Preparation of Metallic Films on Elastomeric Stamps and Their Application for Contact Processing and Contact Printing

Abstract

The formation of permanent or reversible metallic patterns on a substrate has applications in microfabrication and analytical techniques. Here, we investigate how to metallize an elastomeric stamp, either for processing of a substrate mediated by the proximity between the metal on the stamp and an active layer on the substrate, or for contact printing of the metal from a stamp to a substrate. The stamps were made from poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and were modified before metallizing them with Au by adding to or removing from their bulk mobile silicone residues, by oxidizing their surface with an O2‐plasma, by surface‐fluorination via silanization, or by priming them with a Ti layer. The interplay between the adhesion of the different layers defines two categories of application: contact processing and contact printing. Contact processing corresponds to keeping the metal on the stamp after contacting a substrate; it is reversible and nondestructive, and useful to define transient electrical contacts or quench fluorescence on a surface, for example. Contact printing occurs when the metal on the stamp adheres to the printed surface. Contact printing can transfer a metal, layers of metals, or an oxide onto a substrate with submicrometer lateral resolution. The transfer can be total or localized to the regions of contact, depending on the morphology of the metal on the stamp and/or the surface chemistry of the substrate.

Conducting and stretchable nanometer-thin gold/thiol-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane films

“…13 Such conductive layers have obtained the clearance of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a variety of medical implants, but they still involve a number of major challenges.…”

Micron and submicron patterning of polydimethylsiloxane resists on electronic materials by decal transfer lithography and reactive ion-beam etching: Application to the fabrication of high-mobility, thin-film transistors

“…[1][2][3][4] The stamps can be prepared in various ways, although it is most typically carried out by casting prepolymers against masters patterned by conventional photolithographic techniques. Representative soft-lithographic techniques that have found varying degrees of attention in research and for possible applications in technology include microcontact printing ͑ CP͒, [5][6][7] replica molding ͑REM͒, 8,9 microtransfer molding ͑ TM͒, [10][11][12][13] micromolding in capillaries ͑MIMIC͒, [14][15][16] and solvent assisted micromolding ͑SAMIM͒.…”

A multiaxial stretchable interconnect using liquid-alloy-filled elastomeric microchannels

“…1͑b͒͑iv͔͒. 10 Middle PDMS layer having inlet and outlet holes for tubing is prepared separately and attached to the base PDMS layer, Fig. 1͑b͒͑v͒.…”