Nanopatterning by an Integrated Process Combining Capillary Force Lithography and Microcontact Printing

Abstract

A novel nanopatterning process was developed by combining capillary force lithography (CFL) and microcontact printing (µCP). Flat polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used as the substrate in CFL, and after chemical functionalization, as the stamp in µCP, which increased the resolution of both methods. The polymer patterns, produced by CFL on a thin polymer film on the flat PDMS substrate, acted as a mask to oxidize the uncovered regions of the PDMS. The chemical patterns were subsequently formed by gas phase evaporation of a fluorinated silane. After removal of the polymer, these stamps were used to transfer thiol inks to a gold substrate by µCP. Gold patterns at a scale of less than 100 nm were successfully replicated by these chemically patterned flat PDMS stamps.

Precursor strategies for metallic nano- and micropatterns using soft lithography

“…The authors fabricated gold features with sizes in the micrometer up to the centimeter range. 53,54 Particularly interesting is a new top-down approach based on subtractive patterning via chemical lift-off lithography and introduced in 2012 by Liao et al. [43][44][45][46] Particularly interesting is the fabrication of 3D metallic structures ("microorigami"), starting from planar features fabricated with the selective etching approach, followed by the folding of such features and their consolidation by electroplating.…”

“…51,52 In 2009 and 2010 the Huskens group used a flat stamp approach to achieve sub-100 nm gold structures, using nanoimprint lithography and capillary force lithography, respectively, to selectively ink the flat PDMS stamp. 53,54 Particularly interesting is a new top-down approach based on subtractive patterning via chemical lift-off lithography and introduced in 2012 by Liao et al 55 In this method a PDMS stamp activated by oxygen plasma is used to remove hydroxyl-terminated SAMs from gold substrates, selectively exposing the gold surface which can be afterwards removed by etching.…”

Capillary force lithography: the versatility of this facile approach in developing nanoscale applications

“…39,51,52 Fig. 11 depicts a schematic representation of CFL, in combination with replica moulding, to generate submicrometersized features in thin gold layers on silica.…”

“…Combining CFL with other techniques such as replica moulding, nanoimprint lithography, wet etching, and μ-contact printing allows for the fabrication of high-resolution (∼100 nm), second-generation moulds for soft lithography. 39,51,52 Fig. 11 depicts a schematic representation of CFL, in combination with replica moulding, to generate submicrometersized features in thin gold layers on silica.…”

Multivalency in Heteroternary Complexes on Cucurbit[8]uril‐Functionalized Surfaces: Self‐assembly, Patterning, and Exchange Processes

“…After verification of heteroternary complex formation on the surface, the binding enhancement due to multivalency has been studied in detail and investigated by fluorescence microscopy. Microcontact printing and micromolding in capillaries (μCP and MIMIC) have been used as patterning techniques, offering high versatility and compatibility on the sub‐micrometer level . The combination of multivalent binding and these surface patterning techniques, allowed us to create cross‐patterns of multivalent azopyridine molecules on methyl viologen⊂CB[8]‐based self‐assembled monolayers (SAMs), which is indicative for enhanced binding.…”