Producing microstructured film, by applying formulation capable to radiation-induced reaction on substrate surface, radiating part of formulation in laterally resolved manner to develop structure carrier with microstructured surface areas

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This patent describes a method for creating microstructured films by applying a radiation-sensitive formulation onto a substrate, then selectively exposing parts of the formulation to radiation. This process results in areas with different wettability, allowing the formation of detailed wet patterns. These are used to build up microstructured films with tailored surface properties, which can be removed from the substrate after hardening.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Fabrication of microstructured surfaces for lab-on-a-chip devices
• Production of microfluidic devices for chemical or biological analysis
• Manufacturing of advanced coatings and films with defined wettability patterns
• Creation of hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterns for sensor applications
• Development of surface templates for directed crystal growth or material deposition

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• High precision and control over microstructure formation
• Ability to create surfaces with distinct wettability zones for specific functions
• Compatible with various film-forming materials, including polymers, ceramics, and metals
• Versatile application methods (wiping, spraying, dipping, etc.)
• Enables scalable production of microstructured films and surfaces

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The method comprises applying a formulation (2) capable to radiation-induced reaction on a surface of a substrate (1), radiating a part of the formulation in a laterally resolved manner, where a structure carrier (4) develops with microstructured surface areas having different wettability, forming a wet pattern (6) on the structure carrier, developing the wet pattern under forming microstructured film using film-forming substance (7), and removing the film from the substrate. The formulation capable to a photochemical reaction is used as formulation capable to radiation-induced reaction. The method comprises applying a formulation (2) capable to radiation-induced reaction on a surface of a substrate (1), radiating a part of the formulation in a laterally resolved manner, where a structure carrier (4) develops with microstructured surface areas having different wettability, forming a wet pattern (6) on the structure carrier, developing the wet pattern under forming microstructured film by using a film-forming substance (7), and removing the microstructured film from the substrate. The formulation capable to a photochemical reaction is used as formulation capable to radiation-induced reaction. The radiated or irradiated portion of the formulation of the surface of the substrate is developed by a wet-chemical process after radiating the part of the formulation. The radiated or irradiated portion of the formulation of the surface of the substrate is removed by a radiation-induced process after radiating the part of the formulation. A part of the formulation capable to the photochemical reaction is illuminated. The structure carrier develops with microstructured surface areas of different wettability after removing illuminated or unilluminated portion of the formulation of the surface of the substrate capable to the photochemical reaction by wet-chemical process or a photo-chemical process. The surface of the substrate is hydrophilic and a hydrophobic formulation capable to radiation-induced reaction is applied on the hydrophilic surface. The formulation is applied, which is naturally hydrophobic and is hydrophilic by illuminating, or the formulation is applied, which is naturally hydrophilic and is hydrophobic by illuminating. A positive photolacquer or a negative photolacquer and a photo-film are introduced as the formulation capable to the photochemical reaction on the substrate. The photolacquer is introduced on the surface of the substrate by wiping, spraying, dipping, roller coating or pressing, and is distributed on the surface of the substrate by rotation the substrate. The substrate is radiated with the formulation capable to radiation-induced reaction by a microstructured mask and then developed, and is illuminated by UV-light. For wetting the structure carrier, partially hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic wetting solution is introduced on the structure carrier, where the wetting solution is an individual liquid, a homogeneous mixture of two or several liquids, a heterogeneous mixture of two or more liquids, a homogeneous mixture of several liquids and solid such as inorganic substance and salts soluble in the liquids, or an individual liquid or a mixture of two or several liquids, which harden after wetting. The wetting of the structure carrier is carried out by wiping, spraying, dipping, pipette coating or vaporizing the wetting solution. For forming the wet pattern, an organic substance such as monomer- or polymer solution and the formulation that contains the inorganic substance such as ceramic, metal or metal compound or precursor for the substance are introduced as film-forming substance on the wetted structure carrier. The film-forming substance is hardened by radical, anionic or cationic or coordinative polymerization, polycondensation, cross-linking, crystallization, recrystallization, or vitrification by cooling or removing solvent of the film-forming substance. The film-forming substance is introduced on the wet structure carrier in a layer thickness, which is larger than a structure height of the wet pattern. The layer thickness of the film-forming substance is selected, so that the layer thickness of the substance is larger than the structure height of the wet pattern during applying the film-forming substance and the microstructured film has a layer thickness, which is smaller than the structure height of the wet pattern, after film-forming substance is hardened. During or after removing the microstructured film from the substrate, an area of wet pattern formed in the substrate is rinsed. An independent claim is included for a microstructured structure carrier.