Methods for making differentially pattern cured microstructured articles

摘要

Methods for making differentially pattern cured microstructured articles are disclosed, using a molding tool having a microstructured surface, a patterned irradiation to generate irradiate and non-irradiated regions in a radiation curable resin. Different combinations of molding tools and patterned irradiation provide numerous variants of differentially pattern cured microstructured articles without requiring costly modification of the molding tools.

主权项

1. A method of making a composite, the method comprising:
providing a molding tool having a microstructured surface including a plurality of cavities; at least partially filling the plurality of cavities with a first radiation curable resin; exposing the first radiation curable resin to a first, patterned irradiation to provide a correspondingly patterned partially cured resin comprising at least one first region and at least one second region, wherein the at least one first region is irradiated by the first, patterned irradiation such that the at least one first region of the first radiation curable resin is at least partially cured, and the at least one second region is not irradiated by the first, patterned irradiation such that the at least one second region of the first radiation curable resin is not cured; exposing both the at least one first region and the at least one second region of the partially cured resin to a second irradiation to form a further cured composite having a microstructured surface and a differentially cured pattern therein; and separating the further cured composite from the molding tool; wherein the first, patterned irradiation comprises at least one of irradiating through transparent regions of a mask, guiding a beam of light, guiding a beam of electrons, or projecting a digital image.