The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2006
Tingbing Cao, Beijing, CN;
Qiaobing Xu, Somerville, MA (US);
Adam Winkleman, Brookline, MA (US);
George M. Whitesides, Newton, MA (US);
Tingbing Cao, Beijing, CN;
Qiaobing Xu, Somerville, MA (US);
Adam Winkleman, Brookline, MA (US);
George M. Whitesides, Newton, MA (US);
President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for generating electrically-conductive and/or semi-conductive films, and more specifically, methods and apparatuses for generating conductive and/or semi-conductive films having nanoscale features are provided. In one embodiment, an electrically-conductive or semi-conductive film (e.g., a gold layer of less than 50 nanometer thickness) is provided on a substrate (e.g., a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamp). The substrate may optionally include patterns or features having raised and recessed portions. A first portion of the film may be removed from the substrate, e.g., by methods such as physically contacting the first portion of the film with a surface to which the first portion preferentially adheres. This process can leave a second portion of the film remaining on the substrate. In some embodiments, the second portion includes at least one region having a dimension substantially parallel to a portion of the substrate i.e., of less than 50 nanometers. The second portion of the film may be used to establish electrical communication with an electrical contact. Advantageously, electrically-conductive and/or semi-conductive films having nanoscale features can be fabricated over large areas (e.g., areas greater than 1 cm) in a single step.