Rubber-Assisted Embossing Process

摘要

This study investigated a rubber-assisted embossing process for structuring thin polymer films. The main advantages of a rubber support instead of a hard counter tool include simplification of the embossing tool, protection of the embossing master, buildup of high pressure, and ease of mold separation. With rubber-assisted embossing, thin polystyrene films in a thickness of 25 μm were accurately patterned with microgrooves of characteristic dimensions on the order of 100 μm.