The United States of America As Represented by the United States

United States of America As Represented by the Administrator of Nasa

Vincent B Cruz

Purnell Hopson, Jr

Ralph M Stephens

Eric F Spina

Catherine B McGinley

Mark Sheplak

Christopher J Wohl, Jr

Frank L Palmieri

A soft lithography template or stamp is made by casting a polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) or other suitable elastomeric precursor onto a master pattern. The master pattern may be formed utilizing known micro-fabrication techniques. The PDMS template includes an inverse copy of the micro-structures on the master pattern, and can be placed into a mold used to prepare a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer composite part or other polymer molding systems where a matrix material passes through a fluid state during the cure process. The liquid resin material flows into the structures on the surface of the PDMS template and hardens during the curing cycle. After the part is released from the mold, the PDMS template can be peeled from the surface of the part to reveal the free standing micro structures which are a replica of the master pattern.

High pressure soft lithography for micro-topographical patterning of molded polymers and composites

A device for measuring turbulence in high-speed flows is provided which includes a micro-sensor thin-film probe. The probe is formed from a single crystal of aluminum oxide having a 14.degree. half-wedge shaped portion. The tip of the half-wedge is rounded and has a thin-film sensor attached along the stagnation line. The bottom surface of the half-wedge is tilted upward to relieve shock induced disturbances created by the curved tip of the half-wedge. The sensor is applied using a microphotolithography technique.

Method of forming micro-sensor thin-film anemometer

Micro-sensor thin-film anemometer

Growing community of inventors

Hayes, VA, United States of America

Vincent B Cruz