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Roll-to-roll fabrication of three-dimensional self-folding microstructures
Tongyao Wu1, Ali Mehrnezhad1, Kidong Park1
1Division of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. kidongp@lsu.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|April 22, 2025
Summary
A new roll-to-roll (R2R) process enables scalable manufacturing of self-folding microstructures. This advanced technique continuously produces 3D shapes from flat materials, overcoming previous lab-scale limitations for broader applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Microfabrication
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Self-folding technology offers an alternative to traditional microfabrication.
- Current methods are limited to lab-scale production, hindering industrial application.
- Controlled stress in flat materials enables transformation into predefined 3D structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable production method for self-folding structures.
- To address the limitations of lab-scale manufacturing in self-folding technology.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing for self-folding microstructures.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel roll-to-roll (R2R) production setup.
- Continuous stretching and bonding of pre-cured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films.
- Creation of bilayer PDMS films with inherent imbalanced stress for self-folding.
Main Results:
- The R2R setup achieved a production rate of 96 cm² min⁻¹, significantly higher than previous methods.
- The process successfully created self-folding microstructures from bilayer PDMS films.
- Demonstrated continuous, large-area production of self-folding materials.
Conclusions:
- The developed R2R setup enables industrial-scale production of self-folding microstructures.
- This technology overcomes the scalability bottleneck of current self-folding methods.
- Roll-to-roll manufacturing holds significant potential for diverse applications of self-folding materials.
