Abstract: A system featuring a textured surface having elements, such as a plurality of microfeatures and/or microstructures, that increase the surface area as compared to a surface without the elements, wherein a non-volatile solvent is disposed in at least a portion of the elements of the textured surface. The non-volatile solvent may be used for retaining biomolecules, such as but not limited to biomolecules that may benefit from an environment that protects conformational structure, for example proteins.

Abstract: An activated textured surface comprising a plurality of energetic moieties adapted to bind biomolecules on microfeatures and/or microstructures of the activated textured surface. The microfeatures and/or microstructures provide an increase in surface area. The activated textured surface may comprise microstructures without microfeatures, or in some cases, microstructures are disposed in and/or between at least a portion of the microfeatures. The activated textured surface may be a part of a microarray substrate. Activation of the surface molecules of the microfeatures and/or microstructures using electromagnetic radiation or plasma may be used to create the energetic moieties on the activated textured surface.

Abstract: A high surface area valve-metal capacitor electrode is formed on a moving substrate in vacuum by a continuous multilayer vapor-phase deposition process under conditions of substrate temperature and speed that produce continuously growing, uninterrupted dendritic structures. The process is carried out in an atmosphere of inert gas, preferably including He or Ar, with or without an impurity gas such as oxygen. The substrate may be a valve-metal foil or wire, a metal screen, a polymer film, an organic or inorganic fiber, or a composite material. The direction of motion of the moving substrate may be reversed during the deposition process in order to increase the porosity of the dendrites. The electrode may be passivated using an oxygen-containing plasma before exposure to air. The process may also be carried out under conditions that produce boundary-layer turbulence in order to promote the continuously growth of uninterrupted dendritic structures.

Abstract: Functionalized multilayer structures are manufactured by a process whereby a substrate material is treated with a reactive-gas plasma to form an activated layer on the surface thereof, and then by depositing a liquid functional monomer on the activated layer to form a self-assembled functional layer. Any excess liquid monomer must be allowed to re-evaporate in order to obtain optimal functionality on the surface of the resulting structure. The deposition of the liquid layer is preferably carried out with high kinetic energy to ensure complete penetration of the monomer throughout the body of the substrate. For particular applications, prior to formation of the reactive layer the substrate may be coated with a high glass-transition temperature polymer or a metallic layer.

Abstract: Polymer-based optically-variable devices (OVDs) for security applications and methods for producing the same. The uniformity of thickness of the structure of such devices is optimized by controlling previously neglected process parameters such as the temperature distribution of the deposition nozzle, the substrate and the deposition drum, their emissivities, the micro-roughness of the substrate, and the rate of monomer re-evaporation. Re-evaporation is minimized by initiating radiation-curing within two seconds of monomer deposition. A method includes equipment reducing all sources of emissivity non-homogeneities, such as surface blemishes in the surface areas exposed to the substrate to preferentially fabricate substrates with haziness less than 5% and gloss greater than 90%. Controlling, a maximum variation of thickness of the transmissive layer of an OVD ensures that no appreciable color-shift variation is visible to the naked eye.

Abstract: A multilayer dielectric structure is formed by vacuum depositing two-dimensional matrices of nanoparticles embedded in polymer dielectric layers that are thicker than the effective diameter of the nanoparticles, so as to produce a void-free, structured, three-dimensional lattice of nanoparticles in a polymeric dielectric material. As a result of the continuous, repeated, and controlled deposition process, each two-dimensional matrix of nanoparticles consists of a layer of uniformly distributed particles embedded in polymer and separated from adjacent matrix layers by continuous polymer dielectric layers, thus forming a precise three-dimensional nanoparticle matrix defined by the size and density of the nanoparticles in each matrix layer and by the thickness of the polymer layers between them. The resulting structured nanodielectric exhibits very high values of dielectric constant as well as high dielectric strength.

