An alternative method for fabricating microcontact printing stamps

In this paper, we describe the development of microcontact printing stamps from photopatternable silicone. The photopatternability of this material enables convenient and fast stamp fabrication, and allows rapid patterning of substrates for culturing biological cells. Microcontact printing stamps made of the photopatternable silicone with linewidths as small as 2 μm were fabricated and reliable cell patterning results were obtained by optimizing the stamping process. An optimal stamp surface was obtained by optimizing the photolithographic process. Our successful demonstration of patterning cells using the photopatternable silicone stamps establishes this alternative approach for fabricating microcontact printing stamps.