Visually tolerable tiling (VTT) for making a large-area flexible patterned surface

Abstract

The fabrication of a large area mold is one of the most difficult challenges in the roll to roll nanoimprint field and eliminating the visible seams on a large area mold is even more difficult. We present a visually tolerable tiling (VTT) method to make large area micro/nano-patterns without visible seams and their applications. In this study, with small area micro/nano-pattern molds, the VTT method could produce a scaled up mold with the same features as the original mold without any visible seam lines. Also, a fabricated large size mold was used in the roll to roll imprinting process as a flexible mold. By using the VTT method, large size metal wire grid polarizers and micro-prism sheets were fabricated and their potential was confirmed as feasible applications.