Methods of forming molds and methods of forming articles using said molds

A method of forming a working mold comprising:

• coating a master mold with a second generation precursor comprising crosslinkable material;
• forming an untreated working mold from the second generation precursor, the untreated working mold having at least a first structured surface and comprising a thermoset polymeric material;
• placing the untreated working mold on an electrode in a chamber;
• introducing a release layer forming gas into the chamber, wherein the release layer forming gas comprises silicon containing gas or a mixture comprising silicon containing gas and oxygen gas in an atomic ratio of oxygen to silicon is not greater than about 200;
• providing power to the electrode to create a plasma of the release layer forming gas within the chamber;
• and
• depositing a release layer formed from the release layer forming gas on at least a portion of the first structured surface of the untreated working mold to form a working mold.

A method of forming a molded article comprising:

• placing an untreated working mold on an electrode in a chamber, the untreated working mold having at least a first structured surface and the working mold comprising a thermoset polymeric material;
• introducing a release layer forming gas into the chamber, wherein the release layer forming gas comprises silicon containing gas or a mixture comprising silicon containing gas and oxygen gas in an atomic ratio of oxygen to silicon is not greater than about 200;
• providing power to the electrode to create a plasma of the release layer forming gas within the chamber;
• depositing a release layer formed from the release layer forming gas on at least a portion of the first structured surface of the untreated working mold to form a working mold;
• and
• contacting a third generation precursor with at least a portion of the first surface of the working mold to form a molded article that is the inverse of the first structured surface of the working mold.