Article
Material transfer controlled by elastomeric layer thickness
Materials Horizons
(2014)
Abstract
Transferring material components across substrates through the
control of interfacial adhesion is important for electronics, biology and
other fabrication processes. Here we show a transfer mechanism
which controls adhesive force through the thickness of supported
elastomeric substrates. This is experimentally demonstrated by
transferring millimeter and centimeter scale wafers to progressively
thinner substrates without any specific actuation, chemical treatment,
or surface topography. We extend this methodology by selectively
transferring objects with sub-surface patterns and demonstrate how
thickness control can enable roll-to-roll material transfer processes.
These experiments are supported by a theoretical model which
demonstrates how this mechanism is governed by the geometric
confinement of the interface, where adhesive force is increased by
decreasing the thickness of the elastomeric substrate relative to the
lateral dimension of the transferred object. This simple, glueless
approach allows for the precise control of adhesive force capacity as
well as a mechanism to greatly enhance adhesive strength.
Disciplines
Publication Date
July 10, 2014
DOI
10.1039/C4MH00106K
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry
Citation Information
Michael D. Bartlett and Alfred J. Crosby. "Material transfer controlled by elastomeric layer thickness" Materials Horizons Vol. 1 Iss. 5 (2014) p. 507 - 512 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/michael-bartlett/3/