Multilevel structured surfaces

• US 7,535,692 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Joseph Ashley, Krupenkin, Thomas Nikita
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Application Number:
  US11/390,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20070237025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 361/233, 361/225
• US Class Current: 361/225
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0809 rectangular shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/089 Virtual walls for guiding liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/166 Suprahydrophobic; Ultraphobic; Lotus-effect
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/0427 Electrowetting
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2400/082 Active control of flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502746 characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles B01L3/502738 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502792 for moving individual droplets on a plate, e.g. by locally altering surface tension

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a substrate having a surface with electrically connected and electrically isolated fluid-support-structures thereon. Each of the fluid-support-structures have at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less. The electrically connected fluid-support-structures are taller than the electrically isolated fluid-support-structures.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a surface with electrically connected and electrically isolated fluid-support structures thereon, wherein

each of said fluid-support-structures have at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less,

said electrically connected fluid-support-structures are taller than said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures, and

a difference between a height of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures and a height of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures is sufficient to prevent a fluid locatable on said electrically connected fluid-support-structures from contacting said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a height of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures is sufficient to prevent a fluid locatable on said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures from contacting a base layer of said substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a height of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures is at least about 5 microns greater than a height said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures, said height of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures is at least about 2 microns, and a lateral separation between adjacent ones of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures is less than about 3 microns.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a lateral separation between adjacent ones of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures ranges from about 1 to about 20 microns.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a density of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures within at least one region of said surface is greater than a density of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures in said region.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said density of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures ranges from about 2 to about 10 times greater than said density of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures are interspersed between said electrically connected fluid-support-structures.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said fluid-support-structures comprises a post and said one dimension is a lateral thickness of said post.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said fluid-support-structures comprises a cell and said at least one dimension is a lateral thickness of a wall of said cell.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrical source that is electrically coupled to said electrically connected fluid-support-structures, said electrical source configured to apply a voltage between said electrically connected fluid-support-structures and a fluid locatable on said surface.

11. A method comprising,

reversibly moving a fluid locatable on a substrate surface, comprising:

placing said fluid on said substrate surface, said surface comprising electrically connected and electrically isolated fluid-support-structures thereon, wherein

each of said fluid-support-structures have at least one dimension of about 1millimeter or less,

said electrically connected fluid-support-structures are taller than said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures, and

said fluid lies on tops of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures;

applying a voltage between said fluid and said electrically connected fluid-support-structures thereby causing said fluid to lie on tops of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures; and

removing said voltage thereby causing said fluid to lie on said tops of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a temperature of said surface remains substantially constant during said moving.

13. A method, comprising:

forming a plurality of electrically isolated fluid-support-structures on a surface of a substrate; and

forming a plurality of electrically connected fluid-support-structures on said surface, wherein

each of said fluid-support-structures have at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less,

said electrically connected fluid-support-structures are taller than said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures, and

a difference between a height of said electrically connected fluid-support-structures and a height of said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures is sufficient to prevent a fluid locatable on said electrically connected fluid-support-structures from contacting said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein forming said plurality of electrically isolated fluid-support-structures comprises depositing an electrically insulating layer over said surface and patterning said electrically insulating layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said patterning comprises removing portions of said electrically insulating layer that do not define said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein forming said plurality of electrically connected fluid-support-structures comprises forming an electrically conductive layer over said surface and patterning said electrically conductive layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said electrically conductive layer is formed over said electrically isolated fluid-support-structures.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said patterning comprises removing portions of said electrically conductive layer that do not define said electrically conductive fluid-support-structures.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming an electrically insulating coating over said electrically connected fluid-support-structures.