SYNTHESIS AND PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY OF POLYMERS AND COPOLYMERS BASED ON POLY(3-(2-(METHACRYLOYLOXY)ETHYL)THIOPHENE)

Electronically conducting polythiophenes functionalized with methacryl ate side chains have been synthesized and characterized. irradiation w ith UV-visible light leads to photochemical crosslinking and insolubil ization of the polymer films. The minimum gel dose required to leave a n insoluble residue for thacryloyloxy)ethyl)thiophene-co-3-hexylthioph ene] was 2.6 mJ cm(-2) and the dose required to obtain 50% insolubiliz ation was 24 mJ cm(-2). Films of the homopolymer, poly(3-(2-(methacryl oyloxy)ethyl)thiophene), were Lithographically more sensitive than the copolymer as indicated by the lower gel dose (1.2 mJ cm(-2)) and lowe r dose required for 50% insolubilization (13.4 mJ cm(-2)). Polymer fil ms were imaged by conventional semiconductor photolithography. Pattern ed images were obtained having film thicknesses of 75 nm and a resolut ion of 3 mu m. Films doped with gold trichloride achieved conductiviti es up to 12 S cm(-1).