Field-programmable pressure-driven lithography: a manufacturing roadmap for bio-inspired functional surfaces

Abstract Bioinspired surfaces encode function in micro/nanotopography rather than in complex chemical functionalization, but the critical challenge lies in scalable manufacturing on flexible and curved substrates while ensuring durability and cost control. This Perspective consolidates capillary force lithography, nanoimprint lithography, and electrohydrodynamic lithography (EHL) under the framework of pressure-driven lithography, emphasizing EHL as the field-programmable keystone of hybrid roll-to-roll architectures. We establish process-to-function maps connecting geometry descriptors with antibacterial, wetting, optical, and icephobic functionalities, guided by standardized key performance indicators. Inline optical and current metrology with feedback control are detailed as the pathway to reproducibility, robustness, and energy efficiency at scale. Representative datasets and a pragmatic 2025–2030 roadmap translate these principles into industrial playbooks and pre-normative standards. The outcome is a software-defined factory for multifunctional surfaces—one line, many products—achieved with agility, comparability, and durable performance.