A forming apparatus forming a composition on a substrate by using a mold, includes a supplier configured to supply a composition on the substrate, a plurality of processors including a first processor and a second processor, each of the plurality of processors being configured to bring the mold into contact with the composition supplied onto the substrate by the supplier, and a substrate conveyer configured to convey the substrate onto which the composition is supplied by the supplier to the first processor and then convey other substrate onto which the composition is supplied following the substrate to the second processor.

A microscale stamp for transfer printing includes (a) a stamp body comprising a shape memory polymer having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) and (b) one or more protruding structures attached to a surface of the stamp body. The shape memory polymer comprises a deformable state at temperatures above T.sub.g and a rigid state at temperatures below T.sub.g. The one or more protruding structures comprise a material which is different from the shape memory polymer and which has a Young's modulus greater than a storage modulus of the shape memory polymer.

A method for fabricating a metallic timepiece component, wherein the method includes the steps of forming, via a UV-LIGA type process combined with hot stamping, a multi-level photosensitive resin mould and electroplating a layer of at least one metal from at least two conductive layers to form a block that substantially reaches the upper surface of the photosensitive resin.

Methods for fabricating stamps and systems for patterning a substrate, and devices resulting from those methods are provided.

A method of transfer printing comprises globally heating an array of stamps, where each stamp comprises a shape memory polymer with a light absorbing agent dispersed therein, and pressing the array of stamps to a donor substrate comprising a plurality of inks. Each stamp is thereby compressed from an undeformed adhesion-off configuration to a deformed adhesion-on configuration. The array of stamps is then cooled to rigidize the shape memory polymer and bind the plurality of inks to the stamps in the deformed adhesion-on configuration. The plurality of inks remain bound to the stamps while the array of stamps is positioned in proximity with a receiving substrate. A selected stamp in the array is then locally heated using a concentrated light source. The selected stamp returns to the undeformed adhesion-off configuration, and the ink bound to the selected stamp is released and transfer printed onto the receiving substrate.

Methods for fabricating three-dimensional microstructures are provided. The method includes disposing a reflow material on a mold, heating the reflow material, and creating a pressure gradient across the reflow material to reflow the material towards a bottom surface of the mold. The mold includes a molding region, a boundary region, and a thermal-isolating region disposed therebetween. The molding region includes a cavity and a projection projecting upwards from a bottom surface of the cavity. The thermal-isolating region includes at least one pocket formed adjacent to and along a perimeter of the cavity of the molding region. During heating, the temperature of the molding region is higher than that of the boundary region and the thermal-isolating region controls the thermal conductivity and mass therebetween. The material reflows towards the bottom surface of the cavity and the protrusion helps shapes the reflow material to form a substantially symmetrical three-dimensional microstructure.

A method for manufacturing at least one stamp may include preparing a mold that includes mold protrusions, wherein the mold protrusions extend parallel to each other in a plan view of the mold and include a first mold protrusion. The method may further include providing resin on the mold, wherein the resin partially covers the mold protrusions without completely covering the mold protrusions, and wherein a side of the resin is at an angle with respect to the first mold protrusion in a plan view of a structure that includes the mold and the resin. The method may further include curing the resin to form cured resin. The method may further include forming a stamp that includes the cured resin.

There is provided a master for micro flow path creation, a transfer copy, and a method for producing a master for micro flow path creation by which transfer copies having an area with high hydrophilicity can be easily mass-produced, the master for micro flow path creation including: a base material; a main concave-convex portion provided on a surface of the base material and extending in a planar direction of the base material; and a fine concave-convex portion provided on a surface of the main concave-convex portion and having a narrower pitch than the main concave-convex portion. The fine concave-convex portion has an arithmetic average roughness of 10 nm to 150 nm and has a specific surface area ratio of 1.1 to 3.0.

A method for manufacturing a soft stamp includes providing a substrate having a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode being formed at a distance less than 100 nm from the first electrode so that a nanogap Ng is formed between the first and second electrodes; pouring a curable substance over the first and second electrodes and into the nanogap Ng; curing the curable substance to form a soft stamp; and removing the soft stamp from the first and second electrodes. The soft stamp has a nano-feature having a size less than 100 nm.

The method comprises contacting a silicon substrate with a silver salt and an acid for a time effective to produce spikes having a first end disposed on the silicon substrate and a second end extending away from the silicon substrate. The spikes have a second end diameter of about 10 nm to about 200 nm, a height of about 100 nm to 10 micrometers, and a density of about 10 to 100 per square microns. The nanostructures provide antimicrobial properties and can be transferred to the surface of various materials such as polymers.