Molding and replication of ceramic surfaces with nanoscale resolution

The design of reproducible and more efficient nanofabrication routes has become a very active research field in recent years. In particular, the development of new methods for micro- and nanopatterning materials surfaces has attracted the attention of many researchers in industry and academia as a consequence of the growing relevance of patterned surfaces in many technological fields, ranging from optoelectronics to biotechnology. In this work we explore, discuss, and demonstrate the possibility of extending the well-known molding and replication strategy for patterning ceramic materials with nanoscale resolution. To achieve this goal we have combined physical deposition methods, molecule-thick anti-sticking coatings, and nanostructured substrates as master surfaces. This new perspective on an "old technology", as molding is, provides an interesting alternative for high-resolution, direct surface-relief patterning of materials that currently requires expensive and time-consuming lithographic approaches.