Functional high-performance fiber structure
AssigneeFree Form Fibers, LLC
InventorsJoseph Pegna, Ram K. Goduguchinta, Kirk L. Williams, John L. Schneiter, Shay L. Harrison, Erik G. Vaaler
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Abstract
A method is provided for growing a fiber structure, where the method includes: obtaining a substrate, growing an array of pedestal fibers on the substrate, growing fibers on the pedestal fibers, and depositing a coating surrounding each of the fibers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating a fiber structure includes obtaining a substrate and growing a plurality of fibers on the substrate according to 1½D printing. In another aspect, a multilayer functional fiber is provided produced by, for instance, the above-noted methods.
Claims15
A method for fabricating a fiber structure, the method comprising:
- obtaining a supporting substrate;
- growing a pedestal material on the supporting substrate, the growing of the pedestal material defining an array of pedestal fibers extending outward from the supporting substrate, the pedestal fibers of the array of pedestal fibers defined by the pedestal material being insulative structures;
- and
- growing, according to 1½-D printing, a plurality of standing fibers on the array of pedestal fibers, wherein the plurality of standing fibers extend outward from the array of pedestal fibers, the pedestal material defining the array of pedestal fibers insulating the plurality of standing fibers from the supporting substrate, and the standing fibers being a different material from the pedestal material extending outward from the supporting substrate.
A method of growing a fiber structure, the method comprising:
- obtaining a supporting substrate;
- growing a pedestal material on the supporting substrate, the growing of the pedestal material defining an array of pedestal fibers extending outward from the supporting substrate, the pedestal fibers of the array of pedestal fibers defined by the pedestal material being insulative structures;
- growing standing fibers on the pedestal fibers, wherein the standing fibers comprise a different material from the pedestal material defining the pedestal fibers, and wherein the standing fibers and the pedestal fibers all have substantially the same diameter, and wherein the array of pedestal fibers insulate the standing fibers from the supporting substrate;
- and
- depositing a coating surrounding each of the standing fibers on the pedestal fibers,
- wherein growing the standing fibers on the pedestal fibers comprises growing, using 1 2- D printing, a set of first fibers on the pedestal fibers and growing a set of second fibers on the set of first fibers, wherein the first fibers comprise a different material than the second fibers, and wherein the second fibers are longer than the first fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.