Fabrication of Functional Plastic Parts Using Nanostructured Steel Mold Inserts

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of sub-micro and nanostructured steel mold inserts for the replication of nanostructured immunoassay biochips. Planar and microstructured stainless steel inserts were textured at the sub-micron and nanoscale by combining nanosphere lithography and electrochemical etching. This allowed the fabrication of structures with lateral dimensions of hundreds of nanometers and aspect ratios of up to 1:2. Nanostructured plastic parts were produced by means of hot embossing and injection molding. Surface nanostructuring was used to control wettability and increase the sensitivity of an immunoassay.

Keywords

• nanostructures
• hot embossing
• injection molding
• polymer
• 3D
• steel
• mold
• wettability
• immunoassay