Organic Substrate Patents (Class 427/536)
  • Patent number: 6603121
    Abstract: An apparatus for treating paper web materials with a plasma, said apparatus comprising a dark space generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is not greater than a surface area of said counter electrode. A power supply is included for driving either said treatment electrode or said counter electrode with an oscillating high voltage at a frequency less than about 2 MHz and greater than 1/tc where tc is the charging time of a web surface exposed to a rms ion current in the plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Christine J. Landry-Coltrain, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Dennis R. Freeman
  • Patent number: 6596346
    Abstract: A method for fabricating silicone elastomer stamps with hydrophilic surfaces is provided. The concept of polymer grafting is used to produce the stamps. The stamps thus produced have the great advantage that grafting of a thin hydrophilic polymer on a hydrophobic PDMS surface can render PDMS stamps permanently hydrophilic. With such stamps it becomes possible to print aqueous or highly polar inks reproducibly over days and weeks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andre Bernard, Emmanuel Delamarche, Christian Donzel, Jöns G. Hilborn, Bruno Michel, Richard Stutz, Heiko Wolf
  • Publication number: 20030124265
    Abstract: A method of transferring a transfer element of a donor sheet to a receptor includes forming an organic layer on a receptor substrate and forming a transfer element on a donor sheet, where the exposed surface of the transfer element is organic. Either the surface of the organic layer or the exposed surface of the transfer element (or both) is roughened using a plasma treatment. The transfer element of the donor sheet is then selectively thermally transferred to the surface of the organic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2001
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Erika Bellmann, Padiyath Raghunath, John P. Baetzold
  • Patent number: 6576300
    Abstract: Low dielectric constant films with improved elastic modulus. The method of making such coatings involves providing a porous network coating produced from a resin containing at least 2 Si—H groups where the coating has been thermally cured and has a dielectric constant in the range of from about 1.1 to about 3.5, and plasma treating the coating to convert the coating into porous silica. Plasma treatment of the network coating yields a coating with improved modulus, but with a higher dielectric constant. The coating is plasma treated for between about 15 and 120 seconds at a temperature less than or about 350° C. The plasma treated coating can optionally be annealed. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) of the plasma treated coating reduces the dielectric constant of the coating while maintaining an improved elastic modulus as compared to the initial porous coating. The annealing temperature is preferably in excess of or about 350° C., and the annealing time is preferably at least or about 120 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignees: Dow Corning Corporation, Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan Louis Berry, III, Kyuha Chung, Qingyuan Han, Youfan Liu, Eric Scott Moyer, Michael John Spaulding
  • Patent number: 6576313
    Abstract: A bonded laminate structure which is obtainable by bonding a PBN layer (or PBT layer) to a thermoplastic resin layer without the use of an adhesive material. The bonded laminate structure comprises: a first layer comprising at least one of polybutylene naphthalate (PBN) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) as an essential component and having a surface subjected to an electric discharge treatment such as a plasma treatment; and a second layer comprising an amine-rich resin as an essential component and bonded to the surface of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2003
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Iio, Kazutaka Katayama, Hiroaki Ito
  • Patent number: 6572934
    Abstract: In manufacturing a magnetic recording disk, a magnetic film for a recording layer is deposited on a substrate of the magnetic recording disk in a magnetic-film deposition chamber, and the substrate is transferred from the magnetic-film deposition chamber to a lubricant-layer preparation chamber without exposing the substrate to the atmosphere. Then, a lubricant layer is prepared on the substrate in the lubricant-layer preparation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2003
    Assignees: Anelva Corporation, Nihon Micro Coating Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Watanabe, Nobuyoshi Watanabe, Kazunori Tani, Shinji Furukawa, Hiromi Sasaki, Osamu Watabe
  • Patent number: 6565930
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating paper webs for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of nonphotosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the paper support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Christine J. Landry-Coltrain, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Dennis R. Freeman
