Applications of Photocurable PMMS Thiol−Ene Stamps in Soft Lithography

Abstract

We report the performance and characterization of a material based on poly[(3-mercaptopropyl)methylsiloxane] (PMMS) in various soft lithography applications. PMMS stamps were made by cross-linking with triallyl cyanurate and ethoxylated (4) bisphenol A dimethacrylate via thiol−ene mixed-mode chemistry. The surface chemistry of the materials was characterized by XPS when varied from hydrophilic through oxygen plasma treatment, to hydrophobic by exposure to a fluorinated trichlorosilane agent. The materials are transparent above 300 nm and thermally stable up to 225 °C, thus rendering them capable to be employed in step-and-flash imprint lithography, nanoimprint lithography, nanotransfer printing, and proximity-field nanopatterning. The successful pattern replication from the micrometer to sub-100 nm scale was demonstrated.

From co-crystals to functional thin films: photolithography using [2+2] photodimerization

“…The yield of the photodimerization (ca. 23 The darker and brighter regions correspond to unreacted and Fig. 3b) and agreed with the 1 H NMR data (ESI, Fig.…”

3D Printing Amorphous Polysiloxane Terpolymers via Vat Photopolymerization

“…Furthermore, the step‐growth polymerization kinetics of thiol–ene reactions allows for higher overall conversions prior to vitrification as compared to typical addition polymerization (e.g., acrylates), which results in reduced polymerization shrinkage and improved network homogeneity . Consequently, the thiol–ene reaction offers attractive advantages for covalently crosslinked polysiloxane elastomers …”

Precursor strategies for metallic nano- and micropatterns using soft lithography

“…The master has to be fabricated using microlithographic methods and can be reused. 38,39 Higher resolutions and aspect ratios could be realized as compared to Sylgard 184. 34 Besides silicon, also other structured materials such as polymers or metals can also be considered as molds for PDMS stamp fabrication.…”