Organization of molecules in thin polymer layers by electron beam poling

Electron beam poling was developed and applied to thin polymer layers by use of a scanning electron microscope. Molecular manipulations of orientation of the molecules were induced by focused electron beams, and detected by means of infrared spectroscopy as well as by nonlinear optical methods. Using electron beam microlithography microscopic polarization structures have been written into thin fluoropolymer layers by means of a direct, computer-controlled writing process; they were read out through potential contrast images as well as by studies concerning second harmonic generation (SHG).