  • Patent number: 6565936
    Abstract: A film laminate is disclosed and comprises a biaxially oriented polyester film and another film laminated onto the polyester film, where the polyester film comprises a base layer at least 80% by weight of which is composed of a thermoplastic polyester, at least one cover layer and a metallic or ceramic layer located on the cover layer, where the cover layer is composed of a polymer or of a copolymer or of a mixture of polymers which comprises at least 40% by weight of ethylene 2,6-naphthalate units, up to 40% by weight of ethylene terephthalate units and, if desired, up to 60% by weight of units of other aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic diols and/or carboxylic acids, with the proviso that the Tg2 value of the polyester film is greater than the Tg2 value of the base layer but smaller than the Tg2 value of the cover layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Polyester Film GmbH
    Inventors: Herbert Peiffer, Richard Lee Davis
  • Patent number: 6558755
    Abstract: Low dielectric constant films with improved elastic modulus. The method of making such coatings involves providing a porous network coating produced from a resin containing at least 2 Si—H groups and plasma curing the coating to convert the coating into porous silica. Plasma curing of the network coating yields a coating with improved modulus, but with a higher dielectric constant. The costing is plasma cured for between about 15 and about 120 seconds at a temperature less than or about 350° C. The plasma cured coating can optionally be annealed. Rapid thermal processing (RTP) of the plasma cured coating reduces the dielectric constant of the coating while maintaining an improved elastic modulus as compared to the plasma cured porous network coating. The annealing temperature is typically loss than or about 475° C., and the annealing time is typically no more than or about 180 seconds. The annealed, plasma cured coating has a dielectric constant in the range of from about 1.1 to about 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2003
    Assignees: Dow Corning Corporation, Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ivan L. Berry, III, Todd Bridgewater, Wei Chen, Qingyuan Han, Eric S. Moyer, Michael J. Spaulding, Carlo Waldfried
  • Patent number: 6555240
    Abstract: A film laminate for printing comprises a polyolefin film in which at least one side is surface-modified and an anchor layer formed on the surface-modified side of the polyolefin film and containing an oxazoline group-modified resin. The film laminate is prepared by subjecting at least one side of a longitudinally oriented polyolefin film to a corona discharge treatment, forming an ethylene-acrylic acid type copolymer layer on the corona discharge-treated side of the film, laterally orienting the film, and then forming an anchor layer comprising a binder resin, and an oxazoline group-modified resin, on the modified surface of the surface-modified polyolefin film subjected to the corona discharge treatment. The film laminate for printing is excellent in its transparency and it is also excellent in the adhesion to a coated layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Oji Paper Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiharu Nishikori, Koichi Katayama, Yuichi Ogawa, Noboru Sakaushi
  • Patent number: 6548121
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of strongly adherent coatings on an inorganic or organic substrate that comprises, in a first step a) subjecting the inorganic or organic substrate to the action of a low-temperature plasma discharge, a corona discharge, high-energy UV radiation or electron radiation, then discontinuing the radiation or discharge; in a further step b) under vacuum or at normal pressure, applying one or more photoinitiators containing at least one ethylenically unsaturated group to the inorganic or organic substrate, and allowing reaction with the free-radical sites formed there; and c1) coating the substrate so precoated with photoinitiator with a composition comprising at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer or oligomer, and curing the coating by means of UV/VIS radiation or c2) depositing a metal, semi-metal oxide or metal oxide from the gaseous phase, in the presence of UV light, on the substrate so precoated with photoinitiator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Bauer, Manfred Köhler, Martin Kunz, Ljubomir Misev
  • Patent number: 6540866
