Toroidal hollow-core microcavities produced by self-rolling of strained polymer bilayer films

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method to produce hollow-core toroidal microcavities by self-rolling strained polymer bilayers, with potential applications in IR-frequency resonators.

Contribution

It introduces a novel self-rolling technique for creating toroidal microcavities from polymer bilayers with controllable dimensions and metallic inner surfaces.

Findings

Successful fabrication of toroidal microcavities via self-rolling.

Analytical model describes the equilibrium dimensions of the toroids.

Metal coating on inner walls enables IR-frequency resonator applications.

Abstract

Hollow-core toroidal micro-cavities are obtained by self-rolling of double-layer (polyvinyl pyridine/polystyrole) polymer films. Rolling of the bilayer is due to preferential swelling of the polyvinyl pyridine in water solution of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid. The tube formation proceeds from a circular opening in the film made by photolithography or by mechanical scratching. The toroid equilibrium dimensions are determined by the balance of the elastic energy relaxation via the film scrolling and the work of the in-plane stretching that is due to increasing radius of the toroid. The principal features of the micro-toroid formation process are captured by a simple analytical model. The inner walls of the cavities can be made metal coated. To this aim, the polymer bilayer can be metallized by vacuum sputtering prior to lithographic patterning and rolling of the bilayer. The toroids with metallic inner surface are promising for the future research as IR-frequency range resonators.