Nanoimprint Lithography and Microinjection Molding Using Gas-Permeable Hybrid Mold for Antibacterial Nanostructures

Abstract

Biomimetic antibacterial nanostructures with a height of approximately 310 nm and a bottom diameter of approximately 240 nm were fabricated by microinjection molding for practical mass production in the fields of biology, electronic engineering, and life science. The gas-permeable hybrid mold fabricated by nanoimprint lithography was used as the mold for microinjection molding to improve the incomplete filling and molding defects caused by gas entrainment in cavities during microinjection molding. One same mold could be used repeatedly without cleaning for 200 injection molding cycles. Antibacterial activity evaluation showed that that the antibacterial activity of the fabricated biomimetic antibacterial nanostructures was 15% greater than that of a flat surface. This work establishes the advanced processing technology of high-resolution nanostructures by microinjection molding with the gas-permeable hybrid mold.