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the lamination of fluoropolymers to the surfaces of metals, and especially to copper, gold, and platinum, and to printed circuit board (PCB) substrate at temperatures substantially below the sintering temperatures or melting temperatures of the fluoropolymers. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for surface modification of fluoropolymers by thermal graft copolymerization with concurrent lamination of metals in the presence of a functional monomer and an adhesive such as an epoxy resin. The process can be carried out under atmospheric conditions and in the complete absence of an added polymerization initiator. The laminated fluoropolymer-metal or fluoropolymer-PCB substrate interfaces exhibit T-peel strengths of no less than 8 N/cm. This invention can also be applied to substantially improve the adhesion between PCB substrates and metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignees: Institute of Microelectronics, National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Junfeng Zhang, Cheng Qiang Cui, Thiam Beng Lim, En-Tang Kang
  • Patent number: 6541397
    Abstract: A method is provided for processing a substrate including removing amorphous carbon material disposed on a low k dielectric material with minimal or reduced defect formation and minimal dielectric constant change of the low k dielectric material. In one aspect, the invention provides a method for processing a substrate including depositing at least one dielectric layer on a substrate surface, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon, oxygen, and carbon and has a dielectric constant of about 3 or less, forming amorphous carbon material on the at least one dielectric layer, and removing the one or more amorphous carbon layers by exposing the one or more amorphous carbon layers to a plasma of a hydrogen-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Dennis Bencher
  • Patent number: 6537411
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for the lamination of metals, and especially copper, to the surface of polyimides and derivatives of polyimides at temperatures substantially below the curing temperature of the imide polymers. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for surface modification of polyimides and derivatives of polyimides by thermal graft copolymerization and interfacial polymerization with concurrent lamination of the metal of interest in the presence of an appropriate functional monomer. The process can be carried out under atmospheric conditions and either in the presence or the complete absence of an added polymerization initiator. The so laminated polyimide-metal interfaces exhibit T-peel adhesion strengths in excess of 16 N/cm. The adhesion strength also exceeds the fracture strength of polyimide films with a thickness of 75 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignees: The National University of Singapore, Institute of Microelectronics
    Inventors: En-Tang Kang, Arthur Khoon Siah Ang, Koon Gee Neoh, Cheng Qiang Cui, Thiam Beng Lim
  • Patent number: 6534182
    Abstract: A tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (ETFE) film, wherein polar groups are present on the surface of the film after a surface treatment, and the surface roughness Ra is at most the surface roughness Ra of the surface of an untreated film; an ETFE film, wherein polar groups are present on the surface of the film after a surface treatment, and the amount of a weak boundary layer is at most one time of the amount of a weak boundary layer on the surface of an untreated film; a laminate employing such a film having an extremely excellent bonding strength; and a process for producing it with a mass production property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Oki, Atsushi Hayashi, Makoto Fukawa, Hiroshi Aruga, Yasuo Hayashi, Shigeaki Yonemori, Yukio Jitsugiri
  • Patent number: 6534132
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing a printing ink decorated packaging material. The packaging material heat sealable outer coatings. One or both sides of the packaging material are subjected to corona discharge surface treatment to increase the surface tension. Printing is applied to the treated surface. The packaging material then passes the nip between heated rollers in order to reduce the surface energy of the outer plastic layers. Subsequently, a surface treatment of hydrogen peroxide is applied to the packaging material to sterilize the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2003
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Rolf Lasson, Christer Karlsson, Kaj Johansson, Zoltan Pusztai
  • Patent number: 6528226
    Abstract: A process for preparing an imaging member includes applying an organic layer to an imaging member substrate, treating the organic layer and/or a backside of the substrate with a corona discharge effluent, and applying an overcoating layer to the organic layer and/or an anticurl backing layer to the backside of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. U. Yu, Satchidanand Mishra, Philip G. Perry, Robert W. Nolley, Gene W. O'Dell, Merlin E. Scharfe, John M. Magde, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6528129
