characterization together with EDS showed that an electrically conductive path is formed in the PANI SU-8 2010 polymer matrix. It is also observed that resistivity as low as 350 Ω-m was achieved at 8.6 wt% of PANi in SU-8 2010 polymer matrix.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ates M, Karazehir T, Sarac AS (2012) Conducting polymers and their applications. Development 51:52

    Google Scholar 

  • Burroughes JH, Bradley DDC, Brown AR, Marks RN, MacKay K, Friend RH, Burns PL, Holmes AB (1990) Light-emitting diodes based on conjugated polymers. Nature 347(6293):539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng JH, Fou AF, Rubner MF (1994) Molecular self-assembly of conducting polymers. Thin Solid Films 244(1):985–989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fengling Z, Johansson M, Andersson MR, Hummelen JC, Inganäs O (2002) Polymer photovoltaic cells with conducting polymer anodes. Adv Mater 14(9):662–665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garnier F (1989) Functionalized conducting polymers—towards intelligent materials. Angew Chem Int Editi Engl 28(4):513–517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gerard M, Chaubey A, Malhotra BD (2002) Application of conducting polymers to biosensors. Biosens Bioelectron 17(5):345–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gustafsson G, Cao Y, Treacy GM, Klavetter F, Colaneri N, Heeger AJ (1992) Flexible light-emitting diodes made from soluble conducting polymers. Nature 357(6378):477–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heeger AJ, Schrieffer JR, Su W-P, Su W (1988) Solitons in conducting polymers. Rev Mod Phys 60(3):781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hesketh PJ, Misra D, Takamatsu S, Itoh T, Khosla A, Saheb AH, Leon M, Josowicz M (2012) Conducting polymers and their applications. Interface Electrochem Soc 21(3):61

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassegne S, Wondimu B, Majzoub M, Shin J (2008) High-efficiency microarray of 3-D carbon MEMS electrodes for pathogen detection systems. International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technologies, 726615–726616

  • Kassegne S, Mehta B, Khosla A (2014) Manufacturing of high aspectratio 3-dimensional PolyFerroCNT nanocomposite polymer electrodes. Microsyst Technol. doi:10.1007/s00542-014-2250-4. Springer, Berlin

  • Khosla A (2011) Micropatternable multi-functional nanocomposite polymers for flexible soft MEMS applications. PhD Thesis. http://summit.sfu.ca/item/12017

  • Khosla A, Gray BL (2009) Preparation, characterization and micromolding of multiwalled carbon nanotube polydimethylsiloxane conducting nanocomposite polymer. Mater Lett 63(13):1203–1206. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2009.02.043

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khosla A, Gray BL (2012) (Invited) “Micropatternable multifunctional nanocomposite polymers for flexible soft NEMS and MEMS applications. ECS Trans 45(3):477–494. doi:10.1149/1.3700913

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDiarmid AG (1997) Polyaniline and polypyrrole: where are we headed? Synth Met 84(1):27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDiarmid AG et al (1987) Polyaniline: a new concept in conducting polymers. Synth Met 18(1):285–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patel CV, Khosla A, Kassegne S (2013) Micropatternable, electrically conducting polyaniline photoresist blends for mems applications. ECS Trans 50(12):525–535. doi:10.1149/05012.0525ecst

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sariciftci NS, Smilowitz L, Heeger AJ, Wudl F (1992) Photoinduced electron transfer from a conducting polymer to buckminster fullerene. Science 258(5087):1474–1476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skotheim TA (1986) Handbook of conducting polymers, vol 2. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Snook GA, Kao P, Best AS (2011) Conducting-polymer-based super-capacitor devices and electrodes. J Power Sources 196(1):1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Syed AA, Dinesan MK (1991) Review: polyaniline—a novel polymeric material. Talanta 38(8):815–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • TEJSKAL JS (2006) Polyaniline preparation of a conducting polymer, (IUPAC Technical Report) Prepared for publication Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Academy of sciences of the Czech Republic, 162 06, Prague 6, Czech Republic in collabration with R.G.GILBERT Key centre for Polymer Colloids-F11, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia

  • Vahidi N, Hirabayashi M, Mehta B, Khosla A, Kassegne S (2014) Bionanoelectronics platform with DNA molecular wires attached to high aspect-ratio 3D metal microelectrodes. ECS J Solid State Sci Technol 3(3):Q29–Q36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia Y, Zhao X-M, Whitesides GM (1996) Pattern transfer: self-assembled monolayers as ultrathin resists. Microelectron Eng 32:255–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang C, Taherabadi L, Jia G, Kassegne S, Zoval J, Madou M (2004) Carbon-MEMS architectures for 3D microbatteries, Photonics Europe, 295–302

Download references

Acknowledgments

Authors would like to acknowledge San Diego State University Electron Microscope facilities and Dr. Steve Barlow for allowing us access to the SEM for our EDS analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MEMS Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-1323, USA

    Ajit Khosla

  2. The Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    Ajit Khosla

  3. MEMS Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA

    Ajit Khosla & Chintan Patel

Authors
  1. Ajit Khosla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chintan Patel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ajit Khosla.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khosla, A., Patel, C. Microfabrication and characterization of UV micropatternable, electrically conducting polyaniline photoresist blends for MEMS applications. Microsyst Technol 22, 371–378 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-015-2418-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-015-2418-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation