Systematic study on photofabrication of surface relief grating on high-Tg azobenzene polymers

Abstract

Photofabrication of surface relief grating (SRG) on maleimide-based high-Tg polymers with different degree of azobenzene functionalization were investigated. From the systematic study on these polymers, a number of new insights into the fabrication process and chain dynamics were established: 1) the surface modulation of photofabricated SRG depends on the functionalization. 2) the formation of SRG requires a minimum threshold intensity of exposing light. 3) this minimum threshold doesn't depend on the degree of functionalization of the polymer. 4) the temperature dependence of the SRG formation was not depend on the degree of functionalization. From these results, it is suggested that the photofabrication of SRG does not have any bearing on the bulk properties of the sample.