Ultra-Fast Fabrication of High-Performance Frequency-Selective Metasurfaces with Various Gaussian Curvatures Using Geometry-Controllable Hyperelastic Conformal Transfer Printing

The core functionalities of frequency-selective metasurfaces are primarily determined by the geometric shape structures fabricated on their surfaces. Transfer printing technology offers notable advantages in high-efficiency manufacturing and conformal capabilities; however, it struggles to meet the high geometric fidelity requirements of frequency-selective metasurfaces on substrates with varying curvatures. Herein, the authors propose a hyperelastic conformal transfer printing (HCTP) method that regulates the geometric shapes of electromagnetic structures on curved surfaces by means of a shape-preserving mapping algorithm, which is established during the process of transferring planar structures onto surfaces with different Gaussian curvatures under a deformation rate of the hyperelastic stamp exceeding 50%. Spherical bandpass frequency-selective metasurfaces with positive Gaussian curvature and cylindrical bandpass frequency-selective metasurfaces with zero Gaussian curvature are successfully fabricated using HCTP. The manufacturing efficiency of this approach is increased by more than 10 times compared with direct writing methods such as inkjet printing. The geometric shape deviation rate of the frequency-selective metasurface patterns is less than 2%, resulting in a center frequency deviation rate of less than 2%, satisfying the device's performance specifications. Furthermore, the transmittance of electromagnetic waves at the center frequency exceeds 95%.