Flexible microfiber array film possessing light-activated conductive anisotropy

Highlights: • Anisotropic conductive film with light-activated conductive anisotropy is proposed. • Photoconductive material and anisotropic conductive material are integrated. • Under dark condition, the film is insulative in all directions. • Under light irradiation, conductive anisotropy of the film is activated. • The influence factors on property of the film are investigated. Flexible anisotropic conductive films with light-activated conductive anisotropy are proposed and fabricated. The films consist of ordered polymer microfibers doped with photoconductive β-type copper phthalocyanine (Ⅱ) (Cu-Pc) and are prepared by electrospinning technique. Under dark condition, the films are omnidirectionally insulative. Under light irradiation, electrically conductive anisotropy of the films is activated. The light resistance along length direction of the microfibers is 3 orders of magnitude lower than dark resistance, while the light resistance along the length direction of the microfibers is 2 orders of magnitude lower than that along the orthogonal direction on the surface of the film. The impacts of the ratio of doped Cu-Pc, PMMA and PEO on properties of the films are investigated. The novel light-activated anisotropic conductive films hold extensive prospects in the field of flexible electronics.