Replication of Papilio maackii Ménétriés butterfly scale structural color using a magnetron sputtering method

The natural butterfly Papilio maackii Ménétriés scales were found, through scanning and transmission electron microscopy, to comprise stacks of thin layers. Replicated scales were then fabricated on a silicon substrate using a magnetron sputtering (MS) method with ITO (In₂O₃(90%)+SnO₂(10%)) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Finally, the optical effects of the replicated scale were examined by a spectrometer. The results showed that the replicated and natural scales have the similar characteristics in structural colors. As a result, it can be concluded that the MS method reported in this paper is a feasible method for fabricating an artificial biological structural color or other optical elements.