3M Innovative Properties Company

Other

The State University of New York

Przemyslaw Pawel Markowicz

William Ward Merrill

Douglas Scott Dunn

Robert J DeVoe

Mark A Roehrig

Brian J Gates

Craig R Sykora

Robert T Krasa

Dean Faklis

Neeraj Sharma

Tri Dinh Pham

Robert L W Smithson

Timothy J Reddy

Daniel J Skamser

Zhaohui Yang

Daniel J Schmidt

Ryan Patrick Simmers

Brian D Goers

Badri Veeraraghavan

Paras Nath Prasad

Stanley Rendon

Robert J Devoe

Kenneth A P Meyer

David A Rosen

Johannes Fink

Tilo Remhof

Andreas M Geldmacher

Steven Hin-Chung Kong

Serena L Schleusner

Jean-Luc Rifaut

Yang Liu

Wing Cheung Law

Andrei Kabashin

Sergiy Patskovsky

An optical construction includes a lens film having outermost first and second major surfaces. The first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. A multilayer mask having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 times an average focal length of the microlenses and an optical density of greater than about 2 is disposed on the second major surface. The multilayer mask includes polymeric first and second mask layers where each of the first and second mask layers has an optical density of greater than about 0.3. The multilayer mask defines a plurality of laser-ablated through openings therein that are aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence. An optical transmittance of the optical construction as a function of the incident angle has a transmitted peak having a peak transmittance T1 and a corresponding full width at 20 percent of maximum W1, where T1/W1≥2.4%/degree.

Optical construction including lens film and multilayer mask

Various embodiments of an optical construction and an electronic device that includes such optical construction are disclosed. The optical construction includes a lens film having an outermost structured first major surface and an opposing outermost substantially planar second major surface. The structured first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. The optical construction also includes a mask disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the lens film and includes a plurality of laser-ablated openings disposed through the mask. The openings are aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence. The mask further includes a UV-cured polymer material and an optically absorptive material.

Optical construction including lens film and mask

An optical system includes a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses arranged along orthogonal first and second directions, and at least one optically opaque mask layer spaced apart from the lens layer and defining a plurality of through openings therein arranged along the first and second directions. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the microlenses and the openings, such that for each microlens, the microlens and corresponding openings are substantially centered on a straight line making a same oblique angle with the lens layer. An optical layer can include the lens layer and the optically opaque mask layer embedded in the optical layer.

Optical layer and optical system

Metal bond abrasive articles and methods of making metal bond abrasive articles via a focused beam are disclosed. In an aspect, a metal bond abrasive article includes a metallic binder material having abrasive particles retained therein, where the abrasive particles have at least one coating disposed thereon. The coating includes a metal, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metalloid, or combinations thereof, and the at least one coating has an average thickness of 0.5 micrometers or greater. The metal bond abrasive article includes a number of layers directly bonded to each other. Metal bond abrasive articles prepared by the method can include abrasive articles having arcuate or tortuous cooling channels, abrasive segments, abrasive wheels, and rotary dental tools. Further, methods are provided, including receiving, by a manufacturing device having one or more processors, a digital object comprising data specifying a metal bond abrasive article; and generating, with the manufacturing device by an additive manufacturing process, the metal bond abrasive article based on the digital object. A system is also provided, including a display that displays a 3D model of a metal bond abrasive article; and one or more processors that, in response to the 3D model selected by a user, cause a 3D printer to create a physical object of the metal bond abrasive article.

Metal bond abrasive articles and methods of making metal bond abrasive articles

The present disclosure provides engineered surfaces that exhibit reduced specular reflection and gloss while still providing a high intensity of reflected light at multiple incident angles. The structured metal surfaces include engineered topography that increases diffuse reflection, leading to a greater intensity of light perceived at multiple viewing angles. A viewer engaging such surfaces is likely to perceive a stronger 'white' reflection of the incident light and an improvement, particularly in orthodontic and other oral applications, of aesthetic appearance. Methods of creating the engineered surfaces and orthodontic articles incorporating the engineered surfaces are also disclosed.

Methods for managing the scattering of incident light and articles created therefrom

The present application provides articles () having a polymeric substrate () with a plurality of solid and/or hollow microneedles () extending therefrom. Each solid microneedle is formed by a molding process and the microneedle has body with first () and second cavities () extending therein. The hollow microneedles are formed by removing a portion of the polymeric material disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity. A method for determining the location of a microneedle in an article comprising solid microneedles is also provided. The method comprises directing electromagnetic radiation toward an article comprising a plurality of microneedles and imaging the article.

