A universal microstructuring approach was developed for patterning surfaces by microcontact printing in combination with selective surface dewetting. Self-assembled monolayers such as octadecyltrichlorosilane [CH3(CH2)(17)SiCl3] were printed on glass or silicon substrates by microcontact printing. The octadecyltrichlorosilane-coated regions became hydrophobic, whereas the uncoated regions remained hydrophilic. Such functionalized substrates facilitate selective wetting/dewetting of surfaces by polymers or resists. Resists such as poly(methyl methacrylate) were selectively deposited on the hydrophilic regions of the substrate, whereas the hydrophobic regions remained uncoated. The approach allows for patterning of resist on substrates without using photolithography. In this study, the resist was used to lift off metallic microstructures such as microcoils for radio-frequency identification tags and source-drain electrodes for organic field-effect transistors. (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society.