Template-assisted assembly of electrospun fibers

Ordinarily, the electrospinning process generates one-dimensional fibers which assemble into non-woven membrane structures due to instabilities in the fluid jet. In this paper, an electrospinning procedure is developed that utilizes patterned collectors to produce aligned membranes with designed topological structures. The template-assisted electrospinning approach is demonstrated using polycaprolactone (PCL) fibers to produce patterns including alphanumeric characters and a printed electronic circuit chip, with feature sizes on the order of several hundred microns. The process has a significant impact on micro-manufacturing, and provides the capability for incorporation of oriented fiber materials in patterned micro-composites and electronic components.