The patterning of sol-gel-derived thin films by micromolding in capillaries can produce unintended topographical deviations from the shape of the original mold that may limit the utility of the technique in potential applications. During drying and heat treatment, nonuniform shrinkage across the film due to the densification of the gel matrix results in "double-peak" film topographies whereby the film thickness is greater at the lateral edges than in the middle. Using the same framework used to understand the imbibition and wetting of the sol-gel in the capillary channels, we developed a mechanism to explain the formation of the double-peak profile. As a model system, patterned Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 thin films were studied. Atomic force microscopic characterization was used to quantify the effect of the rate of gelation on the topography of the patterned thin films. Modifications to the channel mold design eliminate the peak formation, producing more homogeneous patterns that better replicate the features of the mold.

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A new patterning technique for the deposition of sol-gels and chemical solution precursors was developed to address some of the limitations of soft lithography approaches. When using micromolding in capillaries to pattern precursors that exhibit large amounts of shrinkage during drying, topographical distortions develop. In place of patterning the elastomeric mold, the network of capillary channels was patterned directly into the substrate surface and an elastomer membrane is used to complete the channels. When the wetting properties of the substrate surfaces were carefully controlled using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), lead zirconate titanate thin films with nearly rectangular cross-sections were successfully patterned. This technique, called microchannel molding (CM), also provided a method for aligning multiple layers such as bottom electrodes for device fabrication.

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