Fabrication of nanoporous arrays from photosensitive organic-inorganic hybrid materials by using an UV soft nanoimprint technique

A honeycomb-like regular nanoporous pattern built in the photosensitive organic-inorganic hybrid film was fabricated by an UV soft nanoimprint technique. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft mold was firstly replicated from an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template obtained by using a twostep anodization method. Scanning electron microscopy images show that the AAO template has a regular honeycomb-like nanoporous structure, while the PDMS soft mold has a relief structure of nanopillar arrays. Photosensitive TiO₂-contained organic-inorganic hybrid films, which were prepared by combining a low temperature sol-gel process with a spin-coating technique, were used as the imprinted layer. Thus, a honeycomb-like regular nanoporous pattern built in the hybrid film can be easily obtained by imprinting the PDMS soft mold into the photosensitive hybrid film under an UV-irradiation. The as-fabricated organic-inorganic regular nonporous arrays have potential applications in two-dimensional photonic crystal.