Three modes of inkless micro-contact printing: contact printing, edge spreading, and channel stamping

• Three different modes of siloxane oligomer printing have been elucidated.
• Contact printing, edge spreading, and channel stamping
• Stamp geometry determines the preferred mode of printing.

Three different modes of printing that use recovered siloxane oligomers from a patterned elastomeric stamp, i.e., contact printing, edge spreading, and channel stamping, have been demonstrated. In contact printing mode, the recovered oligomer molecules are transfer-printed on substrate areas with which the protruding pattern features of the stamp are in intimate contact. When the spacing between protruding features becomes large enough, the printing occurs mainly along the pattern edge, or edge spreading mode. If the spacing between protruding features becomes small enough, on the other hand, the printing occurs on areas where the stamp does not make direct contact with the substrate. These three different modes of inkless micro-contact printing with patterned stamp can extend the applicability of the process for generating various pattern features. Also, possible mechanisms for the observed three different modes of printing have been discussed.