Patent ID: 8398909

Claim:
A method of forming a dry adhesive with a structure including a backing layer and a non-perpendicular stem, wherein the stem includes first and second ends on opposite sides of the stem, and wherein the first end of the stem is connected to the backing layer, comprising: applying a liquid polymer to the second end of the stem; contacting the liquid polymer on the stem with a tip shaping surface; bending the stem relative to the backing layer while contacting the liquid polymer on the stem with the tip shaping surface to form an angle β relative to an imaginary line perpendicular to the backing layer, wherein β is greater than θ and less than ninety degrees; curing the liquid polymer to form a tip having an expanded surface on the second end of the stem while bending the stem relative to the backing layer and while contacting the liquid polymer on the stem with the tip shaping surface; removing the tip from the tip shaping surface after the liquid polymer cures, wherein after removing the tip from the tip shaping surface (i) the stem forms an angle θ relative to an imaginary line perpendicular to the backing layer, wherein θ is greater than zero and less than ninety degrees, and (ii) the expanded surface of the tip forms an angle β−θ relative to an imaginary plane parallel to the backing layer.