Microprotrusion array and methods of making a microprotrusion
First Claim
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1. A method of forming a microprotrusion array comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, forming a patterned masking layer in a plurality of areas on said top surface, said areas of said patterned masking layer having a predetermined dimension corresponding to a microprotrusion and defining an exposed area of said top surface of said substrate around said areas of said masking layer, etching said exposed area of said top surface of said substrate to a sufficient depth to form a plurality of microprotrusions, and removing said masking layer from said substrate to expose said microprotrusions.
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Abstract
A microprotrusion array is formed from a silicon wafer by a plurality of sequential plasma and wet isotropic and anisotropic etching steps. The resulting microprotrusions have sharpened tips or cutting edges formed by a wet isotropic etch.
66 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of forming a microprotrusion array comprising the steps of:
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providing a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, forming a patterned masking layer in a plurality of areas on said top surface, said areas of said patterned masking layer having a predetermined dimension corresponding to a microprotrusion and defining an exposed area of said top surface of said substrate around said areas of said masking layer, etching said exposed area of said top surface of said substrate to a sufficient depth to form a plurality of microprotrusions, and removing said masking layer from said substrate to expose said microprotrusions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of forming a microprotrusion array comprising the steps of
providing a silicon substrate having a top surface with a masking layer, removing a portion of said masking layer to form a plurality of substantially ring shaped portions of said masking layer on said top surface, etching said top surface of said silicon substrate to form a channel extending through a center of each of said ring shaped portions, and to form an annular column around each of said ring shaped portions, and removing said ring shaped portions of said masking layer to form a microprotrusion array.
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29. A method of forming a microprotrusion array comprising the steps of
providing a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface; -
forming a plurality of recesses in said top surface, said recesses defining inclined surfaces with respect to a plane of said top surface, said inclined surfaces forming an array of sharpened tips, and removing a portion of said substrate around said sharpened tips to form an array of microprotrusions having an outer end formed by said sharpened tips. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of forming a microprotrusion array, comprising the steps of
providing a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, forming an array of microprotrusions on said top surface of said substrate, said microprotrusions having a top surface, and forming at least one bevel on said top surface of each of said microprotrusions.
Specification