title: Microstructured elastomeric surfaces with reversible adhesion and examples of their use in deterministic assembly by transfer printing.
abstract: Reversible control of adhesion is an important feature of many desired, existing, and potential systems, including climbing robots, medical tapes, and stamps for transfer printing. We present experimental and theoretical studies of pressure modulated adhesion between flat, stiff objects and elastomeric surfaces with sharp features of surface relief in optimized geometries. Here, the strength of nonspecific adhesion can be switched by more than three orders of magnitude, from strong to weak, in a reversible fashion. Implementing these concepts in advanced stamps for transfer printing enables versatile modes for deterministic assembly of solid materials in micro/nanostructured forms. Demonstrations in printed two- and three-dimensional collections of silicon platelets and membranes illustrate some capabilities. An unusual type of transistor that incorporates a printed gate electrode, an air gap dielectric, and an aligned array of single walled carbon nanotubes provides a device example.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute, and Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Seok
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Sung Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovalsky
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.forename: Zhuangjian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Numair
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Elgan
authors.forename: Weiqiu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Placid M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitti
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rogers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D008422:Materials Testing; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry; D011327:Printing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D009757:Nylons; C085707:poly(dimethylsiloxane)-polyamide copolymer; D012825:Silicon