LAUSR

Nanofabrication is an indispensable process in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Unconventional lithographic techniques are often used for fabrication as alternatives to photolithography because they are faster, more cost-effective, and simpler to use. However, these techniques are limited in scalability and utility because of the collapse of preprinted structures during step-and-repeat processes. This study proposes a new class of temperature-controllable polymeric molds that are coated with a metal such that any site-specific patterning can be accomplished in a programmable manner using selective contact-dewetting lithography. The lithography allows sub-100 nm patterning, step-and-repeat processing, and hierarchical structure fabrication. The programmable feature of the lithography can be utilized for the structural coloring and shaping of objects. Large-area programmable patterning, semiconductor device manufacturing, and the fabrication of iridescent security devices would benefit from the unique features of the proposed strategy.