N.K. Shivaprakash, J. Zhang, J.A. Ratto, C. Barry, J. Mead
University of Massachusetts Lowell,
United States
Keywords: roll-to-roll hot embossing, scalable manufacturing, micro/nano structures
Summary:
Roll-to-roll hot embossing (R2R-HE) due to its high throughput and potential for large-area patterning has attracted a great deal of interest from academia and industry for continuous fabrication of micro/nanostructures. This article is focused on various aspects involved in the fabrication of micro/nano structures in polymers by R2R-HE including: flexible tooling fabrication approaches for different length scales and influence of processing parameters on feature replication. The wettability studies involving different feature geometries were performed to measure liquid repellant properties of the embossed polymer surface. The work demonstrated here can ultimately be commercialized for improved liquid repellent surfaces having applications in both the defense and commercial sectors.