Nanopatterning of photonic crystals with a photocurable silica–titania organic–inorganic hybrid material by a UV-based nanoimprint technique

Abstract

UV patternable high refractive index inorganic–organic hybrid materials prepared by sol–gel process can be nanoimprinted in order to get photonic crystal nanopatterns. Non-hydrolytic sol–gel process can make a UV curable and relatively high refractive index hybrid material, which can be cured without a significant shrinkage for nanoimprinting. Sol–gel process of heterogeneously functionalized silicon alkoxides can make the organically modified inorganic Si–O–Ti network very well. The UV-based nanoimprint technique utilizes transparent templates and UV curable high refractive index materials to allow pattern replication at room temperature and very low pressure. UV-based nanoimprint technique is an efficient way to fabricate this sort of polymeric photonic crystal nanostructures.