The pattern complexity and functional value of wrinkled structures can be substantially increased by fabricating the wrinkles on pre-patterned quasi-planar substrates instead of flat substrates. This disclosure presents the methods for fabricating pre-patterned polymeric surfaces that can be subsequently used as the substrates during manufacture of complex wrinkled structures. Pre-patterned substrates are generated by imprinting the pre-patterns onto the substrates during the curing process. Suitability for post-curing use in fabrication of wrinkles is ensured by (i) delayed imprinting that occurs close to but before the gelation point and (ii) gradual alignment of pre-patterns to the direction of stretch that is applied later during manufacture of wrinkled structures.

Aspects of the present disclosure describe cylindrical molds that may be used to produce cylindrical masks for use in lithography. A structured porous layer may be deposited on an interior surface of a cylinder. A radiation-sensitive material may be deposited over the porous layer in order to fill pores formed in the layer. The radiation-sensitive material in the pores may be cured by exposing the cylinder with a light source. The uncured resist and porous layer may be removed, leaving behind posts on the cylinder's interior surface. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Methods for mass production of new microfluidic devices are described. The microfluidic devices may include an array of micro-needles with open channels in fluid communication with multiple reservoirs located within a substrate that supports the micro-needles. The micro-needles are configured so as to sufficiently penetrate the skin in order to collect or sample bodily fluids and transfer the fluids to the reservoirs. The micro-needles may also deliver medicaments into or below the skin.

Die (1) representing a tread pattern model for a tread of a tire to be moulded. The die is made up of a plurality of blocks (2) separated by grooves (4), at least a part of the die having surfaces provided with textures (5).

A method for efficiently manufacturing and fabricating microfluidic chips, where a base mold is formed to have positive-relief features used to cast an intermediary template chip with negative-relief features having dimensions of a scale in the micron range. The intermediary template chip is used to case a production mold, which is formed of a reinforced epoxy resin that, once hardened into a solid epoxy member, can withstand the structural pressures of a CNC machining system. The production mold can be refined by a CNC machining, where the refined production mold is then used to cast production chips to be used as microfluidic chips.

Die (1) representing a tread pattern model for a tread of a tire to be moulded, said die being made up of a die body (2) and at least one insert (10) attached to the body of said die, covering at least one of the surfaces of the grooves (4) in the body (2), the insert having at least one substantially flat surface provided with textures.

A method for manufacturing an imprint mold which can prevent accumulation of the transferring resin at the joining portion of the film mold is provided. A method for manufacturing an imprint mold, including a winding step to wind a resin film mold onto a cylindrical transferring roll, the resin film mold being provided with a reverse pattern of a desired fine concave-convex pattern and the resin film mold being wound onto the transferring roll so that a gap without the reverse pattern is provided at a butting portion of both ends of the resin film mold; a resin filling step to fill a resin composition into the gap; and a pattern forming step to form a pattern substantially the same as the reverse pattern onto the resin composition, is provided.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a negative skin and a tool. Such a tool can be used, for example, in the automotive industry.

The present invention provides a method for producing microparticles in which a porous micromold is degassed such that a precursor solution is quickly loaded into the micromold through the suction force of the micromold regardless of the viscosity and wettability of the precursor solution.

Methods of making tiled articles and molds used to make retroreflective articles. The methods include forming a prism array on a master substrate and forming a replica of the master. A reference edge is formed on the replica, thereby reducing the size of the prism array, yet maintaining a lateral dimension of the replica to maintain ease of handling of the replica. The replica is copied and the reference edge on the copied tiles are exposed, such that the reference edge can be mated and secured face-to-face with a reference edge on other tiles in order to form a tiled article. The tiled article is used as a mold to produce retroreflective articles or can be further duplicated and mated to form larger tiled articles to be used as molds. Tiled articles used as molds and retroreflective articles produced from the molds are also disclosed.