Microfabrication of polypyrrole using patterned ITO substrate by the soft-imprint technique

This paper represented an effective and versatile method to fabricate the microstructures of conducting polymer, polypyrrole (Ppy). We prepared polymer patterns as an insulating template on ITO glass using soft-imprint technique that is a simple method to create the polymeric microstructures. After the residual layer of polymer patterns on ITO was removed with reactive ion etching (RIE) process in order to expose selectively the bare ITO, the electropolymerization of Ppy was conducted using the patterned ITO as an electrode. As a results, Ppy grew selectively only on the bare ITO, not on the remaining polymer features. In other words, the polymer patterns formed by the soft-imprint are acting as good barrier during the electropolymerization. Thus, two-/three-dimensional various microstructures of Ppy were fabricated with good resolution over a large area.