Direct Sol-Gel Synthesis of Patterned Zirconia Thin Films Using Self-Assembly in Phase-Separated Mixed Langmuir-Blodgett Films

We demonstrated a new method for directed self-assembly of zirconia thin films, reflecting the phase-separated structures of mixed Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, through a sol-gel route. Templates were fabricated by heat treatment of mixed LB films of fatty acid and silane-coupling agent, followed by selective removal of the fatty acid. Templates functionalized with amino groups were immersed into zirconia precursor solution. Atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy images showed that the films prepared under optimal conditions had products with the same surface potential within the ex-domain region. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectra of the products in the ex-domain region clearly showed a peak assigned to Zr. These results confirmed that the patterned zirconia films were prepared on the templates fabricated from phase-separated LB films.