Microcontact Printing

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of this technique, first covering its process and principles, followed by a review of its key elements and applications, and ending with a summary and outlook. Microcontact printing is a technique for surface patterning at the micrometer and nanometer scales. The chapter introduces the properties of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS), the common process of preparing the PDMS stamps, surface modifications of the PDMS stamps, and alternative stamp materials. Sixth, PDMS stamps can be produced easily as described in the following section. Since oligonucleotides are highly negatively charged at neutral pH, Lange et al. coated PDMS stamp and substrate with positively charged amino-silane to enhance adhesion between the oligonucleotides and the stamp and substrate. The ink oligonucleotides could be dehybridized and printed to a substrate with the same spatial pattern as that of the grafted oligonucleotides.