Electron-beam-induced chromism combined with photo- or thermal reverse reaction for color imaging

Enomoto, Kazuyuki; Maekawa, Yasunari; Kono, Sachiko*; Iwasaki, Masakazu*; Narita, Tadashi*

Reversible color imaging on polymer films with spiropyran (SP-NO) or diarylethene (DE) has been examined by electron-beam (EB) induced chromism combined with a photo- or thermal reverse reaction. Colorless SP-NO in a film transformed into red-colored merocyanine (MC-NO), which subsequently converted to the original SP-NO via thermal treatment. In contrast, a photo reverse reaction could be applied for EB-induced color imaging using DE in the polymer films, where the thermally stable colored close-form can be converted to the original colorless open-form via photoreaction. The color images of 200 nm L/S patterns were produced in the PMMA film containing SP-NO; the images could be faded upon the thermal treatment. It is noted that these reactions are the first example for reversible transformation of color imaging induced by EB radiation together with heat or light treatment.