Polymer microfilters and methods of manufacturing the same
AssigneeCreatv MicroTech, Inc.
InventorsOlga V. Makarova, Cha-Mei Tang, Platte T Amstutz
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Abstract
A microfilter comprising a polymer layer formed from epoxy-based photo-definable dry film, and a plurality of apertures each extending through the polymer layer. A method of forming a microfilter is also disclosed. The method includes providing a first layer of epoxy-based photo-definable dry film disposed on a substrate, exposing the first layer to energy through a mask to form a pattern, defined by the mask, in the first layer of dry film, forming, from the exposed first layer of dry film, a polymer layer having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough, the plurality of apertures having a distribution defined by the pattern, and removing the polymer layer from the substrate.
Claims20
A microfilter comprising:
- a single polymer layer formed from an epoxy-based negative photo-definable dry film, wherein the single polymer layer has a flexibility to be disposed on a roll and unrolled;
- and
- a plurality of apertures formed by exposing the single polymer layer to a UV light via an optical mask to obtain a selected shape of said apertures based on said mask, each of said apertures extending through the single polymer layer having said flexibility,
- said single polymer layer having said flexibility forming a freestanding unattached microfilter structure with uniform thickness and having said flexibility.
A microfilter system comprising:
- a first freestanding unattached microfilter consisting of a first single polymer layer formed from a first epoxy-based negative photo-definable dry film having a plurality of first apertures formed by exposing the first single polymer layer to a UV light via an optical mask to obtain a selected shape of the first apertures based on said optical mask, each of the first apertures extending through the first single polymer layer, wherein the first single polymer layer has a flexibility to be disposed on a roll and unrolled;
- and
- a second freestanding unattached microfilter consisting of a second single polymer layer formed from a second epoxy-based negative photo-definable dry film and having a plurality of second apertures formed by exposing the second single polymer layer to a UV light via an optical mask to obtain a selected shape of the second apertures based on said optical mask, each of the second apertures extending through the second flexible polymer layer, wherein the second single polymer layer has said flexibility,
- at least one of the first apertures and at least one of the second apertures define at least a portion of a non-linear passage extending through the first freestanding unattached microfilter and the second freestanding unattached microfilter, wherein the first freestanding unattached microfilter and the second freestanding unattached microfilter have said flexibility.
A structure consisting of:
- a single polymer layer formed from an epoxy-based negative photo-definable dry film, wherein the single polymer layer has a flexibility to be disposed on a roll and unrolled;
- and
- a plurality of apertures formed by exposing the single polymer layer to a UV light via an optical mask to obtain a selected shape of the plurality of apertures based on said optical mask, each of the apertures extending through the single polymer layer having said flexibility,
- said single flexible polymer layer having said flexibility forming a freestanding unattached microfilter with uniform thickness and having said flexibility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.