Development and Application of Hot Embossing in Polymer Processing: A Review

Hot embossing of polymer materials is a promising technology for the fabrication of high quality and precision patterns on the micro/nano-scales. There are three basic forms of hot embossing including, plate-to-plate (P2P), roll-to-plate (R2P), and roll-to-roll (R2R) hot embossing. It also can be divided into isothermal and non-isothermal hot embossing according to the different temperature control modes of polymer substrates and structured molds. This review reports recent progress made of hot embossing methods in polymer processing and the efforts to shorten its processing period for commercial applications. Research and innovations in simulation of hot embossing process and mold fabrication are also comprehensively summarized. Within this review, microfluidics, light guide plate (LGP), and other novel applications of hot embossing are systematically cataloged. Finally, challenges and future trends of hot embossing in polymer processing are presented and forecasted.