Large-Area Patterning by Vacuum-Assisted Micromolding

Rapid micropatterning of polymers on rigid and flexible substrates can be achieved by the method—vacuum-assisted micromolding in capillaries (MIMIC)—introduced here. The Figure shows an oblique-view SEM image of a single hexagonal cell of a pattern produced by vacuum-assisted MIMIC. The use of vacuum reduced the time taken to fill the pattern with UV-curable polyurethane from ∼30 min to ∼15 s.