High-Pressure Soft Lithography for Microtopographical Patterning of Molded Polymers and Composites

NASA Langley developed a method to apply soft lithography to mold microscale structures into the surface of polymer and composite parts. This technology provides an efficient means to fabricate microtopographical surface patterns or features. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or similar elastomer, would incorporate a master pattern, which acts as a mold through which liquid resin material flows and hardens to create a rigid, inverse replica of the mold specific to its intended surface applications.