Microscale lithography via channel stamping: Relationships between capillarity, channel filling, and debonding

A polymer or metallo-organic precursor solution may be transferred from the channels of a stamp to a substrate producing a micron or submicron scale p attern. The stamped polymer pattern is used as a mask for device fabricatio n. The stamped metallo-organic precursor solution is heat treated to produc e a metal or ceramic pattern directly. Here we report conditions that optim ize the filling of channels, the debonding of the solution from the channel s during evaporation, and the transfer of the pattern to a substrate. We sh ow that poor wetting can optimize these conditions. (C) 1999 American Insti tute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)02309-8].