Materials Suitable for preparing Inorganic Nanocasts of butterflies and other insects

6th International Conference on Optical, Optoelectronic and Photonic Materials and Applications 2014

Silver, J.^1 ; Fern, G.R.^1 ; Ireland, T.G.^1

Centre for Phosphors and Display Materials, Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, United Kingdom^1

关键词: 3D Structure;    Europium-doped;    Field emission scanning electron microscopy;    Lepidoptera;    Optical wavelength;    Periodic modulation;    Phosphor precursor solutions;    Replication techniques;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/619/1/012050/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1742-6596/619/1/012050

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Replication of 3D-structures, in particular those that have a periodic modulation of a dielectric material at optical wavelengths and below have proven very difficult to fabricate. The majority of such replication techniques are complex or use moisture sensitive precursors requiring the use of for example a glove box. Here we demonstrate how an air stable supersaturated europium-doped yttrium nitrate phosphor precursor solution has the ability to easily impregnate a structure or produce a cast yielding faithful replicas composed of Y2O:Eu3+after a final short annealing step. New replicas of Lepidoptera (moth) wing scales using field emission scanning electron microscopy, structures down to 10 nm have been imaged. Moreover as these replicas are made of phosphors, their luminescence in some cases may be modulated by the internal periodic modulation built into their structures. In this work we will discuss more recent results on the use of the phosphors for making nanocasts of moth wing scales and show a range of beautiful pictures to show what the method can achieve.