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Microchannel Molding: A Soft Lithography-inspired Approach to Micrometer-scale Patterning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2005

Christopher R. Martin and
Ilhan A. Aksay
Christopher R. Martin
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey 08544-5263
Ilhan A. Aksay*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey 08544-5263
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: iaksay@Princeton.edu
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Abstract

A new patterning technique for the deposition of sol-gels and chemical solution precursors was developed to address some of the limitations of soft lithography approaches. When using micromolding in capillaries to pattern precursors that exhibit large amounts of shrinkage during drying, topographical distortions develop. In place of patterning the elastomeric mold, the network of capillary channels was patterned directly into the substrate surface and an elastomer membrane is used to complete the channels. When the wetting properties of the substrate surfaces were carefully controlled using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), lead zirconate titanate thin films with nearly rectangular cross-sections were successfully patterned. This technique, called microchannel molding (μCM), also provided a method for aligning multiple layers such as bottom electrodes for device fabrication.

Keywords

PiezoelectricSol-gelThin film

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Articles
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Journal of Materials Research , Volume 20 , Issue 8 , August 2005, pp. 1995 - 2003
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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