An inkjet-based process for programmable deposition of thin films of a user-defined profile. Drops of a pre-cursor liquid organic material are dispensed at various locations on a substrate by a multi-jet. A superstrate is held in a roll-to-roll configuration such that a first contact of the drops is made by a front side of the superstrate thereby initiating a liquid front that spreads outward merging with the drops to form a contiguous film captured between the substrate and the superstrate. A non-equilibrium transient state of the superstrate, the contiguous film and the substrate then occurs after a duration of time. The contiguous film is then cured to crosslink it into a polymer. The superstrate is then separated from the polymer thereby leaving a polymer film on the substrate. In such a manner, non-uniform films can be formed without significant material wastage in an inexpensive manner.

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.

The present invention relates to a method of forming an imprint on a metal substrate. The method comprises a step of providing a mold having a defined imprint surface pattern in the nano-sized or micro-sized range and a step of pressing the metal substrate against the mold at hot-working temperature to form a nano-sized or micro-sized imprint thereon.

Provided is an imprinting method suitable for positioning. The imprinting method includes: supplying an imprint material onto a substrate; bringing a patterned portion of a mold into contact with the imprint material, which has been supplied onto the substrate in the supplying of the imprint material, to form a pattern on the imprint material in a predetermined pattern region on the substrate; and increasing viscosity of the imprint material at a predetermined position, which includes a position of a predetermined mark provided on the substrate, other than the pattern region to be higher than viscosity of the imprint material in the pattern region after the supplying of the imprint material and before the bringing of the patterned portion into contact with the imprint material.

Methods of forming two-dimensional nanopatterns are provided. The method may comprise periodically contacting a vibrating tool comprising a patterned grating edge with a substrate along a first direction in a grating-vibrational indentation patterning process. The patterned grating edge defines a plurality of rows and a plurality of interspersed troughs. The periodic contacting creates a two dimensional array of discontinuous voids in a single-stroke across the surface of the substrate. In other aspects, a microfluidic device for selective arrangement of a microspecies or nanospecies is provided, that includes a substrate comprising a surface defining a two-dimensional pattern of microvoids or nanovoids. In yet other aspects, the present disclosure provides a method for selective arrangement of a microspecies or nanospecies on a substrate.

A nanoimprint lithography method includes disposing a pretreatment composition on a substrate to form a pretreatment coating. The pretreatment composition includes a polymerizable component. Discrete imprint resist portions are disposed on the pretreatment coating, with each discrete portion of the imprint resist covering a target area of the substrate. A composite polymerizable coating is formed on the substrate as each discrete portion of the imprint resist spreads beyond its target area. The composite polymerizable coating includes a mixture of the pretreatment composition and the imprint resist. The composite polymerizable coating is contacted with a template, and is polymerized to yield a composite polymeric layer on the substrate. The interfacial surface energy between the pretreatment composition and air exceeds the interfacial surface energy between the imprint resist and air or between at least a component of the imprint resist and air.

An imprinting apparatus includes a silicon master having a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein. An anti-stick layer coats the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group. A method includes forming a master template by: depositing a formulation on a silicon master including a plurality of nanofeatures defined therein, the formulation including a solvent and a molecule having a cyclosiloxane with at least one silane functional group; and curing the formulation, thereby forming an anti-stick layer on the silicon master, the anti-stick layer including the molecule. The method further includes depositing a silicon-based working stamp material on the anti-stick layer of the master template; curing the silicon-based working stamp material to form a working stamp including a negative replica of the plurality of nanofeatures; and releasing the working stamp from the master template.

Provided is an imprinting method suitable for positioning. The imprinting method includes: supplying an imprint material onto a substrate; bringing a patterned portion of a mold into contact with the imprint material, which has been supplied onto the substrate in the supplying of the imprint material, to form a pattern on the imprint material in a predetermined pattern region on the substrate; and increasing viscosity of the imprint material at a predetermined position, which includes a position of a predetermined mark provided on the substrate, other than the pattern region to be higher than viscosity of the imprint material in the pattern region after the supplying of the imprint material and before the bringing of the patterned portion into contact with the imprint material.

An optical device includes a liquid crystal layer having a first plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first pattern and a second plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second pattern. The first and the second pattern are separated from each other by a distance of about 20 nm to about 100 nm along a longitudinal or a transverse axis of the liquid crystal layer. The first and the second plurality of liquid crystal molecules are configured as first and second grating structures that can redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths.

An optical device can include a liquid crystal layer including a first plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a first pattern and a second plurality of liquid crystal molecules arranged in a second pattern. The first and the second patterns may be separated from each other by a suitable distance, e.g., about 20 nm to about 100 nm, along a longitudinal or a transverse axis of the liquid crystal layer. The first and the second pluralities of liquid crystal molecules can be configured as first and second grating structures that can redirect light of visible or infrared wavelengths. In some examples, the optical device includes electrode layers arranged on either side of the liquid crystal layer to control an alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. Methods of fabricating such devices are also described.