Electrolytic surface modulation
AssigneeUniversity Patents, Inc.
InventorsJohn C. Angus, Kathleen M. Tomaswick, Uziel Landau
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The surface of an electrically conductive substrate is electrolytically modulated to a predetermined profile by subjecting the surface to electrodeposition or electrodissolution through ionically conductive body portions of an ionic conductance resist which masks the surface. The rate of passage of ionic species to or from any given point along the masked surface is controlled by the trans-resist ionic conductance or resistance at that point. The predetermined surface profile is generated by providing the resist with a trans-resist ionic conductance or resistance profile which patterns the predetermined surface profile.
Claims10
A method of electrolytically modulating the surface of an electrically conductive substrate to a predetermined profile, comprising the steps of:
- (a) masking said surface with an ionic conductance resist having ionically conductive body portions and exhibiting a trans-resist ionic conductance or resistance profile which patterns said predetermined surface profile;
- (b) subjecting the masked surface to electrolytic treatment with an ionic solution so as to effect modulation of said surface by passage of ionic species to or from said surface, at least a substantial proportion of said passage occurring through said body portions of said resist, the rate of said surface modulating ionic species passage at any given point along the masked portion of said surface being controlled by the transresist ionic conductance or resistance at that point, said electrolytic treatment being carried out for a period of time sufficient to thereby generate said predetermined surface profile;
- and
- (c) removing said resist to thereby expose the resulting modulated surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.