Localized pressure-induced ferroelectric pattern arrays of semicrystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) by microimprinting

A new, facile, and robust micropatterning technique that produces patterned arrays of isolated ferroelectric y-type domains embedded in the nonpolar a structure in thin PVDF films was investigated. The method is based on microimprinting of a spin-cast Α-type PVDF films. IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM). and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were conducted on the films. The crystal structures of the compressed and unpressed regions in the pattern were evaluated by using imaging IR spectroscopy, through which selected characteristic IR absorption peaks were mapped with a 2D IR scanner. It was observed that PDMS molds produced various topographic PVDF micropatterns in which the regions compressed by the PDMS patterned molds were selectively transformed into the ferroelectric y crystal.