Patent ID: 8236226

Claim:
A method for changing the shape of a surface of an article, comprising the steps of: providing a curable liquid polymer precursor; casting the precursor against a first tool assembly having a first surface structure that is planar; curing the precursor to form a shape memory polymer substrate having a pre-set shape corresponding to the first surface structure, the substrate including a shape memory polymer; removing the substrate from the first tool assembly; deforming a surface of the substrate with the pre-set shape against a second tool assembly having a second surface structure that includes a microstructure, to form a deformed surface on the substrate with a deformed shape corresponding to the second surface structure, wherein the deforming step includes applying heat and pressure to the substrate; mobilizing the shape memory polymer to shift the deformed surface from the deformed shape to the pre-set shape; and removing a portion of the substrate from the deformed surface.