Unconventional micro and nanopatterning method by precisely temperature-controllable mold

Unconventional lithographic techniques are often used for fabrication as an alternative to photolithography because they are faster, cost-effective and simpler to use. However, these techniques such as nanoimprint lithography are limited in scalability and utility because of the collapse of pre-printed structures during step-and-repeat processes. Here, we propose a new class of temperature-controllable polymeric molds that are coated with a metal such that any site-specific patterning can be accomplished in a programmable manner via precisely controlled joule-heating system. This technique allows site-selective dewetting, sub-100 nm patterning, step-and-repeat processing and hierarchical structure generation. The programmable feature can be utilized for the structural coloring and shaping of objects. Large-area programmable patterning, semiconductor device manufacturing, and the fabrication of iridescent security devices would benefit from the unique features of the proposed strategy.