Hierarchical structure formation and pattern replication.pdfVIP

ARTICLES Hierarchical structure formation and pattern replication induced by an electric field 1 1 1,2 3 3 MIHAI D. MORARIU , NICOLETA E. VOICU , ERIK SCHÄFFER ZHIQUN LIN , THOMAS P. RUSSELL* AND ULLRICH STEINER*1 1Department of Polymer Chemistry and Materials Science Center,University of Groningen,Nijenborgh 4,NL-9747 AG Groningen,The Netherlands 2Present address: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics,01307 Dresden,Germany 3Polymer Science and Engineering Department,University of Massachusetts at Amherst,Amherst,Massachusetts 01003,USA *e-mail: russell@; u.steiner@chem.rug.nl Published online 8 December 2002; doi:10.1038/nmat789 Several techniques based on soft lithography have emerged he stability of thin, polymer films is of technological importance. In applications including photolithography and coatings, the to replicate micrometre-sized patterns. Similar to most other Tability to deposit a stable film with uniform thickness is crucial. lithographic methods, these techniques structure a single In general, thin films are stable against capillary fluctuations on their surfaces. In the absence of heterogeneities, non-wetting films are layer of photo resist. For many applications, however, it is destabilized by van der Waals forces1.Because van der Waals interactions are relatively weak