    Abstract: By carrying out a plasma discharge treatment for a support in which an image receiving layer comprising a void structure is formed, the void structure of the surface layer is subjected to hydrophilic treatment to enhance the water absorption capability of a recording media in the thickness direction (in the depth direction) and to enhance image receiving capability. Further, by making a portion more adjacent to the surface hydrophobic, an image disorder after receiving ink droplets is minimized. Still further, by continually carrying out an image receiving layer forming plasma treatment, it is possible to more efficiently produce an ink jet recording medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Kondo
  • Patent number: 6514573
    Abstract: A method for reducing crazing in a plastics material characterised in that it comprises the steps of: (1) cleaning the surface of the material; and (2) exposing the cleaned surface to plasma of a monomer vapour so as to produce a substantially non-oxidising plasma polymer coating on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
    Inventors: Jonathan Howard Hodgkin, Hans Jorg Griesser, Thomas Reinhold Gengenbach
  • Patent number: 6506457
    Abstract: The present methods provide an amorphous, conformal, protective, abrasion-resistant, lubricious fluoropolymer coating on to a polymer substrate via a gas plasma deposition method. The coating method, according to one embodiment of the method, involves generating a gas plasma by introducing a mixture of a fluorinated gas monomer and a hydrocarbon gas into an energetic ion field, such as an ion beam or the field produced by a radio-frequency source. The fluorinated gas monomer is selected from the group consisting of CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, CF.sub.3.sub.2CO, CH.sub.2 CF.sub.2 and mixtures of the foregoing. The hydrocarbon gas is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.4, C.sub.2 H.sub.6, and H.sub.2 and mixtures of the foregoing. The polymer substrate is exposed to the foregoing gas plasma for sufficient time to achieve the desired coating thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry L. Hum
  • Publication number: 20030008224
    Abstract: A method of producing an organic LED display panel, which includes: a step of preparing a donor film by forming a transfer film on a base film comprising at least a foundation film and a light-to-heat conversion layer and a step of combining the donor film with a substrate and irradiating the donor film with one of a light beam and a heat radiation beam to pattern-transfer the transfer film from the donor film onto the substrate, wherein surfaces of the base film and the substrate which are to be brought into contact with the transfer film are hydrophilic or hydrophobic, and have water contact angles &thgr;1 and &thgr;2, respectively, which satisfy the following expression (I):
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Publication date: January 9, 2003
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Fujita, Kimitaka Ohhata
  • Patent number: 6503989
    Abstract: A monolayer polyolefin-based printable article includes 0.1 to 5% by weight of at least one polyaminoalkylene, and is characterized in that it has been treated by means of an oxidative surface treatment, such as a corona treatment. A process for the manufacture of a polyolefin-based printable article, according to which at least one surface region of the article, including at least one polyolefin and from 0.1 to 5% by weight of at least one polyaminoalkylene, involves subjecting the region to an oxidative surface treatment. A printing process, according to which a polyolefin-based article, including from 0.1 to 5% by weight of at least one polyaminoalkylene and treated by means of an oxidative surface treatment, utilizes an electrophotography technique to print on the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Solvay (Societe Anonyme)
    Inventor: Zdenek Hruska
  • Patent number: 6503818
    Abstract: A method for forming a composite dielectric layer comprising a low dielectric constant dielectric layer upon a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is provided a patterned microelectronics layer upon a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is then formed upon the microelectronics substrate a low dielectric constant dielectric layer. There is then treated the low dielectric constant dielectric layer with a plasma, forming a plasma treated low dielectric constant dielectric layer. There is then formed upon the plasma treated low dielectric constant dielectric layer a silicon containing dielectric layer with enhanced adhesion thereupon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Syun-Ming Jang
  • Publication number: 20020192385
    Abstract: Polymeric substrate are coated by a process comprising pretreating the polymeric substrate by at least one physical method selected from the group consisting of corona discharge, flaming, glow discharge, irradiation with electromagnetic waves, and a plasma pretreatment, then coating the pretreated polymeric substrate with a composition comprising a fluoroalkyl-containing silicon compound. The resulting coated is very thin, highly hydrophobic and oleophobic. The coatings prepared by the process of the present invention are stable in boiling water and are resistant to abrasion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: DEGUSSA AG
