Apparatus and methods for micro-transfer-printing

A conformable micro-transfer printing device for parallel micro-transfer printing of printable elements to a destination substrate, the micro-transfer printing device comprising:

• a rigid planar support;
• and
• an elastomer stamp, the elastomer stamp comprising:
• a bulk volume having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the second surface in direct contact with the rigid planar support;
• and
• a plurality of spatially separated posts disposed on the first surface of the bulk volume in a regular array, wherein:
• each of the posts is a multi-tiered post comprising geometrically similar tiers with a successively smaller cross section on each successive tier of the post, and
• the geometrically similar tiers of each of the posts comprise a base tier and a top tier, the base tier being in contact with the first surface of the bulk volume and the top tier having an exposed micro-transfer printing contact surface opposite the first surface of the bulk volume, wherein the micro-transfer printing contact surface exhibits rate-dependent adhesion to one of the printable elements during micro-transfer printing, and
• the bulk volume, the base tier, and the top tier comprise a same material, the top tier and the base tier comprise a same material, or the bulk volume and the base tier comprise a same material.