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US 7,888,129 B2Granted
Surface-enhanced spectroscopic method, flexible structured substrate, and method of making the same
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsJohn C. Hulteen, Lisa A. Dick, Haiyan Zhang, William L. Stebbings
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Abstract
A method of obtaining a surface-enhanced optical property of an analyte using a flexible structured substrate having a metal layer conformably disposed on nanostructure, a flexible structured substrate, and a method of making the same.
Claims17
A structured substrate comprising:
- (a) a monolithic polymeric film comprising:
- a base having first and second opposed major surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the first major surface is at least partially defined by:
- a patterned microstructure outwardly extending from the base;
- and
- nanostructure having an average height of at least 100 and less than 200 nanometers, wherein the nanostructure is at least partially encompassed within, or overlaps, the patterned microstructure,
- wherein the nanostructure consists of discrete nanofeatures at an areal density of at least about 1×108 nanofeatures/cm2 and wherein the projected area of the nanostructure onto the base of the film is at least 50% more than the corresponding surface area of the base;
- and
- (b) a metal layer conformably disposed on at least a portion of the nanostructure, wherein the structured substrate is flexible.
5 more elements
A method of manufacturing a structured substrate comprising:
- providing a tool having a continuous surface with a first patterned microstructure thereon with the continuous surface of the tool also having thereon a first nanostructure comprised of discrete nodules wherein at least 80 percent of the nodules have a maximum width in a range of from 100 nanometers to 1 micrometer, and wherein the first nanostructure is essentially free of platelet structures;
- continuously forming a monolithic polymeric film comprising a base having first and second opposed major surfaces, wherein at least a portion of the first major surface comprises a second microstructure having a first height and outwardly extending from the base, wherein the second microstructure is substantially complementary to the first microstructure;
- and
- the formed monolithic polymeric film further comprising second nanostructure having an average height of at least 100 and less than 200 nanometers, and wherein the second nanostructure is at least partially encompassed within, or overlaps, the microstructure;
- and
- conformably disposing a metal layer on at least a portion of the nanostructure, wherein the structured substrate is flexible.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.