Microcontact printing

A method of printing on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a stamp;
• orienting the stamp relative to the substrate and maintaining the orientation with a plurality of actuators;
• applying a print medium to the stamp;
• moving the stamp relative to the substrate to contact the substrate;
• and
• transferring the print medium from the stamp to a print surface over the substrate.

A method of calibrating a stamp to a substrate comprising the steps of:

• advancing the stamp relative to the substrate with an actuator;
• contacting the stamp to the substrate;
• recording the alignment of the stamp;
• and
• retracting and orienting the stamp relative to the substrate.

A mold chamber for a printing stamp comprising:

• a master backing for carrying a master;
• a stamp backing;
• a pair of outer rings;
• an inner ring interposed between the outer rings;
• the backing, the outer rings and the inner ring defining a chamber;
• and
• the inner ring having a pair of inlet holes for passing fluids into and out of the chamber.

A method of forming a stamp for a print device comprising:

• providing a mold chamber having a master and a spaced stamp backing defining cavity;
• introducing a liquid stamp material into the cavity;
• and
• coupling a vacuum source to the cavity to facilitate the flow of liquid stamp material into the chamber.

A microcontact printing system comprising:

• a base having a substrate location;
• a positioning subsystem to provide relative movement between a microcontact printing stamp and the base in order to change a distance between the microcontact printing stamp and the substrate;
• and
• a controller coupled to the positioning subsystem such that the controller electronically controls the positioning subsystem to perform a microcontact printing operation in which a print medium is transferred from the microcontact printing stamp to the substrate.

A method for microcontact printing, comprising the steps of:

• applying a print medium to a microcontact printing stamp;
• positioning a substrate at a substrate location on a base;
• and
• electronically controlling a positioning subsystem which is coupled to at least one of the microcontact printing stamp and the base to perform a microcontact printing operation in which the print medium is applied from the microcontact printing stamp to the substrate.

A method for microcontact printing using a stamp backing which holds a microcontact printing stamp having a pattern, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying a deflecting force to the stamp backing to deflect the stamp from a planar orientation to a non-planar orientation;
• placing a region of the pattern of the microcontact printing stamp having a print medium into contact with a substrate while the stamp is in the non-planar orientation;
• and
• reducing the deflecting force to return the stamp from the non-planar orientation to a planar orientation, the pattern of the stamp fully contacting the substrate when the stamp is returned to the planar orientation.

A printing system for forming a micropattern of attachment sites comprising:

• a stamp assembly having a stamp;
• an applicator that applies a print medium to a stamp surface;
• an actuator that actuates relative movement between the stamp and a print surface along a first axis and a second axis different from the first axis;
• and
• a control system that controls relative movement of the stamp and the print surface with the actuator such that a force between the stamp and the print surface is regulated during transfer of the print medium to form a micropattern of attachment sites on the print surface.

A method of printing on a substrate comprising the steps of:

• providing a stamp;
• orienting the stamp relative to the substrate and maintaining the orientation with a plurality of actuators;
• applying a print medium to the stamp;
• moving the stamp relative to the substrate to contact the substrate;
• and
• transferring the print medium from the stamp to a print surface over the substrate to provide a plurality of attachment sites.