    Inventors: Peter Jenkner, Eckhard Just, Markus Oles, Bernhard Schleich, Peter Hommes
  • Patent number: 6482477
    Abstract: A method for chemical vapor deposition comprises providing a quantity of nitrogen at the interface between a transition metal-based material and an underlying dielectric-covered substrate. The nitrogen can be provided by heating the substrate in an atmosphere of a nitrogen-containing process gas or by exposing the surface of the dielectric-covered substrate to a plasma generated from a nitrogen-containing process gas. In certain embodiments, the nitrogen on the surface of the dielectric is bound with atoms of a transition metal to form a thin layer of a transition metal nitride. The method promotes the adhesion of the transition metal-based layer to the dielectric by nullifying the effect of halogen atoms that are also incorporated at the transition metal/dielectric interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Richard C. Westhoff, Steven P. Caliendo, Joseph T. Hillman
  • Patent number: 6475581
    Abstract: A coated substrate and methods of making and using coated substrates, wherein the coated substrate comprises a coating consisting essentially of a layered mineral, a thermoplastic polymeric substrate having pendant groups receptive to said layered mineral, and wherein said pendant groups are coordinated metal groups, or are groups which can be bonded to coordinating cations or anions, or pendant groups directly receptive said layered mineral. The coated substrate is less permeable to gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Steven Raymond Lustig, Eric M. Smith
  • Patent number: 6472080
    Abstract: Provided is a thin copper film directly bonded polyimide film in which a thin copper film is directly and strongly connected to a polyimide film. This thin copper film directly bonded polyimide film includes a polyimide film modified by bonding an organic silane compound having a cyano group represented by formula —Si(R—CN)n (wherein R represents alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and n represents a positive number from 1 to 3) to a carbon atom on the surface of the polyimide film, and a thin copper film directly bonded to the modified surface of the polyimide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: President of Shizuoka University
    Inventors: Norihiro Inagaki, Shigeru Tasaka
  • Patent number: 6465107
    Abstract: A silicone-containing resin, film and film on a subweb are described. The resin and film are formed from (i) polyolefin, (ii) dimethyl polysiloxane having functional end-groups, (iii) vinyl silane compound, and (iv) ultra-high molecular weight silicone polymer optionally using (v) an organo-peroxide agent and (vi) an organo-metallic moisture curing agent. Resins consisting essentially of (a) functionalized polyolefins; (b) dimethyl polysiloxanes having functional end-groups to react with said functionalized polyolefins; (c) ultra-high molecular weight silicone and optional organo-metallic moisture curing agent and films or multilayer structures made therefrom are also described. The film is suitable for use in release films and in liquid-absorbing products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Assignee: DuPont Canada Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Yates Kelly
  • Publication number: 20020142105
    Abstract: The present methods provide an amorphous, conformal, protective, abrasion-resistant, lubricious fluoropolymer coating on to a polymer substrate via a gas plasma deposition method. The coating method, according to one embodiment of the method, involves generating a gas plasma by introducing a mixture of a fluorinated gas monomer and a hydrocarbon gas into an energetic ion field, such as an ion beam or the field produced by a radio-frequency source. The fluorinated gas monomer is selected from the group consisting of CF.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.4, C.sub.2 F.sub.6, CF.sub.3.sub.2CO, CH.sub.2 CF.sub.2 and mixtures of the foregoing. The hydrocarbon gas is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 H.sub.2, C.sub.2 H.sub.4, C.sub.2 H.sub.6, and H.sub.2 and mixtures of the foregoing. The polymer substrate is exposed to the foregoing gas plasma for sufficient time to achieve the desired coating thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Applicant: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
    Inventor: Larry L. Hum
  • Patent number: 6444750
    Abstract: An improved PVOH-based coating solution for application to a polymeric substrate. The coating solution includes poly(vinyl alcohol), a formaldehyde-containing crosslinking agent and a crosslinking-promoting acid catalyst which lowers the pH of the solution to about 3.5 or less and, preferably, to about 3 or less. The coating solution exhibits improved viscosity stability, particularly with the addition of a second acid catalyst. The coating solution also provides improved crosslinking and oxygen barrier characteristics upon drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Oil Corp.
