US 9,956,743 B2 · Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic nanosurfaces

Abstract

Devices, systems and techniques are described for producing and implementing articles and materials having nano-scale and microscale structures that exhibit superhydrophobic, superoleophobic or omniphobic surface properties and other enhanced properties. In one aspect, a surface nanostructure can be formed by adding a silicon-containing buffer layer such as silicon, silicon oxide or silicon nitride layer, followed by metal film deposition and heating to convert the metal film into balled-up, discrete islands to form an etch mask. The buffer layer can be etched using the etch mask to create an array of pillar structures underneath the etch mask, in which the pillar structures have a shape that includes cylinders, negatively tapered rods, or cones and are vertically aligned. In another aspect, a method of fabricating microscale or nanoscale polymer or metal structures on a substrate is made by photolithography and/or nano imprinting lithography.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a material with a pillar array surface, comprising:

depositing a buffer layer of a buffer layer material on a substrate material, wherein the buffer layer material is a silicon-containing material;
adding a film layer over the buffer layer;
annealing the film layer to form balled-up structures that are distributed in an array of balled-up islands over the buffer layer to produce an etch mask;
etching the buffer layer using the etch mask to create an array of pillar structures including the buffer layer material underneath the etch mask, wherein the pillar structures have a shape that includes at least one of a substantially straight cylinder, negatively tapered rod, or cone and are aligned substantially vertically, and wherein the pillar structures include the balled-up structures over the buffer layer material;
and
applying a coating over the array of pillar structures to form an outer hydrophobic layer comprising a hydrophobic material,
wherein the applying the coating comprises dip coating the array of pillar structures into a thin layer of uncured PTFE, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), or poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to form a mushroom-shaped tip.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic nanosurfaces

Life of this patent

Superhydrophobic and superoleophobic nanosurfaces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11