Investigation of azobenzene side group orientation in polymer surface relief gratings by means of photoelectron spectroscopy

The molecular orientation of azobenzene side groups in polymer films before (nonpatterned) and after (patterned) development of a surface relief grating has been investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The photoemission spectra obtained for 60–100 eV photons of a patterned and a nonpatterned surface are similar when the polarization vector of the synchrotron light is parallel to the grating vector. However, for perpendicular excitation, considerable spectral intensity differences can be observed for 9–14 eV electron binding energy. The observed changes are attributed to the formation of well-oriented azobenzenes at the surface.