Physical mechanisms governing pattern fidelity in microscale offset printing

We have studied the offset printing of liquid polymers curable by exposure to ultraviolet light onto flat and unpatterned silicon and glass substrates. The interplay of capillary, viscous, and adhesion forces dominates the dynamics of ink transfer at small feature sizes and low capillary number. For smooth and nonporous substrates, pattern fidelity can be compromised because the ink contact lines are free to migrate across the substrate during plate separation. Using a combination of experiments and equilibrium simulations, we have identified the physical mechanisms controlling ink transfer and pattern fidelity. In considering the resolution limit of this technique, it appears that the dynamics of ink flow and redistribution during transfer do not explicitly depend on the absolute feature size, but only on the aspect ratio of film thickness to feature size. Direct printing holds promise as a high-throughput fabrication method for large area electronics.