Water predictions: Telling when a nanolithography mold will break through droplets: Scientists formulate a novel strategy to predict the lifetime of nanolithography molds through changes in the contact angle of water on the mold surface

Ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography is powerful method of producing polymer nanostructures by pressing a curable resin onto a mold. However, there are no convenient methods to determine the lifetime of molds. Now, in a recent study, scientists develop a simple strategy to reliably predict the durability of mold materials by observing how water droplets make contact with the mold's surface as it wears out and distorts with use.