Microstructured elastomeric surfaces with reversible adhesion and examples of their use in deterministic assembly by transfer printing.
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.
Kim
Seok
S
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute, and Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Wu
Jian
J
Carlson
Andrew
A
Jin
Sung Hun
SH
Kovalsky
Anton
A
Glass
Paul
P
Liu
Zhuangjian
Z
Ahmed
Numair
N
Elgan
Steven L
SL
Chen
Weiqiu
W
Ferreira
Placid M
PM
Sitti
Metin
M
Huang
Yonggang
Y
Rogers
John A
JA
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
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D009757:Nylons; C085707:poly(dimethylsiloxane)-polyamide copolymer; D012825:Silicon