Nanocontact molding of three-dimensional polymeric replicas

指纹生物识别技术是一种不可或缺且方便的安全工具;在国际边境、公司大楼和移动的设备（智能手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑）上，普遍采用的指纹扫描系统可以保护我们的个人身份和数据安全。我们最近开发了一种新的台式技术，通过探索一种独特的纳米成型方法，使用传统的聚合物材料，使三维指纹复制品（即，幻影）。通过在塑料基底上产生人类指纹的印记（例如，通过控制溶剂化，然后用聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS，一种流行的弹性体）浇铸，我们可以生产出柔性的、纳米级细节的3D指纹模型。通过使用标准光学扫描仪进行测试，我们已经证明，所有三个层次的指纹细节都可以精确记录，并与原始指纹匹配良好。优于人工校准模式的上级，这些幻影具有指纹的精确3D特征，并且与人类采样相比不引入变化性，这使得它们成为标准化指纹扫描仪的完美目标，无论是独立的还是移动终端上的。* 这个“创意创新（I2 I）第1阶段”项目突出了纳米接触复制协议的应用潜力，通过非传统的PC成型作为一种台式，无仪器的方法来大规模生产宏观结构（指纹幻影），更广泛地说，创建任何类型的设计纳米结构的1对1聚合物复制品。我们的目标是（1）制造通用的指纹幻影的光学和电容阅读器，（2）复制亚100纳米结构高保真。虽然指纹识别对于移动的设备上广泛适用的生物识别技术具有实际重要性，但设计的纳米结构的简易台式复制将有利于快速增长的纳米纤维工业。我们与本地和国际纳米技术公司密切合作，预计该项目的成功将使我们的纳米成型技术走向商业化的前沿。**********

Fingerprint biometrics is an indispensable and convenient security tool; popularly adapted fingerprint scanning systems at international borders, in corporate buildings, and on mobile devices (smartphones, pads, and laptops) keep our personal identity and data safe. We have recently developed a novel benchtop technology of making 3D fingerprint replicas (namely, phantoms) by exploring a unique nano-molding approach using conventional polymeric materials. By creating an impression of human fingerprints on plastic substrates (e.g., polycarbonate chips) upon controlled solvation, followed by casting with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, a popular elastomer), we can produce a flexible, nanoscale detailed, 3D fingerprint phantom. By testing with standard optical scanners, we have shown that all three levels of fingerprint details can be precisely recorded and match well with the original fingerprint. Superior to artificial calibration patterns, these phantoms have the exact 3D feature of fingerprints and introduce no variability compared to human sampling, which make them perfect targets for standardizing fingerprint scanners either standalone or on a mobile device. ****This "Idea-to-Innovation (I2I) Phase 1" project highlights the application potential of the nano-contact replication protocol via unconventional PC molding as a benchtop, instrumentation-free method to mass produce macroscopic structures (fingerprint phantoms) and, more broadly, to create 1-to-1 polymeric replicas of designed nanostructures of any kind. Our goals are to (1) fabricate universal fingerprint phantoms for both optical and capacitive readers, and (2) replicate sub-100 nm structures with high fidelity. While fingerprinting is of practical importance to the widely adapted biometrics on mobile devices; facile, benchtop replication of designed nanostructures will be beneficial the fast-growing nanofabrication industry. Working closely with both local and international nanotech companies, we envision that the success of the proposed project will bring our nano-molding technology to the front-line of commercialization. **********