Method of making a product with a micro or nano sized structure and product

• US 20040028875A1
• Filed: 09/29/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aquamarijn Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: Aquamarijn Holding B.V.
• Inventors: Nijdam, Wietze, Barsema, Jonathan Nathaniel, Vogelaar, Laura, Van Rijn, Cornelis Johannes Maria, Wessling, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 7,531,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/98
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/044 Oesophagi or esophagi or gullets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/046 Tracheae
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/50 Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/56 Porous materials, e.g. foams or sponges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/06 Specific viscosities of materials involved
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/081 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/082 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/30 Cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2323/60 Co-casting; Co-extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/0231 Dense layers being placed on the outer side of the cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2325/04 Characteristic thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/00091 by evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0018 Thermally induced processes [TIPS]
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/002 from melts
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0069 by deposition from the liquid phase, e.g. electrochemical deposition B01D67/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0072 by deposition from the gaseous phase, e.g. sputtering, CVD, PVD
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/0088 Physical treatment with compounds, e.g. swelling, coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 67/00931 by introduction of specific groups after membrane formation, e.g. by grafting
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/00 Semi-permeable membranes for separation processes or apparatus characterised by their form, structure or properties; Manufacturing processes specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/02 : characterised by their properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/08 : Hollow fibre membranes manufacture of hollow fibres D01D5/24, D01F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 69/1213 : Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/0215 : Silicon carbide; Silicon nitride; Silicon oxycarbide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/64 : Polyimides; Polyamide-imides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 71/68 : Polysulfones; Polyethersulfones
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 : Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00783 : Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00824 : Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00833 : Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00835 : Comprising catalytically active material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00844 : Comprising porous material
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0086 : Dimensions of the flow channels
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00864 : Channel sizes in the nanometer range, e.g. nanoreactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00907 : using membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 : Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0819 : Microarrays; Biochips
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/0241 : Drop counters; Drop formers making arrays for combinatorial libraries B01J19/0046; automation of dispensing for analysis G01N35/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/5085 : for multiple samples, e.g. microtitration plates
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0033 : constructed for making articles provided with holes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/08 : Coating a former, core or other substrate by spraying or fluidisation, e.g. spraying powder spray-up of reinforcing fibres B29C70/305
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/38 : Moulds, cores or other substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/02 : Moulding by agglomerating B29C67/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0073 : Solution
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/737 : Articles provided with holes, e.g. grids, sieves nets B29L2028/00
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/10 : Microfilters, e.g. for gas or fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0115 : Porous silicon
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/034 : Moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/008 : separating the processed structure from a mother substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/44704 : Details; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 : Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 : Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]

Abstract

Using phase separation technique perforated as well as non-perforated polymeric structures can be made with high aspect ratios (>5). By varying the phase separation process the properties (e.g. porous, non-porous, dense, open skin) of the moulded product can be tuned. Applications are described in the field of micro fluidics (e.g. micro arrays, electrophoretic boards), optics, polymeric solar cells, ball grid arrays, and tissue engineering.

Claims

1. A method of making a product with a micro to nano sized structure using a mould having a corresponding structure at a mould surface in which a fluid containing a casting material is brought into contact with said mould surface characterised in that the fluid is subjected to a treatment to induce phase separation therein, in that the said casting material is at least partially solidified on the mould surface and in that the resulting product is released from the mould surface.

2. A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the mould surface is an exposed surface of said mould.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the fluid is only partially solidified by means of induced phase separation on the mould, and in that the partially solidified product is released from the mould for further processing, including further phase separation.

4. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that mould is brought into contact with the fluid in a continuous process, particularly in a process of continuous sheet imprinting or extrusion with a spinneret having a micro to nano sized structure.

5. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims characterized in that the phase separation process is a vapour, liquid, or thermal induced phase separation process.

6. Method according to anyone of claims 1-4 characterized in that the phase separation process is a colloid, pressure, or reaction induced phase separation process.

7. Method according to anyone of claims 1-4 characterized in that the phase separation process is non-solvent induced.

8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the non-solvent is contained in an immersion liquid during the phase separation process, in which the concentration of the non-solvent in the liquid is larger than 5%.

9. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the non-solvent is contained in a vapour during the phase separation process, in which the concentration of the non-solvent is less than 25%.

10. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the non-solvent is dissolved in the fluid with a concentration less than 2%.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the fluid contains at least two solvents, comprising a lowest boiling solvent and a highest boiling solvent, in that said lowest boiling solvent and said highest boiling solvent have a difference in their respective boiling points of at least approximately 50°

C., in that a predominant amount of said lowest boiling solvent is removed, in that the solution is brought into contact with a non-solvent fluid for the casting material, which is miscible with said at least two solvents, to induce phase separation and solidification and in that the at least partly solidified product is released from the mould.

12. Moulded product having a nano or micro porous base structure being at least partly covered by a substantially more dense skin layer.

13. Product according to claim 12 characterized in that said base structure comprises a porous open cell structure or a porous closed cell structure.

14. Product according to claim 12 or 13 characterized in that said base structure is substantially entirely concealed within said skin layer.

15. Product according to claim 12, 13 or 14 characterized by a micro structure with an aspect ratio larger than 2-5, preferably larger than 5.

16. Product according to claim 12, 13 or 14 characterized by a micro structure with an aspect ratio larger than 5-10, preferably larger than 10.

17. Product according to claim 12, 13 or 14 characterized by a nano structure with an aspect ratio larger than 2-5, preferably larger than 5, and with a maximum width less than 500 nm.

18. Product according to claim 12, 13 or 14 characterized by a nano structure with an aspect ratio larger than 5-10, preferably larger than 10, and with a maximum width less than 500 nm.

19. Product according to anyone of claims 12-18 characterized in that it comprises at least one perforation with a diameter less than 5-10 micron.

20. Product according to claim 19 characterized in that said at least one perforation has a diameter 1 ss than 0.45 micron.

21. Product according to anyone of claims 12-20 characterized in that it is at least primarily made of polymer, carbon or ceramics.

22. Product according to anyone of claims 12-21 characterized in that it is made out of at least two different materials obtained with a phase separation process.

23. Product according to anyone of claims 12-22 characterized in that it entails at least one microsieve.

24. Product according to anyone of claims 12-22 characterized in that it entails at least one micro structured filtration membrane preferably, biocompatible or bio degradable.

25. Product according to anyone of claims 12-22 characterized in that it entails the use of an extrusion spinneret provided with a micro to nano structure.

26. Product according to anyone of claims 12-25 characterized in that it comprises a micro or nano structure from an group comprising a multiwell/microtitrationplate structure, a microarray structure, preferably with anti-splattering means, a microelectrode structure, a microfluidic structure, a photovoltaicstructure, a transparent conductive board structure, a shadowmask structure, an optical grating structure, a structure having isolated magnetic or optical domains in the sub micron range, a micro printing tool structure, an electrochromatoraphy or electrophoresis capillary structure, a capillary membrane structure, an interconnection grid structure, an atomisation structure, an electroplated structure, and a microneedle structure.

27. Moulded product being moulded in a product according to anyone of claims 12-26.

28. Spinneret provided with a micro to nano structure.