High aspect-ratio polymer nanostructures by tailored capillarity and adhesive force

We present simple methods for fabricating high aspect-ratio polymer nanostructures on a solid substrate by rigiflex lithography with tailored capillarity and adhesive force. In the first method, a thin, thermoplastic polymer film was prepared by spin coating on a substrate and the temperature was raised above the polymer's glass transition temperature (Tg) while in conformal contact with a poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA) mold having nanocavities. Consequently, capillarity forces the polymer film to rise into the void space of the mold, resulting in nanostructures with an aspect ratio of ∼4. In the second method, very high aspect-ratio (>20) nanohairs were fabricated by elongating the pre-formed nanostructures upon removal of the mold with the aid of tailored capillarity and adhesive force at the mold/polymer interface. Finally, these two methods were further used to fabricate micro/nano hierarchical structures by sequential application of the molding process for mimicking nature's functional surfaces such as a lotus leaf and gecko foot hairs.

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