Fabrication of conductive nanostructures on a flexible substrate

Abstract

Provided is a method of fabricating a continuous nanostructured material having an electrodeposited surface layer. A conductive master drum having a relief pattern on its surface that exposes only a portion of the master drum surface is immersed into a plating bath. An electrodepositable material is coated onto the exposed surface of the drum. A support material is coated over the deposited layer and the relief structure. Removal from the drum yields the nanostructured material.

1 . A method of making a surface structured article comprising:
 providing a textured master including a relief pattern formed on a surface of a conductive substrate, wherein the relief pattern is at least one of a microscale relief pattern and a nanoscale relief pattern;   immersing a portion of the textured master into a coating bath comprising an electrodepositable material;   depositing the electrodepositable material onto the textured master;   contacting a support material to the textured master; and   removing the electrodepositable material from the textured master when the support material is separated from the textured master.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relief pattern comprises conductive regions and nonconductive regions. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the electrodepositable material is deposited on the conductive regions of the relief pattern. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the textured master is a cylindrical master drum. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the textured master is a master belt. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the textured master is a master tile. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising rinsing and drying a portion of the textured master having the electrodepositable material coated on the conductive regions. 
     
     
         8 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising applying a current between the coating bath and the textured master. 
     
     
         9 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising applying a carrier film to a surface of the support material. 
     
     
         10 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the support material is a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein thermoplastic polymer is one of a polyolefin polymer, an ethylene copolymers, a fluoropolymer, a polyketone, a polyamide, a polycarbonate, a polyester, a styrene block copolymers, and styrene acrylonitrile polymer. 
     
     
         12 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the support material is a thermosetting resin. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein curable resin is one of an acrylate, a polydimethylsiloxane, a urethane acrylate and an epoxy. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of curing the curable resin. 
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the electrodepositable material is a conductive material.