# US 9,433,907 B2 · Apparatus for controlling the movement of a liquid on a nanostructured or microstructure surface

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- Number: US 9,433,907 B2
- Document ID: US9433907B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/370,219
- Filed: 2009-02-12
- Published: 2009-11-05
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2003-03-31
- Assignees: Alcatel Lucent
- Applicants: Avinoam Kornblit; Thomas Nikita Krupenkin; Mary Louise Mandich; Tobias Manuel Schneider; Joseph Ashley Taylor; Shu Yang
- Inventors: Avinoam Kornblit; Thomas Nikita Krupenkin; Mary Louise Mandich; Tobias Manuel Schneider; Joseph Ashley Taylor; Shu Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9433907B2

## CPC

- B01F 25/43161: {composed of consecutive sections of flat pieces of material}
- B01F 33/3031: using electro-hydrodynamic [EHD] or electro-kinetic [EKI] phenomena to mix or move the fluids
- B01J 19/0093: {Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors (laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027)}
- B01L 3/50273: {characterised by the means or forces applied to move the fluids}
- B01L 3/502746: {characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles or throttle valves}
- B01L 3/5088: {confining liquids at a location by surface tension, e.g. virtual wells on plates, wires (B01L3/50857 takes precedence)}
- B81B 1/00: Devices without movable or flexible elements, e.g. microcapillary devices
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- G01N 21/4788: {Diffraction (for sizing particles G01N15/0205)}
- G01N 21/552: Attenuated total reflection
- B01F 25/4317: {Profiled elements, e.g. profiled blades, bars, pillars, columns or chevrons}
- B01F 25/431971: {Mounted on the wall}
- B01J 2219/00783: Laminate assemblies, i.e. the reactor comprising a stack of plates
- B01J 2219/00833: Plastic
- B01J 2219/00853: Employing electrode arrangements
- B01L 2300/089: Virtual walls for guiding liquids
- B01L 2300/0896: Nanoscaled
- B01L 2300/166: Suprahydrophobic; Ultraphobic; Lotus-effect
- B01L 2300/168: Specific optical properties, e.g. reflective coatings
- B01L 2400/0406: capillary forces
- B01L 2400/0415: electrical forces, e.g. electrokinetic
- B01L 2400/0688: surface tension valves, capillary stop, capillary break
- B01L 2400/082: Active control of flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers
- B01L 2400/088: by specific surface properties
- B41J 2002/14395: {Electrowetting}
- B81B 2203/0361: Tips, pillars
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- 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)
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed wherein the movement of a droplet disposed on a nanostructured or microstructured surface is determined by at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern or at least one characteristic of the droplet. In one embodiment, the movement of the droplet is laterally determined by at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern such that the droplet moves in a desired direction along a nanostructured feature pattern. In another embodiment, the movement of the droplet is determined by either at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern or at least one characteristic of the droplet in a way such that the droplet penetrates the feature pattern at a desired area and becomes substantially immobile.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate having a surface with a plurality of nanostructures or microstructures thereon, said plurality of nanostructures or microstructures being able to support a droplet of liquid disposed on tops thereof wherein:
at least a portion of said nanostructures or microstructures has an increased spatial density along a predetermined direction on said surface, such that a leading edge of said droplet that is closer to said increased spatial density has a lower contact angle than a trailing edge of said droplet that is farther away from said increased spatial density, and
said predetermined direction leads to a location on said substrate having a highest spatial density of said nanostructures or microstructures.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein there is a monotonically decreasing distance between adjacent ones of said portion of said nanostructures or microsructures along said predetermined direction.

### Claim 3

An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate having a surface with a plurality of nanostructures or microstructures thereon, said plurality of nanostructures or microstructures being able to support a droplet of liquid disposed on tops thereof wherein:
for at least a portion of said nanostructures or microstructures, each of said nanostructures or microstructures are configured as same asymmetrical saw-tooth shaped posts having a same orientation of said asymmetrical saw-tooth shape along a predetermined direction on said surface, such that a leading edge of said droplet that is closer to a vertical face of said saw-tooth shaped posts has a lower contact angle than a trailing edge of said droplet that is closer to a sloped face of said saw-tooth shaped posts, and
said predetermined direction leads to a location on said substrate having a different portion of said nanostructures or microstructures with a highest spatial density of said nanostructures or microstructures.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein for said portion there is a constant distance between said vertical faces of adjacent ones of said nanostructures or microstructures.

### Claim 5

An apparatus comprising:
a surface having a pattern of features, said surface including:
a pattern of nanoposts or microposts capable of supporting a droplet of liquid over said surface and having an intra-pattern characteristic adapted to produce a controlled motion of said droplet in a predetermined direction along the surface, wherein:
at least a portion of said pattern of nanoposts or microposts is configured to cause a contact angle of a leading edge of said droplet to be lower than a contact angle of a trailing edge of said droplet in said predetermined direction,
either a spatial density of said nanoposts or microposts increases along said predetermined direction, or, said nanoposts or microposts have asymmetric shapes and form a sawtooth pattern along said predetermined direction, and
said predetermined direction leads to a location on said substrate having a different portion of said nanostructures or microstructures with a highest spatial density of said nanostructures or microstructures.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said spatial density of said of nanoposts or microposts increases along said predetermined direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein adjacent ones of said nanoposts or microposts are separated by a monotonically increasing distance along said predetermined direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said nanoposts or microposts have said asymmetric shapes and form said sawtooth pattern along said predetermined direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein vertical faces of adjacent ones of said portion of nanoposts or microposts are separated by a constant distance.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said spatial density of said nanoposts or microposts is higher in one area of said surface.