Method of fabricating micron-and submicron-scale elastomeric templates for surface patterning

• US 20030006527A1
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: University of Delaware
• Original Assignee: University of Delaware
• Inventors: Rabolt, John F., Tsao, Mei-Wei
• Application Number:
  US10/178,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006527A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/220
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/405 Elastomers, e.g. rubber B29C33/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02066 Gratings having a surface relief structure, e.g. repetitive variation in diameter of core or cladding
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/12 using thick film techniques, e.g. printing techniques to apply the conductive material or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns

Abstract

The present invention relates to the fabrication of elastomeric replicas or stamps of surfaces from a stamp master, wherein the master has geometrical features below 100 μm. The elastomeric stamps of the present invention are prepared from injection-molded plastic stamp masters. The stamps are used to replicate the surfaces or patterns of the stamp master on a substrate using soft lithography techniques.

Claims

1. A method to form an elastomeric printing stamp comprising:

(a) providing an injection-molded plastic stamp master, wherein the stamp master has a pattern and said pattern has at least one feature below 100 μ

m in size;

(b) casting an elastomeric printing stamp using the stamp master by contacting an elastomer to the stamp master; and

(c) curing the elastomeric printing stamp.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step (d), determining the geometrical dimensions of the cured elastomer printing stamp.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step (e), transferring the pattern of the elastomeric printing stamp to a substrate using soft lithography.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising a step (f), characterizing the quality of the transferred pattern.