Patent ID: 8241509

Claim:
A method for producing a microarray comprising a plurality of printing tips, the method comprising: forming a spring material film on a release material layer, the spring material film having an internal stress gradient in a direction normal to the release material layer, the release material layer being disposed over a substrate; etching the spring material film to form a plurality of spring material islands in an array pattern, wherein etching the spring material film comprises: forming a plurality of masks on the spring material film, wherein each of the plurality of masks includes a channel feature; and etching exposed portions of the spring material film located around the plurality of masks, such that each of the plurality of spring material islands includes an in-plane channel feature; and removing a first portion of the release material layer from beneath a cantilever portion of each spring material island, thereby forming a plurality of spring beams, each of the plurality of spring beams having a curvature away from the substrate, wherein each of the plurality of spring beams forms one of the plurality of printing tips, wherein each of the plurality of spring beams includes a channel for carrying liquid along the curvature spring beam, the in-plane channel feature becoming the channel after removal of the release material layer from beneath the unmasked cantilever portion of each spring material island, the channel being substantially parallel to the curvature of the spring beam.