(Invited) Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials Formed by ALD Organometallic Infiltration into Polymers

Atomic layer deposition on polymers has been demonstrated to yield infiltration of reactive vapors that react with the polymer to form hybrid organic-inorganic materials structures.  From this infiltration, new dosing schemes have been utilized to elicit controlled reaction and diffusion. Inspection of these materials has shown a unique set of characteristics, including the ability to fabricate optically active hybrid materials as a result of the formation of a bandgap. As an example process, we examined the ability to infiltrate trimethylaluminum into polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using elongated sequential exposures. As a consequence of PET-AlO_x coordination complex formation within the PET polymer (in film and fiber form), semiconductor behavior is observed in modified material; hence a novel approach toward modifying the band structure of organic materials for optoelectronic and electronic applications.  Furthermore, the photoluminescence behavior of the modified PET is shown to increase up to 13 fold while internal quantum efficiency (IQE) values increased from ~4-5% up to ~25% in the UV spectrum.  Photocatalytic applications have been explored for these materials for their ability to reduce metal ions, such as Ag and Au, out of aqueous salt solutions during UVA light exposure.   As a result of this photoreduction process, patterned metallic structures are formed that are useful for flexible electronic and e-textile device systems.