Determination of deformations in polymeric nanostructures using geometric Moire techniques for biological applications

This paper demonstrates the determination of microscopic deformations in polymeric nanostructures. Such deformations are normally on the order of nm or even smaller, which can not be achieved by using conventional optical approaches. In this work, a PDMS film with periodic nanostructures was manufactured using electron beam fabrication and polymer replication. Thermal deformation was induced into PDMS films and achieved from the Moire fringes generated by interference between the polymeric nanostructures and the scanning rasters of the imaging system. This approach, at the level of the early findings, has a potential in various biological microsystems comprising polymeric nano-scale components, especially where they serve as mechanical sensors.