Methods for replication, replicated articles, and replication tools
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsHaiyan Zhang, Gerald M. Benson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of replicating a structured surface that includes providing a tool having a structured surface having a surface morphology of a crystallized vapor deposited material; and replicating the structured surface of the tool to form a replicated article. A replicated article includes at least one replicated surface, wherein the replicated surface includes a replica of a crystallized vapor deposited material. A replication tool includes: a tool body that includes a tooling surface; and a structured surface on the tooling surface, wherein the structured surface includes crystallized vapor deposited material or a replica of crystallized vapor deposited material.
Claims19
A method of replicating a structured surface comprising the steps of:
- providing a tool comprising a structured surface characterized by a plurality of pyramidal shaped structures exhibiting a continuous distribution of sizes ranging from less than 50 nm to greater than 1 micron;
- and
- replicating the structured surface of the tool into a material to form an article having a surface that replicates the structured surface of the tool, the replicated surface having enhanced hydrophilic properties relative to a surface of an article formed by replicating the same material from an otherwise similar tool having no surface structure.
A method of replicating a structured surface comprising the steps of:
- providing a tool comprising a structured surface characterized by a plurality of pyramidal shaped structures exhibiting a continuous distribution of sizes ranging from less than 50 nm to greater than 1 micron;
- and
- replicating the structured surface of the tool into a material to form an article having a surface that replicates the structured surface of the tool, the replicated surface having enhanced hydrophobic properties relative to a surface of an article formed by replicating the same material from an otherwise similar tool having no surface structure.
A method of increasing the hydrophobicity of a surface, the method comprising:
- providing a tool comprising a structured surface characterized by a plurality of pyramidal shaped structures exhibiting a continuous distribution of sizes ranging from less than 50 nm to greater than 1 micron;
- providing an article having a hydrophobic surface;
- replicating the structured surface of the tool in the hydrophobic surface to form a replicated article;
- and
- separating the tool and the replicated article, wherein the hydrophobicity of the hydrophobic surface of the replicated article is increased.
A method of increasing the hydrophilicity of a surface, the method comprising:
- providing a tool comprising a structured surface characterized by a plurality of pyramidal shaped structures exhibiting a continuous distribution of sizes ranging from less than 50 nm to greater than 1 micron;
- providing an article having a hydrophilic surface;
- replicating the structured surface of the tool in the hydrophobic surface to form a replicated article;
- and separating the tool and the replicated article, wherein the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic surface of the replicated article is increased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.