Fabrication of micro/nano-fluidic channels through ultraviolet patterning

A method of making a B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric nanostructure comprising a first thiol terminated B-stage elastomer film and a second thiol terminated B-stage elastomer film, the method comprising:

• curing a combination of a first resin mixture comprising one or more monomers or oligomers on a first substrate to form the first film;
• overlaying a first patterned mask on the first film, wherein the first patterned mask defines a first repeating pattern;
• exposing the first film to a first actinic radiation in the presence of an additional monomer or oligomer thereby transferring the first repeating pattern to the first film as a first plurality of repeating respective first and second regions, wherein each respective first region corresponds to a portion of the first film shielded from the actinic radiation during actinic radiation exposure by the first patterned mask and each respective second region corresponds to a portion of the first film exposed to the actinic radiation;
• curing a combination of a second resin mixture comprising one or more monomers or oligomers on a second substrate to form the second film;
• overlaying a second patterned mask on the second film, wherein the second patterned mask defines a second repeating pattern;
• exposing the second film to a second actinic radiation in the presence of an additional monomer or oligomer thereby transferring the second repeating pattern to the second film as a second plurality of repeating respective third and fourth regions within the second film, wherein each respective third region corresponds to a portion of the second film masked from the actinic radiation by the second mask and each respective fourth region corresponds to a portion of the second film exposed to the actinic radiation;
• sandwiching a first exposed face of the first film to a first exposed face of the second film with each respective second region aligned with a corresponding fourth region, thereby forming a plurality of channels that run across the nanostructure with a pitch between respective channels in the plurality of channels that is between 100 nm and 1 mm;
• removing the second substrate thereby exposing a second face of the first film;
• and
• exposing the second face of the first film to a third actinic radiation thereby bonding the first film to the second film through the respective first regions bonding to the respective third regions by the third actinic radiation, wherein
• the one or more monomers or oligomers in the first and second resin mixture comprise a plurality of first polymerizable or crosslinkable functional groups, and a plurality of second polymerizable or crosslinkable functional groups, wherein the stoichiometric ratio between the first polymerizable or crosslinkable functional groups and the second polymerizable or crosslinkable functional groups is between about 1.15:1 and about 1:1.15.