Fabrication of ordered sub-micron topographies on large-area poly(urethane urea) by two-stage replication molding

It has been established that material surface topography can have a significant effect on biological cell adhesion, in the absence of changes in surface chemistry. Such investigations were typically performed using surface features with size on the order of microns, comparable to the dimensions of the cells. It has been demonstrated that sub-micron sized topographies that cannot be created via contact lithography also influence cell behavior. The ability to affect cell adhesion is a prime consideration in the development of novel biomaterials. This study reports a two-stage replication molding process for fabricating ordered sub-micron sized features over a large area of biomedical polyether(urethane urea). Such a technique has great applicability in the area of long-term implantable materials as a method for influencing cell-material interactions.