Photoinduced Crystal-to-Liquid Phase Transitions of Azobenzene Derivatives and Their Application in Photolithography Processes through a Solid–Liquid Patterning

The direct and reversible transformation of matter between the solid and liquid phases by light at constant temperature is of great interest because of its potential applications in various manufacturing settings. We report a simple molecular design strategy for the phase transitions: azobenzenes having para-dialkoxy groups with a methyl group at the meta-position. The photolithography processes were demonstrated using the azobenzene as a photoresist in a single process combining development and etching of a copper substrate.