As part of a joint research project with temicon GmbH from Dortmund, INNOVENT scientists are working on the development of a technology for the continuous replication of micro- and nanostructures, particularly in sol-gel-modified UV-curable imprint materials.
micro- and nanostructures, particularly in sol-gel-modified UV-curable imprint materials. The application of this technology leads to the production of high-quality product films, even with sophisticated structures such as the moth-eye structure.
Functional films and their production
Functional micro- and nanostructured surfaces enable new products with unique properties in the fields of lighting technology, photonics and bionics. They are used, for example, for anti-reflective displays or to reduce flow resistance for applications in the field of aviation technology. This technology is also used in reflective traffic signs so that they can be easily seen at all times, even in poor visibility conditions.
Every surface-structured product has individual material requirements. The manufacturing process up to the structured product passes through the technology areas of design & simulation, mastering, replication and production in a roll-to-roll process. On a laboratory scale, it is also possible to take an impression on pieces of film or sheet material. Depending on the application, either structured foils or nickel tools are used as master films (surfaces with an inverse structure from which impressions are taken). Figure 1 shows a simplified illustration of the principle of UV coating structuring in the imprint process. temicon can already offer a wide range of products with the help of the modified UV-curing coatings used in the nanoimprint process according to the state of the art.
