Physical self-assembly of microstructures by anisotropic buckling

A form of physical self-assembly in which stress relief is the driving force for the assembly is outlined. When a bilayer of metal is heated above the glass-transition temperature of the polymer, directionally random wrinkles are generated. An elastomeric mold with a periodic pattern, when placed on the metal surface, guides the random wrinkles to self-assemble into an ordered structure. The difference between the pattern period and the intrinsic buckling wavelength determines the type of periodic structure formed by the self-assembly.