Chemical arrays with oriented rows

A method of fabricating an array of multiple features of different chemical moieties on a substrate surface, comprising:

• (a) receiving the substrate from a remote location;
• (a) receiving from a remote location in association with the substrate, an identification of a first direction across the substrate surface along which the substrate surface has a higher height uniformity than along a second direction across the substrate;
• (b) placing the chemical moieties on the substrate so as to provide features thereon along rows more closely aligned with the first direction than the second direction.

A method of fabricating an array of multiple features of different chemical moieties on a drawn substrate, comprising:

• (a) determining an identity of a drawn direction of the substrate;
• (b) placing the chemical moieties on the substrate so as to provide features thereon along linear rows oriented adjacent the drawn direction.

A method of reading an array of multiple features of different chemical moieties on a substrate surface, the array having rows of features, comprising:

• (a) determining an identity of a first direction across the substrate surface along which the substrate thickness has a higher height uniformity than along a second direction across the substrate;
• and
• (b) repeatedly scanning an illuminating beam across features in parallel paths which are more closely aligned with the first direction than the second direction.

A method of reading an array of multiple features of different chemical moieties arranged on a surface of a drawn rectangular substrate in linear rows extending parallel to a direction in which the substrate was drawn, comprising:

• (a) determining an identity of a drawn direction of the substrate;
• (b) scanning an illuminating beam sequentially along multiple rows of the array and parallel to the drawn direction.