Metal-mesh lithography (MML) is a practical hybrid of microcontact printing and capillary force lithography that can be applied over millimeter-sized areas with a high level of uniformity. MML can be achieved by blotting various inks onto substrates through thin copper grids, relying on preferential wetting and capillary interactions between template and substrate for pattern replication. The resulting mesh patterns, which are inverted relative to those produced by stenciling or serigraphy, can be reproduced with low micrometer resolution. MML can be combined with other surface chemistry and lift-off methods to create functional microarrays for diverse applications, such as periodic islands of gold nanorods and patterned corrals for fibroblast cell cultures.
© 2011 American Chemical Society