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US 7,007,370 B2Granted
Self-assembled electrical networks
AssigneePresident and Fellows of Harvard College
InventorsDavid H. Gracias, Joe Tien, George M. Whitesides
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Techniques for self assembly of macro-scale objects, optionally defining electrical circuitry, are described, as well as articles formed by self assembly. Components can be joined, during self-assembly by minimization of free energy, capillary attraction, or a combination.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- providing at least a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth component of an electrical circuit, each component initially being in a separated, non-interconnected state;
- and
- assembling the electrical circuit via self-assembly in a non-planar arrangement of the components, at least one of the components having at least two surface contact areas that are not distinguishable from each other by another component, by allowing at least one of the two surface contact areas to fasten and electrically connect to at least one surface contact area of at least one other component in the absence of any external net force applied to any of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth components in the direction of any others of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth components to form a self-supporting, three-dimensional electrical circuit comprising the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth components, wherein at least the first, second, and third components are intersected by a first plane and at least the fourth, fifth, and sixth components are intersected by a second plane that is not coplanar with the first plane, wherein a single plane cannot be arranged in any way so as to contact each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth components, and wherein at least one electrical circuit is formed that traverses at least one portion of each of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth components, the electrical circuit having integrated circuit connectivity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.