Capturing architected liquid bridge shapes via controlled stretching

Liquid-mediated patterning, which is a manufacturing method exploiting the nature of liquids, has achieved great advances in micro- and nano-fabrication techniques. The easily deformable nature of liquids enables fully confined liquid morphing (also known as template-based method), and the surface tension of the liquid allows for a lot of variations of droplet microfluidics. A liquid bridge, which is formed when a droplet of liquid meets two solid surfaces, exhibits the characteristics of both; therefore, it can unfold a new route for microfabrication and related applications. In this study, liquid bridge-shaped microstructures on a target substrate and template are demonstrated. Through the synergy of theoretical investigations and construction with elastomeric spacers, the geometry of liquid bridges can be modeled as a function of the solid and liquid properties, separation distance, and morphology of solid surfaces. This research provides numerous derivatives of structures with tunable sizes, morphologies, and compositions. In particular, the convex (with negative gaussian curvature) morphology of the liquid bridge-shaped microstructures exhibits liquid-repellent characteristics; therefore, it can be exploited for isotropic and anisotropic wettability manipulation. The advances in this study related to semi-confined patterning toward scale-down and controllability enable expanded variations for microfabrication, surface engineering, and liquid manipulation.