MICROSTRUCTURE SYNTHESIS BY FLOW LITHOGRAPHY AND POLYMERIZATION

• US 20100172898A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: PREGIBON, Daniel C., DOYLE, Patrick S., DENDUKURI, Dhananjay
• Application Number:
  US12/724,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 514/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0159 Lithographic techniques not provided for in B81C2201/0157
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/0095 Aspects relating to the manufacture of substrate-free structures, not covered by groups B81C99/008 - B81C99/009
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0037 Production of three-dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2012 using liquid photohardening compositions, e.g. for the production of reliefs such as flexographic plates or stamps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2035 simultaneous coating and exposure; using a belt mask, e.g. endless
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2053 using a laser ablative removal B41C
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/20 Conductive material dispersed in non-conductive organic material organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/42 of organic or organo-metallic materials , e.g. grapheneH01F1/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24273 including aperture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24298 Noncircular aperture [e.g., slit, diamond, rectangular, etc.]

Abstract

In a method for synthesizing polymeric microstructures, a monomer stream is flowed, at a selected flow rate, through a fluidic channel. At least one shaped pulse of illumination is projected to the monomer stream, defining in the monomer stream a shape of at least one microstructure corresponding to the illumination pulse shape while polymerizing that microstructure shape in the monomer stream by the illumination pulse. An article of manufacture includes a non-spheroidal polymeric microstructure that has a plurality of distinct material regions.

Claims

1. A non-spheroidal polymeric microstructure having a plurality of distinct material regions.

2. The polymeric microstructure of claim 1 provided in a population of monodisperse non-spheroidal polymeric microstructures.

3. A planar polymeric microstructure having a plurality of distinct material regions.

4. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the polymeric microstructure is characterized by an anisotropic material composition.

5. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least two of the distinct regions are of a distinct polymeric composition.

6. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions includes a porogen.

7. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions includes a covalently bonded moiety.

8. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions is hydrophobic and at least one of the distinct regions is hydrophilic.

9. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising three-dimensional features.

10. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising two-dimensional extruded features.

11. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising at least one straight edge.

12. The polymeric microstructure of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of straight edges.

13. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising at least one rounded feature.

14. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is hollow.

15. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is cylindrical.

16. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is non-continuous across a plane of the microstructure.

17. The polymeric microstructure of claim 16 wherein apertures in the microstructure result in the non-continuity of the microstructure.

18. The polymeric microstructure of claim 17 wherein at least one aperture is straight-edged.

19. The polymeric microstructure of claim 17 wherein at least one aperture is rounded.

20. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to temperature.

21. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to pH.

22. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to illumination.

23. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a responsiveness to at least one antigen.

24. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is biodegradable.

25. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes biological material.

26. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises DNA.

27. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises RNA.

28. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises a polypeptide.

29. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises an enzyme.

30. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises an antibody.

31. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises at least a portion of a cell.

32. The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises mitochondria.

33. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a fluorophore.

34. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a chromophore.

35. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a porogen.

36. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes particles.

38. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes carbon nanotubes.

39. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes emulsified liquid droplets.

40. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes gas bubbles.

41. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes electrically conducting particles.

42. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes magnetizable particles.

43. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes three-dimensional structures.

44. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes liquid crystals.

45. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure comprises a microstructure chain in which microstructures are linked to the chain by an overlapping polymerized region.

46. The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 provided in a population of monodisperse polymeric microstructures.

37. The polymeric microstructure of 3 wherein the microstructure includes quantum dots.