Harvard College

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Xerox Corporation

Kateri E Paul

George M Whitesides

William S Wong

Robert Anthony Street

Michael L Chabinyc

Ming-Hsien Wu

Steven E Ready

John A Rogers

Tricia Lynn Breen

Rebecca Jane Jackman

Olivier J A Schueller

René A Lujan

Methods and systems for effecting responses on surfaces utilizing microlens arrays including microoptical components embedded or supported by a support element and positioned from the surface at a distance essentially equal to the image distance of the microoptical component with spacer elements are disclosed. Microlens arrays can be used to manipulate incident energy or radiation having a distribution in characteristic property(s) defining an object pattern to form a corresponding image pattern on a substrate surface. The energy can be light having a pattern or a specific wavelength, intensity or polarization or coherence alignment. The image pattern can have features of order 100 nm in size or less produced from corresponding object patterns having features in the order millimeters. The size of the object pattern can be reduced by the microlens arrays described by a factor of 100 or more using a single step process to form the image patterns.

Microlens for projection lithography and method of preparation thereof

A method for performing a liftoff operation involves printing a liftoff pattern using low-resolution patterning techniques to form fine feature patterns. The resulting feature size is defined by the spacing between printed patterns rather than the printed pattern size. By controlling the cross-sectional profile of the printed liftoff pattern, mask structures may be formed from the liftoff operation having beneficial etch-mask aperture profiles. For example, a multi-layer printed liftoff pattern can be used to create converging aperture profiles in a patterned layer. The patterned layer can then be used as an etch mask, where the converging aperture profiles result in desirable diverging etched features.

Patterning using wax printing and lift off

A structure and method of using microfluidic channels to form an array of semiconductor devices is described. The microfluidic channels have been found to be particularly useful when formed in a self aligned process and used to interconnect a series of thin film transistor (TFT) devices.

Method of fabrication of electronic devices using microfluidic channels

Electronic device structures including interconnecting microfluidic channels

A contact-mode photolithography phase mask includes a diffracting surface having a plurality of indentations and protrusions. The protrusions are brought into contact with a surface of positive photoresist, and the surface exposed to electromagnetic radiation through the phase mask. The phase shift due to radiation passing through the indentations as opposed to the protrusions is essentially complete. Minima in intensity of electromagnetic radiation are thereby produced at boundaries between the indentations and protrusions. The elastomeric mask conforms well to the surface of photoresist and, following development, features smaller than 100 nm can be obtained. Patterns including curved portions are obtained, as well as curved and/or linear patterns on non-planar surfaces. An elastomeric transparent diffraction grating serves also as a spatial light modulator photothermal detector, strain gauge, and display device. A technique for simplified photolithography is also described. A photoreactive, contoured surface is exposed to electricmagnetic radiation and contours in the surface alters the electromagnetic radiation to promote selective surface photoreaction. The contours can act as lenses, gratings, or the like, such that the photoreactive surface itself can selectively direct uniform radiation to promote selective photoreaction within itself. A photoresist layer having a contoured surface thus can be exposed to uniform radiation, without a mask, followed by development and lift-off to create a photoresist pattern that can be used in any of a variety of ways. The invention provides methods of making contoured, photoreactive surfaces, and contoured photoreactive surfaces themselves.

Transparent elastomeric, contact-mode photolithography mask, sensor, and wavefront engineering element

Growing community of inventors

Everett, MA, United States of America

Kateri E Paul