    Inventor: Robert E. Touhsaent
  • Patent number: 6444256
    Abstract: Nanometer-size wires having a cross-sectional dimension of less than 8 nm with controllable lengths and diameters are produced by infiltrating latent nuclear or ion tracks formed in trackable materials with atomic species. The trackable materials and atomic species are essentially insoluble in each other, thus the wires are formed by thermally driven, self-assembly of the atomic species during annealing, or re-crystallization, of the damage in the latent tracks. Unlike conventional ion track lithography, the inventive method does not require etching of the latent tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Ronald G. Musket, Thomas E. Felter
  • Patent number: 6444254
    Abstract: Functionalized polymer surfaces having reactive moieties thereon are contacted with stamps having ligands adsorbed thereto, the ligands also comprising reactive moieties. The reactive moieties of the functionalized surfaces and the ligands form covalent bonds, thus providing a method of microstamping polymer surfaces directly with ligands such as biological ligands. Using this method, devices such as tissue culture plates with polymer surfaces that are microstamped directly with ligands can be made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Ashutosh Chilkoti, Zhongping Yang
  • Publication number: 20020102415
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optically clear, hydrophilic coating upon the surface of a silicone medical device by sequentially subjecting the surface of the lens to plasma polymerization in a hydrocarbon-containing atmosphere and then covalently attaching a preformed hydrophilic polymer to the surface of the carbon coating. The invention is especially useful for forming a biocompatible coating on a silicone contact lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: PAUL L. VALINT, DANIEL M. AMMON, JOSEPH A. MCGEE, GEORGE L. GROBE, RICHARD M. OZARK
  • Patent number: 6419995
    Abstract: Described is a process for the homogeneous surface activation of a material in web form, by means of plasma-treatment. The material in web form is selected from metallic materials in web form having a thickness of less than 100 &mgr;m, polymeric materials in web form and combinations thereof. The process involves treating homogeneously at least a portion of the surface of the material in web form, which is moved over at least one pair of rolls, with an atmospheric plasma, optionally in the presence of a process gas and/or a process aerosol. The atmospheric plasma is generated by an indirect plasmatron.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Wolff Walsrode AG
    Inventors: Christian Kuckertz, Sven Jacobsen, Rainer Brandt, Klaus Landes, Ralf Hartmann
  • Patent number: 6416821
    Abstract: The coating process according to the invention consists in bringing at least one surface of the substrate made of organic glass into contact with an aqueous treatment solution comprising at least one surface-active agent prior to the deposition of the coating on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Essilor International Compagnie General D'Optique
    Inventor: Pierre Caron
  • Patent number: 6413333
    Abstract: Readily castable high density polyethylene (HDPE) films, preferably containing broad molecular weight distribution HDPE resin having treated upper skin layers and untreated lower skin layers, preferably coextruded, on each side, wherein a particulate cross-linked hydrocarbyl-substituted polysiloxane is present in the untreated lower skin layer to reduce coefficient of friction and enhance machinability. The treated upper skin layer is derived from a polymer, e.g., ethylene-propylene-butene-1 terpolymer, and the lower skin layer is derived from a polymer such as ethylene-propylene-butene-1 terpolymer and LDPE compounded with silicone oil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Oil Corporation
    Inventors: Michael John Bader, Jeffrey James O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6403167
    Abstract: A method for surface modification of 3-dimensional bulk polymers is provided to improve surface properties and surface conductivity of 3-dimensional bulk polymers by using plasma source ion implantation technique. The plasma source ion implantation technique is to modify the surface by implanting ions into the surface of the 3-dimensional samples uniformly. When negative high voltage pulse is applied to a metallic grid around the bulk polymer samples, ions are extracted from the plasma; most of ions passing the grid and collide with the surface of the bulk polymer samples in high energy. Therefore, through the method for applying high voltage pulse to the grid around samples, ions are implanted into the surface of the 3-dimensional bulk polymer samples uniformly, and thereby the ions implanted in high energy modify the bulk polymer surface to improve the electrical conductivity effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Science & Technology
    Inventors: Yeon Hee Lee, Seung Hee Han
  • Patent number: 6399159