Abstract: A polymer-based optically-variable device for security applications has a high degree of color uniformity over the device area. The uniformity of thickness of the structure used in such devices is optimized by controlling previously neglected process parameters such as the temperature distribution of the deposition nozzle, the substrate and the deposition drum, their emissivities, the micro-roughness of the substrate, and the rate of monomer re-evaporation. Re-evaporation is minimized by initiating radiation-curing within two seconds of monomer deposition. The equipment is carefully monitored to eliminate all sources of emissivity non-homogeneities, such as surface blemishes in the surface areas exposed to the substrate. Substrates with haziness less than 5% and gloss greater than 90% are preferred. As a result, a maximum thickness variation of less than 5% over the transmissive layer of the optically variable device is found to ensure that no appreciable color-shift variation is visible to the naked eye.

Abstract: Functionalized multilayer structures are manufactured by a process whereby a substrate material is treated with a reactive-gas plasma to form an activated layer on the surface thereof, and then by depositing a liquid functional monomer on the activated layer to form a self-assembled functional layer. Any excess liquid monomer must be allowed to re-evaporate in order to obtain optimal functionality on the surface of the resulting structure. The deposition of the liquid layer is preferably carried out with high kinetic energy to ensure complete penetration of the monomer throughout the body of the substrate. For particular applications, prior to formation of the reactive layer the substrate may be coated with a high glass-transition temperature polymer or a metallic layer.

Abstract: A multilayer dielectric structure is formed by vacuum depositing two-dimensional matrices of nanoparticles embedded in polymer dielectric layers that are thicker than the effective diameter of the nanoparticles, so as to produce a void-free, structured, three-dimensional lattice of nanoparticles in a polymeric dielectric material. As a result of the continuous, repeated, and controlled deposition process, each two-dimensional matrix of nanoparticles consists of a layer of uniformly distributed particles embedded in polymer and separated from adjacent matrix layers by continuous polymer dielectric layers, thus forming a precise three-dimensional nanoparticle matrix defined by the size and density of the nanoparticles in each matrix layer and by the thickness of the polymer layers between them. The resulting structured nanodielectric exhibits very high values of dielectric constant as well as high dielectric strength.

Abstract: A multilayer radiant-barrier structure is formed on one or both sides of a substrate that can be attached to an insulating layer to produce a reflective insulating material. The metallized layer is protected from environmental degradation without interfering with flammability properties that are critical for radiant and reflective insulation materials used in housing applications. The metal layer is modified to insulate enclosures without blocking cellular communications and the protective functional layer in modified to minimize emissivity, create a hydrophobic and/or oleophobic surface, and/or prevent mold, fungi and bacteria growth. Solutions are provided to solve occupational-hazard problems associated with the use of these materials in enclosures that include power wires.

Abstract: A coated, low-emissivity aluminum film is manufactured entirely in vacuum by depositing an aluminum layer over a substrate and then immediately coating the metal layer with a very thin protective polymeric layer. The thickness of this coating is selected to minimize absorption in the 3-15 micron wavelength. In vacuum, the metal layer is coated substantially in the absence of moisture, thereby preventing the formation of hydrated oxides that promote corrosion. The aluminum layer is preferably also passivated by in-line exposure to a plasma gas containing an oxygen-bearing component. A leveling polymeric layer may also be deposited between relatively rough substrates and the aluminum layer in order to improve the reflectivity of the resulting structures.

Abstract: This invention has application in a variety of biological and biochemical fields. The invention describes a thin sheet or sheets of flexible material with surface characteristics that provide an environment for retaining biological molecules. The flexible nature of the thin sheet of material permits the use of continuous preparation, processing and analysis techniques involving more compact and less complex equipment. The invention also describes a lamination of a thin sheet of flexible material to a substantially rigid second substrate so that the combination can be processed by existing equipment. The thin sheet of flexible material may be perforated prior to lamination in order to establish distinct wells in the surface of the lamination.

Abstract: This invention describes the advantages of forming integrated biochips including microarrays comprised of tiled assemblies. For a given biochip of this invention, the tiles may have similar or dissimilar properties. Novel, high-speed manufacturing processes are described to assemble such biochips. A preferred embodiment is the use of micro-machined feeders for placing the tiles in the assembly process.