Reversible actuation in arrays of nanostructures
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorsJoanna Aizenberg, Thomas Nikita Krupenkin, Oleksandr Sydorenko, Joseph Ashley Taylor
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Abstract
The present invention provides, in one embodiment, an apparatus. The apparatus, without limitation, may include a substrate with a surface, and a polymer layer attached to a region of the surface. The apparatus may further include a plurality of nanostructures, a first end of each nanostructure being in the polymer layer and a second end of each nanostructure protruding through the polymer layer, wherein the nanostructures are configured to move from a first position to a second position in response to a change in thickness of the polymer layer from a first thickness to a second thickness.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate with a surface;
- a polymer layer attached to a region of the surface;
- a plurality of nanostructures, a first end of each nanostructure being in the polymer layer and a second end of each nanostructure protruding from the polymer layer;
- wherein the nanostructures are configured to move in a predetermined direction from a first position to a second position in response to a change in thickness of the polymer layer from a first thickness thereof to a second thickness.
A method for using an apparatus, comprising:
- providing an apparatus, the apparatus including;
- a substrate with a surface;
- a polymer layer attached to a region of the surface;
- and
- a plurality of nanostructures, a first end of each nanostructure being in the polymer layer and a second end of each nano structure protruding through the polymer layer;
- and
- exposing the polymer layer to a stimulus, the stimulus changing a thickness of the polymer layer from a first thickness to a second thickness and thereby moving the nano structures in a predetermined direction from a first position to a second position.
A method for manufacturing an apparatus, comprising:
- providing a substrate with a surface;
- forming a plurality of nanostructures, a first end of each nanostructure being in a polymer layer attached to a region of the surface and a second end of each nanostructure protruding through the polymer layer;
- wherein the nanostructures are configured to move in a predetermined direction from a first position to a second position in response to a change in the thickness of the polymer layer from a first thickness to a second thickness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.