Method for producing patterned materials
A large area patterned film includes a first patterned area; a second patterned area; and a seam joining the first patterned area and the second patterned area, wherein the seam has a width less than about 20 micrometers. A method for tiling patterned areas includes depositing a predetermined thickness of a curable material; contacting a first portion of the curable material with a mold; curing the first portion of the curable material; removing the mold from the cured first portion of the curable material; contacting a second portion of the curable material with the mold, such that the mold contacts a portion of the cured first portion of the curable material; curing the second portion of the curable material; and removing the mold to yield a seam between the cured first portion of the curable material and the cured second portion of the curable material, wherein the seam has a dimension less than about 20 micrometers.
1. A method for fabricating a substantially seamless pattern, the method comprising;
a. positioning a first curable material between a first flexible patterned mold and a first area of a substrate;
b. engaging the first curable material and the first flexible patterned mold with the first area of the substrate to spread the first curable material into a first layer of curable material over the first area of the substrate;
c. curing the first layer of curable material to form a first cured patterned layer;
d. disengaging the first flexible patterned mold from the substrate and from the first cured patterned layer, whereby the first cured patterned layer remains associated with the first area of the substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the first flexible patterned mold;
e. after step d., positioning a second curable material between a second flexible patterned mold and a second area of the substrate;
f. engaging the second flexible patterned mold with the second area of the substrate to spread the second curable material into a second layer of curable material over the second area of the substrate, whereby the second layer of curable material overlaps at least a portion of the first cured patterned layer;
g. curing the second layer of curable material to form a second cured patterned layer overlapping the first cured patterned layer and providing a seam between the first and second cured patterned layers; and
h. removing the second flexible patterned mold from the second area of the substrate and from the second cured patterned layer, whereby the second cured patterned layer remains associated with the second area of the substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the second flexible patterned mold, and whereby the first and second cured pattern layers form a patterned area over the substrate,
wherein the seam comprises a disruption to the patterned area comprising a dimension less than about 5 micrometers such that the patterned area is substantially seamless,
wherein step b. results in depleting the first curable material so that a portion of the first curable material tapers toward the substrate to depletion between the first flexible patterned mold and the substrate, and
wherein step e. further comprises adding the second curable material to at least a portion of the depleted portion of the first cured patterned layer so that upon completion of step g., the second curable material substantially fills the depleted portion of the first cured patterned layer to a pre-depletion level at the seam.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disruption to the patterned area is less than about 1 micrometer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disruption to the patterned area is less than about 500 nanometers.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first curable material is the same composition as the second curable material.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first curable material is a different composition from the second curable material.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is the same as the second flexible patterned mold.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is different from the second flexible patterned mold.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric material.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a curved surface.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a cylinder.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is coated with an adhesion promoter prior to step a.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the adhesion promoter comprises a linear polymer.
13. A method for fabricating a substantially seamless pattern, the method comprising;
a. positioning a first curable material between a first flexible patterned mold and a first area of a substrate;
b. engaging the first curable material and the first flexible patterned mold with the first area of the substrate to spread the first curable material into a first layer of curable material undercoating the first patterned mold over the first area of the substrate;
c. curing the first layer of curable material to form a first cured patterned layer;
d. disengaging the first flexible patterned mold from the substrate and from the first cured patterned layer, whereby the first cured patterned layer remains associated with the first area of the substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the first flexible patterned mold;
e. after step d., positioning a second curable material between a second flexible patterned mold and a second area of the substrate;
f. engaging the second flexible patterned mold with the second area of the substrate to spread the second curable material into a second layer of curable material over the second area of the substrate, whereby the second layer of curable material overlaps at least a portion of the first cured patterned layer;
g. curing the second layer of curable material to form a second cured patterned layer overlapping the first cured patterned layer and providing a seam between the first and second cured patterned layers; and
h. removing the second flexible patterned mold from the second area of the substrate and from the second cured patterned layer, whereby the second cured patterned layer remains associated with the second area of the substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the second flexible patterned mold, and whereby the first and second cured pattern layers form a patterned area over the substrate,
wherein the seam comprises a disruption to the patterned area comprising a dimension less than about 5 micrometers such that the patterned area is substantially seamless,
wherein step b. results in depleting the first curable material so that a portion of the first curable material tapers toward the substrate to depletion between the first flexible patterned mold and the substrate, and
wherein step e. further comprises adding the second curable material to at least a portion of the depleted portion of the first cured patterned layer so that upon completion of step g., the second curable material substantially fills the depleted portion of the first cured patterned layer to a pre-depletion level at the seam.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the disruption to the patterned area is less than about 1 micrometer.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the disruption to the patterned area is less than about 500 nanometers.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first curable material is the same composition as the second curable material.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first curable material is a different composition from the second curable material.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is the same as the second flexible patterned mold.
19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is different from the second flexible patterned mold.
20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric material.
21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substrate comprises a curved surface.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is a cylinder.
23. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substrate is coated with an adhesion promoter before step a.
24. A method for fabricating a substantially seamless pattern, the method comprising;
a. positioning a first curable material between a first flexible patterned mold and a first area of a curved substrate;
b. engaging the first curable material and the first flexible patterned mold with the first area of the curved substrate to spread the curable material into a first layer of curable material over the first area of the curved substrate;
c. curing the first layer of curable material to form a first cured patterned layer;
d. disengaging the first flexible patterned mold from the curved substrate and from the first cured patterned layer, whereby the first cured patterned layer remains associated with the first area of the curved substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the first flexible patterned mold;
e. after step d., positioning a second curable material between a second flexible patterned mold and a second area of the curved substrate;
f. engaging the second flexible patterned mold with the second area of the curved substrate to spread the second curable material into a second layer of curable material over the second area of the curved substrate, whereby the second layer of curable material overlaps at least a portion of the first cured patterned layer;
g. curing the second layer of curable material to form a second cured patterned layer overlapping the first cured patterned layer and providing a seam between the first and second cured patterned layers; and
h. removing the second flexible patterned mold from the second area of the curved substrate and from the second cured patterned layer, whereby the second cured patterned layer remains associated with the second area of the curved substrate and comprises an inverse replica pattern of the second flexible patterned mold, and whereby the first and second cured pattern layers form a patterned area over the substrate,
wherein the seam comprises a disruption to the patterned area comprising a dimension less than about 5 micrometers such that the patterned area is substantially seamless,
wherein step b. results in depleting the first curable material so that a portion of the first curable material tapers toward the substrate to depletion between the first flexible patterned mold and the curved substrate, and
wherein step e. further comprises adding the second curable material to at least a portion of the depleted portion of the first cured patterned layer so that upon completion of step g., the second curable material substantially fills the depleted portion of the first cured layer to a pre-depletion level at the seam.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the disruption to the patterned area is less than about 1 micrometer.
26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first curable material is the same composition as the second curable material.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first curable material is a different composition from the second curable material.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is the same as the second flexible patterned mold.
29. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first flexible patterned mold is different from the second flexible patterned mold.
30. The method of claim 24 , wherein the substrate comprises a polymeric or metal material.
31. The method of claim 24 , wherein the substrate is a cylinder.
32. The method of claim 24 , wherein the substrate is coated with an adhesion promoter before step a.