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

• US 7,531,120 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2001
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aquamarijn Holding B.V.
• Original Assignee: Aquamarijn Holding B.V.
• Inventors: Van Rijn, Cornelis Johannes Maria, Nijdam, Wietze, Barsema, Jonathan Nathaniel, Vogelaar, Laura, Wessling, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSON, MONICA ANNE
• Application Number:
  US10/433,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,717 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 264/299
• 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 predetermined micro to nano sized structure, comprising:

providing a mould having a corresponding predetermined micro to nano sized structure at a mould surface;

contacting a casting fluid containing a casting material with said mould surface;

subjecting said casting fluid to a non-solvent based phase separation treatment to induce phase separation therein;

inducing solidification and shrinkage of said casting material by contacting said casting fluid with a non-solvent fluid so as to form a product on the mould surface; and

releasing the resulting product, which is at least partly solidified, from the mould surface with said predetermined micro to nano sized structure after said casting material has at least partly solidified and shrunken.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mould surface with said predetermined micro to nano sized structure is an exposed surface of said mould.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said product is released from the mould for further processing, including further phase separation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mould is brought in contact with said casting fluid in a continuous process.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said non-solvent based phase separation process is selected from the group consisting of a vapor and/or liquid induced phase separation process, a colloidal induced phase separation process, a pressure induced phase separation process, and a reaction induced phase separation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-solvent fluid is contained in an immersion liquid during the phase separation process at a concentration larger than 5%.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-solvent fluid is contained in a vapor during the phase separation process at a concentration less than 25%.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-solvent fluid is dissolved in said casting fluid with a concentration less than 2%.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein,

said casting fluid comprises a lowest boiling solvent and a highest boiling solvent,

said lowest boiling solvent and said highest boiling solvent have a difference in their respective boiling points of at least approximately 50°

C.,

a predominant amount of said lowest boiling solvent is removed and the nonsolvent fluid is miscible with said two solvents, to induce phase separation and solidification of said casting material.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein said continuous process is a process of continuous sheet imprinting or extrusion with a spinneret having said predetermined micro to nano sized structure.