Systematic Adhesion: Controlling Interfacial Strength through Patterning
Abstract
To understand the role of patterned geometries/topographies in controlling polymer adhesion and release, we fabricate controlled structures ranging from the nanometer to micron length scales on polymer surfaces. Our initial results focus on the effect of patterned arrays of micron-scale posts and holes on the adhesion of polydimethylsiloxane layers. To facilitate the exploration of the large, possibly non-continuous parameter space presented by this problem, we rely upon combinatorial methodologies to effectively screen multiparameter maps. In this presentation, we focus on the effects of aspect ratio and feature density on the control of polymer adhesion. We demonstrate how both parameters, aspect ratio and feature density, can be used to tune the magnitude and "history" of hysteresis during a contact adhesion test. We compare and contrast results on systematic patterned topographic surfaces with previous research on the effect of randomly rough surfaces on polymer adhesion. Our results are relevant for the refinement of the soft lithography processing technique, the development of smart adhesives, and the fabrication of bonding sites for biological implants.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004APS..MARA29002C