Fabrication of finely featured devices by liquid embossing
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a functional component, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a thin film of a curable material in liquid form;
b. patterning the curable material by embossing the material at low pressure with an elastomeric stamp having a raised pattern thereon;
c. curing the patterned material; and
d. repeating steps (a) to (c) a plurality of times with materials which, when cured, have varying functional characteristics, the cured layers interacting so as to produce a functional component.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Elastomeric stamps facilitate direct patterning of electrical, biological, chemical, and mechanical materials. A thin film of material is deposited on a substrate. The deposited material, either originally present as a liquid or subsequently liquefied, is patterned by embossing at low pressure using an elastomeric stamp having a raised pattern. The patterned liquid is then cured to form a functional layer. The deposition, embossing, and curing steps may be repeated numerous times with the same or different liquids, and in two or three dimensions. The various deposited layers may, for example, have varying electrical characteristics, interacting so as to produce an integrated electronic component.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating a functional component, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a thin film of a curable material in liquid form;
b. patterning the curable material by embossing the material at low pressure with an elastomeric stamp having a raised pattern thereon;
c. curing the patterned material; and
d. repeating steps (a) to (c) a plurality of times with materials which, when cured, have varying functional characteristics, the cured layers interacting so as to produce a functional component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
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38. A field-emission display fabricated in accordance with claim 38.
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40. A method of fabricating a functional component, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a thin film of a liquid on a support;
b. patterning the liquid by embossing it at low pressure with an elastomeric stamp having a first raised pattern thereon, the raised pattern displacing the liquid when brought into contact with the support; and
c. bringing into contact with the support a substrate having thereon a second raised pattern, the liquid, where present on the support, adhering to the second raised pattern. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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43. A method of fabricating a functional component, the method comprising the steps of:
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a. providing a thin film of a liquid on a support;
b. patterning the liquid by embossing it at low pressure with an elastomeric stamp having a raised pattern thereon, the raised pattern having at least some features with submicron dimensions and displacing the liquid when brought into contact with the support; and
c. curing the patterned material.
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44. Apparatus for fabricating a functional component, the apparatus comprising:
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a. means for applying a thin film of a curable material in liquid form;
b. an elastomeric stamp having a raised pattern thereon, the raised pattern having at least some features with submicron dimensions;
c. means for applying the elastomeric stamp to the curable material so that the raised pattern displaces the material; and
d. means for curing the patterned material.
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Specification