Method of coating microstructured substrates with polymeric layer(s), allowing preservation of surface feature profile
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsRobert J. Fleming, Joseph M. McGrath, Christopher S. Lyons
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Abstract
A method of making a polymer coating on a microstructured substrate. The method may be performed by vaporizing a liquid monomer or other pre-polymer composition and condensing the vaporized material onto a microstructured substrate, followed by curing. The resulting article may possess a coating that preserves the underlying microstructural feature profile. Such a profile-preserving polymer coating can be used to change or enhance the surface properties of the microstructured substrate while maintaining the function of the structure.
Claims19
A method of making a microstructured coated article, which method comprises the steps of:
- providing a substrate having a microstructured surface;
- condensing a pre-polymer vapor onto the microstructured surface to form a curable precursor coating that is contiguous over a plurality of adjacent microstructures;
- and
- curing the precursor coating disposed on the microstructured surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.