A new technique leverages the properties of common table sugar to transfer lithographic patterns onto the most complex of surfaces.
As impressive as the evolution of (semiconductor) lithography has been over the past decades, there are still some things it can’t do, and probably never will: patterning anything else than rigid and flat substrates. Patterning soft or curved surfaces requires printing the design onto a planar surface first and then transferring it onto the nonplanar or flexible target. Carriers such as flexible tape can only bend so much, however, and not all materials can withstand the contact pressure required for pattern transfer.
Liquid transfer techniques, where the transfer material is floated on the surface of water and the target surface is pushed through it, are much gentler. But they’re tricky too; with a freely flowing liquid, it can be hard to place the print precisely where you want it on a new surface.
This article is exclusively available to premium members of Bits&Chips. Already a premium member? Please log in. Not yet a premium member? Become one for just €20 for the first year and enjoy all the benefits.
