Photolithographic structuring of surface-attached polymer monolayers

In this paper, we present the combination of various photolithographic techniques with the concept of “grafting-from” polymerizations by means of immobilized initiators to create patterned monolayers of covalently attached polymers. Depending on the nature of the coupling chemistry of the initiator, either gold or silicon oxide surfaces can be modified. The creation of positive and negative images of the mask on the various surfaces by choosing the appropriate photolithographic technique is described. If the pattern are to be created by photopolymerization, in situ adjustments in the structure of the initiator allow for a higher efficiency of the process. Step and repeat procedures, which take advantage of the covalent linking of the polymers to the surfaces, permit the preparation of multifunctional polymer patterns.