Process simulation for contact print microlithography

Using a combination of experiment and simulations, we have studied the conformation of liquid microstructures on both at and corrugated, chemically heterogeneous substrates. The arti??cial surface patterns, which defi??ne regions of di??erent surface energy, induce deformations of the liquid-solid contact line, which can either promote or impede capillary break-up and the formation of bulges. We study numerically the in uence of the adhesion energies on the hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface areas, the pattern geometry and the deposited fluid volume on the liquid surface pro??les. Moreover, we investigate the transfer of these microscopic ink patterns from the stamp surface to the target substrate during the printing process.