Application of Nanoimprint Lithography to Conducting Polymers for Infrared Photonics

The performance of infrared materials and photonic devices depends on their micro- and nano-scale shape and size, which requires reliable and scalable nanofabrication techniques. This research applies nanoimprint lithography to highly conductive PEDOT:PSS thin films and assesses its morphology and photonic properties using infrared spectroscopy. We created 3 classes of samples with a combination of 5 dopings of PEDOT:PSS at 4 different concentrations. Our testing proves organic dopings improve the conductivity and absorbance of PEDOT:PSS. We demonstrate too that nanoimprint lithography can improve the reflectance of PEDOT:PSS thin films. Overall, our research indicates that conductive polymers have widespread applications to infrared photonics and optics.