Recent advances and emerging opportunities in rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of polymers

A classic technique in semiconductors but new to polymers, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) offers numerous opportunities in polymer processing. Infrared/visible light in RTA allows uniform rapid heating (typically similar to 100-150 degrees C s(-1); up to 1200 degrees C) with the capability of finely tuned temperature and atmosphere, unlike other flash heating methods, such as photothermal annealing. This review first summarizes the recent advances in RTA of polymers in the areas of doping/templating of hard materials and accessing non-equilibrium structures. The review of these previous studies elucidates emerging research opportunities in the field of polymer synthesis, characterization, and synergistic study for other flash heating methods that are relevant for various applications, from healthcare to electronics.