Focused-ion-beam-assisted fabrication of polymer rolled-up microtubes

A focused ion beam (FIB) has been applied to the fabrication of polymer microtubes via the rolling-up technique from poly(4-vinyl pyridine)/polystyrene bilayer films deposited on the top of a sacrificial aluminum layer covering a silicon wafer. The bending forces in the film arise due to different swelling of the bilayer components in acidic water and lead to rolling of the film. The dimensions and position of the rolled-up tubes can be controlled by FIB milling (sputtering) of geometrically well-adjusted openings in the polymer films. This technique can be applied to the structuring of scrolled films formed from different materials without the use of lithographically patterned photoresists. The geometrical patterning of the tube interior can also be done by FIB irradiation.