3D Printing-Assisted Nanoimprint Lithography of Polymers

Fused filament fabrication, commonly referred to as 3D printing, is an additive manufacturing method finding plenty of applications nowadays. In contrast, polymer nanopatterning by nanolithographic techniques plays an important role in obtaining functional surfaces and coatings for applications in different fields including micro- and nanoelectronics. In spite of their relevance, additive manufacturing and polymer nanolithography have not found yet a common niche to be developed. Although both approaches are oriented to achieve different types of objects, it is shown that the confluence of both technologies can be desirable and potentially convenient. Herein, it is demonstrated that by employing conventional 3D printing, it is possible to fabricate nanostructured polymer surfaces in a relatively simple way by using similar approaches as those used in nanoimprint lithography but without the need for clean room conditions. To do that, a printed-assisted nanoimprint lithography concept (3DPrANIL) has been tested for different types of polymer and silicon templates. It is demonstrated that a polymeric nanostructured hydrophilic template can be replicated accurately on another polymer rendering a nanostructured surface with enhanced hydrophobicity. The results support 3DPrANIL as novel method to obtain micro- and nanostructured surfaces with different functionalities like iridescence and hydrophobicity.