Microprinting on curved surfaces with sugar

Accurate placement of materials, devices, and functionalities onto three-dimensional curved surfaces is critical to emerging functional devices and systems for many applications ranging from biomedical to optoelectronics to sensors. A microprinting approach was recently reported using thermally reflowable sugar as a unique medium to pick up microstructures and print onto surfaces with nanoscale radii of curvature with the assist of thermal reflow. The relatively low glass transition temperature of sugar allows controllable transformation between solid and liquid to conform with curved surfaces. Its water solubility necessitates the easy removal of the sugar to leave behind the microstructures on the target surfaces. Accurate placement of materials, devices, and functionalities onto three-dimensional curved surfaces is critical to emerging functional devices and systems for many applications ranging from biomedical to optoelectronics to sensors. A microprinting approach was recently reported using thermally reflowable sugar as a unique medium to pick up microstructures and print onto surfaces with nanoscale radii of curvature with the assist of thermal reflow. The relatively low glass transition temperature of sugar allows controllable transformation between solid and liquid to conform with curved surfaces. Its water solubility necessitates the easy removal of the sugar to leave behind the microstructures on the target surfaces.