Micro- and Nano-fabrication of stimulus-responsive polymer using nanoimprint lithography

Abstract

Three-dimensionally cross-linked poly(A'-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), a thermo-responsive polymer, undergoes large volume change through reversible shrinking and swelling in response to changes in temperature. In this study, we developed a thermoresponsible resist (Bio-resist) consisting of a thermally cross-linkable PNIPAAm, thus enabling micropatterning by thermal nanoimprinting. As a result, micropatterning of Bio-resist was possible at a scale of 90nm to 10 um. Further, when water was dropped onto the micropattern of Bio-resist, the micropattern shrank when the substrate temperature was high (36 °C), and the micropattern swelled when the substrate temperature was low (20 °C). By utilizing the pattern deformation, a functional microchip was demonstrated that arrays, captures and releases microparticles. © 2011 CPST.