# US 7,740,933 B2 · Patterned, high surface area substrate with hydrophilic/hydrophobic contrast, and method of use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,740,933 B2 - Document ID: US7740933B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/760,287 - Filed: 2007-06-08 - Published: 2007-10-04 - Granted: 2010-06-22 - Earliest claimed: 2003-04-22 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Ho-Cheol Kim; Robert Dennis Miller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7740933B2 ## CPC - G01N 33/54393: {Improving reaction conditions or stability, e.g. by coating or irradiation of surface, by reduction of non-specific binding, by promotion of specific binding} - B82Y 5/00: Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery - Y10T 428/249953: Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.] - Y10T 428/249961: With gradual property change within a component - Y10T 428/249979: Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Nanoporous structures are constructed that have hydrophilic regions separated by hydrophobic regions. The porous, hydrophilic regions have reaction sites suitable for use in a bioassay application and have a higher density of reaction sites than that of a non-porous (2-D) surface. The structure may be made by depositing a layer of a matrix material (e.g., an organosilicate) and a porogen, and then crosslinking the matrix material to form a nanohybrid composite structure. The porogen is decomposed to form pores within the matrix material, and a reactive gas phase species (e.g., ozone) is patternwise directed onto a surface of the matrix material. Ultraviolet light (directed through a mask) activates the gas phase species to form a reactive species that then reacts with the matrix material to make it hydrophilic. The porogen may be decomposed thermally or by exposing it to an oxidizing atmosphere in the presence of ultraviolet light. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A structure formed from material that has been patterned into regions of varying hydrophilicity, the regions corresponding to a preselected pattern and having a characteristic dimension of between 2 microns and 1000 microns, the regions including discrete hydrophilic regions of organosilicate material separated from each other by hydrophobic regions of organosilicate material, wherein the structure includes pores having a diameter of between 2 nm and 50 nm, and wherein the structure has a volumetric porosity of at least 30%. ### Claim 2 A structure formed from material that has been patterned into regions of varying hydrophilicity, wherein the regions correspond to a preselected pattern, the structure includes pores having a diameter of between 2 nm and 75 nm, and the structure has a volumetric porosity of at least 5%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The structure of claim 2, wherein the regions of varying hydrophilicity include discrete hydrophilic regions separated from each other by hydrophobic regions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the structure is less than 10 microns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the structure is between 0.5 and 10 microns. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 2 microns and 1000 microns. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the structure has a volumetric porosity of at least 30%. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 4 microns and 500 microns. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 4 microns and 75 microns. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 2 microns and 50 microns. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, wherein the thickness of the structure is at least one micron. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The structure of claim 3, further comprising a substrate on which the structure is formed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The structure of claim 2, comprising porous, hydrophilic regions of organosilicate material separated from non-porous, hydrophobic regions of organosilicate material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The structure of claim 2, comprising porous, hydrophilic regions of organosilicate material separated from porous, hydrophobic regions of organosilicate material. ### Claim 15 A structure formed from material that has been patterned into regions of varying hydrophilicity, wherein the regions correspond to a preselected pattern, the structure includes pores having a diameter of between 2 nm and 50 nm, and the structure has a volumetric porosity of at least 5%. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The structure of claim 15, wherein the regions of varying hydrophilicity include discrete hydrophilic regions of organosilicate material separated from each other by hydrophobic regions of organosilicate material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, wherein the thickness of the structure is between 0.5 and 10 microns. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 2 microns and 1000 microns. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, wherein the structure has a volumetric porosity of at least 30%. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, wherein the regions have a characteristic dimension between 2 microns and 50 microns. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, wherein the thickness of the structure is at least one micron. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The structure of claim 16, further comprising a substrate on which the structure is formed. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The structure of claim 15, comprising porous, hydrophilic regions separated from non-porous, hydrophobic regions. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The structure of claim 15, comprising porous, hydrophilic regions separated from porous, hydrophobic regions.