METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LITHOGRAPHIC MANUFACTURE OF MULTI-COMPONENT POLYMERIC FIBER PLATES
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a polymeric structure, comprising:
- exposing a first polymerizable polymer precursor to a patterned beam of light to form a first patterned polymeric layer;
positioning additional first polymerizable polymer precursor adjacent to the first patterned polymeric layer such that exposing the additional first polymeric polymer precursor forms an additional patterned polymeric layer on top of the first polymeric layer;
exposing the additional first polymeric polymer precursor to form the additional patterned polymeric layer on top of the first polymeric layer, wherein the first patterned polymeric layer and the additional patterned polymeric layer form a polymeric structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention relate to microfabrication of three dimensional polymeric structures incorporating a large number of identical elements each having one or more materials. In specific embodiments, the structures are large area fiber optic plates and associated structures, wherein the fibers are precisely located relative to each other and can serve as optical readout, such as optical readout for high density microarrays of biomaterial and other chemicals or pharmaceuticals. A three-dimensional fiber optic plate can be fabricated by a lithographic process in which a 2D solid slice is produced by exposing a 2D layer of photocurable liquid to ultraviolet light. The cured layer is lowered and the process is repeated to build the plate layer by layer.
36 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a polymeric structure, comprising:
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exposing a first polymerizable polymer precursor to a patterned beam of light to form a first patterned polymeric layer; positioning additional first polymerizable polymer precursor adjacent to the first patterned polymeric layer such that exposing the additional first polymeric polymer precursor forms an additional patterned polymeric layer on top of the first polymeric layer; exposing the additional first polymeric polymer precursor to form the additional patterned polymeric layer on top of the first polymeric layer, wherein the first patterned polymeric layer and the additional patterned polymeric layer form a polymeric structure. - 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, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. An apparatus for fabricating a three dimensional polymeric structure, comprising:
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a light source, wherein the light source provides a beam of light; a mask, wherein when the beam of light passes through the mask a patterned beam of light is created; a photocurable liquid, wherein the beam of light and the mask are positioned such that the patterned beam of light is incident on the photocurable liquid, a platform, wherein the platform is moveable relative to a bottom surface of the mask, wherein at least a portion of the photocurable liquid is positioned between the platform and the bottom surface of the mask, wherein when the patterned beam of light is incident on the photocurable liquid a portion of the photocurable liquid corresponding to a beam pattern of the patterned beam of light is polymerized.
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46-68. -68. (canceled)
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69. A product, comprising:
a three dimensional polymeric structure having a plurality of component elements positioned in a two-dimensional array at a uniform interelement distance of less than 100 microns.
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70-91. -91. (canceled)
Specification