Article with hollow microneedles and method of making

A reflective film includes a first optical stack that provides a first reflective characteristic and a second optical stack that provides a second reflective characteristic. The optical stacks also have first and second absorptive characteristics that are suitable to absorptively heat the respective stacks upon exposure to light including a write wavelength while maintaining the structural integrity of the stacks. The absorptive heating can change the first and second reflective characteristics to third and fourth reflective characteristics, respectively. A blocking layer that at least partially blocks light of the write wavelength may also be provided between the optical stacks to permit absorptive heating of any selected one of the optical stacks. The reflective characteristics of the optical stacks can thus be independently modified in any desired patterns by appropriate delivery of light beams that include the write wavelength.

Multilayer optical films suitable for bi-level internal patterning

A tool for making retroreflective articles comprises (a) a substrate comprising a patterned surface comprising an array of microstructured retroreflective elements and (b) a welding seam through at least a portion of the array. An optically degraded area adjacent the welding seam on the patterned surface has a width of about 400 &#x3bc;m or less.

Tools for making retroreflective articles

Multi-layer articles are described that are capable of forming color images. The articles may contain at least two layers, a thermally activatable layer and a blocking layer, or at least three layers with two thermally activatable layers and a blocking layer between. The thermally activatable layers absorb light of a write wavelength and have an absorption threshold for activation. The blocking layer blocks light of the write wavelength at certain incident angles or polarization states and permits light of the write wavelength and certain incident angles or polarization states to pass through. The thermally activatable layers may be layers with a light to heat convertor composition and a color changing compound or they may be a group of layers arranged to change its reflective characteristic upon exposure to light while maintaining the structural integrity of the group of layers.

Multi-layer articles capable of forming color images and method of forming color images

Multi-layer articles are described that are capable of forming color images. The articles include at least six layers, four thermally activatable layers (layers 1-4) and two blocking layers (layer 5 and 6). The layers are arranged such that layer 5 is disposed between layers 1 and 2 and layer 6 is disposed between layers 3 and 4. Thermally activatable layers 1 and 2 are activatable upon exposure to light of a first write wavelength, and blocking layer 5 is adapted to at least partially block light of the first write wavelength. Thermally activatable layers 3 and 4 are activatable upon exposure to light of a second write wavelength, and blocking layer 6 is adapted to at least partially block light of the second write wavelength. At least one, and possibly all of the thermally activatable layers include a light to heat convertor composition and a color changing compound. Some of the thermally activatable layers may be a group of layers arranged to selectively reflect light by constructive or destructive interference to provide a first reflective characteristic, the group of layers also having a first absorption characteristic suitable to, upon exposure to light comprising a write wavelength, absorptively heat the first group of layers by an amount sufficient to change the first reflective characteristic to a second reflective characteristic while maintaining the structural integrity of the group of layers.

Multi-layer articles capable of forming color images and methods of forming color images

An exposure system includes a light source emitting a beam along an optical axis that is capable of inducing a multi-photon reaction in a resin. The exposure system further includes a resin undergoing multiphoton reaction, as well as an automated system including a monitor that measures at least one property of the beam selected from power, pulse length, shape, divergence, or position in a plane normal to the optical axis. The monitor generates at least one signal indicative of the property of the beam, and a sub-system adjusts the beam in response to the signal from the monitor.

Multi-photon exposure system

A method includes scanning a radiation beam with respect to a multi-photon curable photoreactive composition. The radiation beam includes a power sufficient to at least partially cure a volume of the multiphoton curable photoreactive composition. The method further includes modifying a characteristic of the radiation beam as the radiation beam is scanned.

Method for making structures with improved edge definition

A method is provided for detection of analytes using the Surface Plasmon Resonance effect. The method comprises providing a metal film on a transparent substrate. The free surface of the metal film is exposed to a test sample. An anlyte in the sample can interact directly with the metal film or via analyte binding molecules (ABMs) complexed to the film. Light is directed incident to the surface of film in contact with the substrate. Light is reflected from the surface of the film under SPR conditions. The reflected light is collected and the second and/or third harmonics of the resulting electrical signal, which are indicative of the phase and polarization state of the reflected light, are determined. The second and third harmonics are correlated to the presence and/or concentration of the analyte.

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Przemyslaw Pawel Markowicz