Exploiting cellular convection in a thick liquid layer to pattern a thin polymer film

A method to shape thin polymer films into periodic array of lenses is presented. A liquid layer placed on top of a much thinner polymer film is exposed to a transverse temperature gradient. The upper liquid layer undergoes the short-wavelength Benard-Marangoni instability, which leads to periodic shear stresses at the liquid-liquid interface and corresponding interfacial deformations. The structures formed are solidified by curing with ultraviolet light. In comparison to previously reported single-layer patterning techniques, the presented method achieves structures of very high horizontal planform symmetry (highly ordered structures). Furthermore, other shapes of technical interest can be easily fabricated by engineering the temperature distribution at the liquid-gas interface. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.