Dry adhesives and methods for making dry adhesives
AssigneeCarnegie Mellon University
InventorsMetin Sitti, Seok Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dry adhesive and a method of forming a dry adhesive. The method includes forming an opening through an etch layer and to a barrier layer, expanding the opening in the etch layer at the barrier layer, filling the opening with a material, removing the barrier layer from the material in the opening, and removing the etch layer from the material in the opening.
Claims19
A method of forming a dry adhesive fiber in a structure including an etch layer and a barrier layer, wherein the etch layer and the barrier layer are adjacent to each other and are made from different materials, wherein the etch layer includes a surface of the etch layer opposite the barrier layer, comprising:
- forming an opening through the etch layer and to the barrier layer;
- expanding the opening in the etch layer at the barrier layer;
- removing material from the surface of the etch layer to form a rounded recess in the surface of the etch layer, wherein the opening in the etch layer extends between the rounded recess in the surface of the etch layer and the barrier layer;
- filling the opening with a material;
- removing the barrier layer from the material in the opening;
- and
- removing the etch layer from the material.
(canceled)
A method of forming a dry adhesive fiber array in a structure including an etch layer and a barrier layer, wherein the etch layer and the barrier layer are adjacent to each other and are made from different materials, wherein the etch layer includes a surface of the etch layer opposite the barrier layer, comprising:
- forming a plurality of openings through the etch layer and to the barrier layer;
- expanding the openings in the etch layer at the barrier layer;
- removing material from the surface of the etch layer to form rounded recesses in the surface of the etch layer, wherein the openings in the etch layer extend between the rounded recesses in the surface of the etch layer and the barrier layer;
- filling the openings with a material;
- forming a backing layer over the openings and on a surface of the etch layer opposite the barrier layer, wherein the material in a plurality of the openings is connected via the backing layer.
- removing the barrier layer from the material in the openings;
- and
- removing the etch layer from the material in the opening and from the backing layer.
A dry adhesive fiber, comprising:
- a tip having a flat surface;
- a layer of fluorocarbon on the flat surface of the tip;
- a base, wherein the base has a curved surface extending outward from the stem to an edge of the base;
- a stem connecting the tip and the base, wherein the stem has a surface;
- and
- a hydrophobic and low surface energy layer on the surface of the stem.
(canceled)
A dry adhesive fiber array, comprising:
- a plurality of fibers, each including:
- a tip having a flat surface;
- a layer of fluorocarbon on the flat surface of the tip;
- a base, wherein the base has a curved surface extending outward from the stem to an edge of the base;
- a stem connecting the tip and the base, wherein the stem has a surface;
- and
- a hydrophobic and low surface energy layer on the surface of the stem;
- a backing layer connected to the bases of the plurality of fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.