Photothermal trap
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsKripa K. Varanasi, Susmita Dash, Jolet De Ruiter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Articles, systems, and methods in which electromagnetic energy is converted to heat (e.g., for the purpose of inducing or inhibiting phase change of a material disposed over a surface) are generally described.
Claims19
A photothermal trap, comprising:
- a thermal spreader;
- and
- an absorber over the thermal spreader, the absorber configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation;
- wherein:
- the photothermal trap is configured such that at least a portion of the electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the absorber is converted to heat that is transferred to the thermal spreader, and
- the photothermal trap has a thermal response time constant of less than or equal to 800 seconds.
A photothermal trap, comprising:
- a first region having a thermal conductivity in a lateral direction of at least 50 W m−1 K−1 at 25° C.;
- and
- a second region, over the first region, the second region having an absorptivity of at least 50% with respect to at least one wavelength of electromagnetic radiation within a band of wavelengths from 200 nm to 1 μm;
- wherein the photothermal trap has a thermal response time constant of less than or equal to 800 seconds.
A method of inducing or inhibiting a phase change of a material disposed over a photothermal trap comprising a thermal spreader, an absorber over the thermal spreader that is configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation, a thickness, and a lateral dimension perpendicular to the thickness, the method comprising:
- exposing the photothermal trap to electromagnetic radiation such that the electromagnetic radiation is absorbed by a first area of the photothermal trap that is part of the absorber and converted to heat that is transported along the lateral dimension of the photothermal trap via the thermal spreader to a second area of the photothermal trap resulting in the inducing or inhibiting of the phase change of the material over the second area of the photothermal trap,
- wherein the photothermal trap has a thermal response time constant of less than or equal to 800 seconds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.