Cost-effective fabrication of submicron-scale patterns enabled by microcontact printing with a pre-strained soft elastomeric stamp†

Abstract

While photolithography and e-beam lithography remain the predominant techniques for nanoscale patterning, their high costs and inherent complexity have limited their accessibility for certain applications. Recently, shrink lithography has emerged as a promising technique for reducing pattern dimensions through substrate contraction, offering a simpler and cost-effective alternative to existing methods. In this study, we propose a method combining microcontact printing with a pre-stretched soft elastomeric stamp to achieve scalable pattern reduction. We introduce the pre-stretching and releasing of the Ecoflex-based soft elastomeric stamp in microcontact printing processes, leveraging its excellent stretchability and elasticity. This approach allows for the reduction of the original pattern dimensions by up to 60%. Furthermore, by experimentally quantifying the shrinkage with respect to the applying strain, we characterize the degree of pattern reduction, which offers a promising alternative for fabricating sub-micron scale features, with potential applications in scalable nano-manufacturing.