3m Innovative Properties Company

Daniel M Lentz

Matthew S Stay

Kui Chen-Ho

Shri Niwas

Kevin W Gotrik

Michael A McCoy

Karl K Stensvad

Scott J Jones

Ann M Gilman

Ying Xia

Jeffrey H Tokie

Ramasubramani Kuduva Raman Thanumoorthy

James Zhu

Moses Mekala David

Matthew H Frey

Mikhail L Pekurovsky

Thomas J Nelson

Ernest L Thurber

Cristin E Moran

Lijun Zu

Roger W Barton

Jonathan J O'Hare

Robert Stephen Davidson

Brian G Koethe

Thomas J Metzler

Ann M Hawkins

Tyler J Rattray

Junting Li

Gregory P Sorenson

Geoffrey I Wilson

Jing Zhang

David J Tarnowski

Catherine P Tarnowski

Joseph W Woody

Larry L Johnson

Thomas Martin Lynch

Gregory S Mueller

Jon T Schwartz

Michael A Mccoy

David A Johnson

Blake R Rustad

Jonathan J O'HARE

A retroreflective article including a binder layer and a plurality of retroreflective elements. Each retroreflective element includes a transparent microsphere partially embedded in the binder layer. At least some of the retroreflective elements include a reflective layer that is embedded between the transparent microsphere and the binder layer. At least some of the embedded reflective layers are localized reflective layers.

Retroreflective article comprising embedded reflective layers

A method of applying a pattern to a nonplanar surface. A stamp has a major surface with pattern elements having a lateral dimension of greater than 0 and less than about 5 microns. The major surface of the stamp has a functionalizing molecule with a functional group selected to chemically bind to the nonplanar surface. The stamp is positioned to initiate rolling contact with the nonplanar surface, and contacts the nonplanar surface to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the functionalizing material thereon and impart the arrangement of pattern elements thereto. The major surface of the stamp is translated with respect to the nonplanar surface such that: a contact pressure is controlled at an interface between the stamping surfaces and the nonplanar surface, and a contact force at the interface is allowed to vary while the stamping surfaces and the nonplanar surface are in contact with each other.

Nonplanar patterned nanostructured surface and printing methods for making thereof

A method of patterning a cylindrical tool, including providing a stamp including a base and a layer of solid state ionic conductor thereon, applying a negative of a predetermined pattern of features on a major surface of the solid state ionic conductor, providing a cylindrical tool having a metallic surface positioned proximate the stamp, and applying an electric field between the metallic surface and a cathode while moving the stamp against the metallic surface in rolling line contact so as to impart the predetermined pattern of features onto the metallic surface, wherein the cathode is either the base or a conductive element positioned adjacent to the base. The positive of the predetermined pattern of features may include a multiplicity of nano-sized features.

Method of making a nanostructured cylindrical roll

A method includes providing an elastomeric stamp including a stamping surface with a first pattern element having a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent and including a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region, the discontinuous region including at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities, and (2) one or more interior voids. A second pattern element of the stamping surface has a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, and includes traces with a width from 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers. The stamping surface is inked with an ink composition including a functionalizing molecule with a functional group selected to bind to a surface of the ink-receptive material. The inked stamping surface is contacted with an ink-receptive material selected from a sheet or a web for a contact time sufficient to bind the functional group with the surface of the ink-receptive material to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the functionalizing material.

Microcontact printing stamps with functional features

Metalized web substrate is wet etched in a reaction vessel by contacting with oxidizing and metal complexing agent to remove metal from unpatterned region. Following etching, substrate is rinsed, and rinse is at least partly recycled. Concentrations of oxidizing and metal complexing agents in the etchant bath are maintained by delivering replenishment feeds of each. Concentration of metal in the etchant bath is maintained by discharging some of the etchant bath. Replenishment rates of oxidizing and metal complexing agents and etchant removal rate are determined based at least in part on rate that metal etched from the substrate enters the etchant bath.

Methods of continuously wet etching a patterned substrate

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Cottage Grove, MN, United States of America

Daniel M Lentz