Polymer (IMAGE) University of Massachusetts Amherst Caption Controlling growth in a polymer system at the micro-scale with a technique akin to half-tone printing, the polymer swells like a sponge when exposed to water. Printing "resist dots" in the polymer substrate creates points that will not swell. When the dot size changes, buckling occurs from the mismatch in growth from one area to another. With a proper half-tone pattern of resist dots, almost any 3-D shape can be achieved. Credit Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.