Vacuum-assisted MIMIC for EMI grid application on spinel domes

Soft lithography is an inexpensive and fast method for applying micropatterned structures to both flat and nonplanar substrates. A vacuum-assisted Micromolding in Capillaries (MIMIC) technique will be developed to print a fine electromagnetic interference (EMI) grid on the inner surface of transparent spinel domes. A photocurable silver filled resin will infiltrate an EMI grid channel patterned on the surface of an elastomeric stamp using vacuum-assisted MIMIC. After exposure to ultraviolet light, the silver resin will cure and then be subjected to furnace treatments to burn off the polymer and densify the silver grid. After densification, the EMI grid will have a low sheet resistance obtained by tailoring the thickness of the gridlines. It is anticipated that this process will significantly reduce the cost of EMI grid application on transparent spinel domes.