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are taught for treating polyolefin containing or polyolefin-coated webs or laminates for obtaining the proper surface characteristics to promote adhesion of photosensitive coating materials and/or layers typically coated thereon. The web is passed through a high-voltage sheath region or dark space of the plasma generated by a powered electrode residing in a discharge zone. The frequency of the driving voltage must be above a lower bound dictated by the properties of the paper support and the plasma, and it must be below an upper bound beyond which the sheath voltages drop significantly and it is observed that the benefits of this approach diminish. The dark space is generated by a treatment electrode in a treatment zone. There is a counter electrode having a surface area in said treatment zone which is at least as great as the surface area of the treatment electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Grace, Louis J. Gerenser, Kurt D. Sieber, Michael J. Heinsler, Hengzhong K. Zhuang, Dennis R. Freeman, Mark M. Romach
  • Patent number: 6395147
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the improvement of metal bonding strength in polypropylene films through the addition of ethylene in a mini-random ethylene-propylene copolymer in an amount of no more than about 1 weight percent, more preferably no more than about 0.7 weight percent, and most preferably between about 0.3 weight percent and about 0.5 weight percent, or even amounts between about 0.05 weight percent and about 0.2 weight percent. The invention allows the improvement of metal bond strength in metallizable films. The invention encompasses both the resulting films with enhanced metal bond strength and the process for producing such films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Fina Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: William R. Wheat, Aiko Hanyu
  • Patent number: 6395348
    Abstract: Pressure sensitive adhesive tapes are manufactured by continuously extruding polypropylene to form a web which is cooled and set and slit at transversely spaced positions into a plurality of side by side continuous tapes. After slitting each tape is drawn longitudinally and heat set to effect monoaxial orientation of the tape. A release coating to the first tape surface and a coating of a pressure sensitive adhesive to the second tape surface. Each continuous tape with the release coating and the adhesive coating thereon is wound into a series of cylindrical tape spools each containing a length of the tape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: KT Holdings Inc.
    Inventor: Lawrence O'Connor
  • Publication number: 20020058105
    Abstract: A system for applying a fluid coating onto a substrate includes forming a fluid wetting line by introducing a stream of fluid onto a first side of the substrate along a laterally disposed fluid-substrate contact area. An electrical force is created on the fluid from an electrical field (originating from electrical charges which are on the second side of the substrate) that is substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line. The electrical field can be generated by charges that have been transferred to the second side of the substrate from a remote charge generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2000
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: John W Louks, Nancy J W Hiebert, Luther E Erickson, Peter T Benson
  • Patent number: 6387379
    Abstract: A method for modifying the surface of a material adapted for contact with tissue of a human or non-human animal to impart biofunctional, bioactive or biomimetic properties to the surface comprising: (a) exposing the surface to a solution comprising (1) an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture thereof capable, via the ethylenic unsaturation, of gamma irradiation or electron beam induced polymerization, and (2) at least one biofunctional agent; and (b) irradiating the surface with gamma or electron beam irradiation in the presence of the solution to thereby form on the surface a graft polymerized coating, the coating having physically entrapped therein or chemically bonded thereto molecules of the at least one biofunctional agent which imparts biofunctional or biomimetic properties to the surface; wherein the gamma or electron beam irradiation induced polymerization is conducted under one of the following conditions: A. (i) monomer concentration in the solution in the range of from about 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: University of Florida
    Inventors: Eugene P. Goldberg, Ali Yahiaoui, Khalid Mentak, Theresa Rivero Erickson, James Seeger
  • Patent number: 6383573
    Abstract: A process is provided for producing coated synthetic bodies during which, before the coating, the surface to be coated is subjected to a pretreatment in an excited gas atmosphere. The surface is then coated. The gas atmosphere is predominantly formed of a noble gas and nitrogen and/or hydrogen, and the ionic energy in the gas atmosphere and in the are of the surface to be coated is not more than 50 eV. The ionic energy is selected to be not more than 20 eV, preferable not more than 10 eV. The gas atmosphere is excited by means of a plasma discharge or by means of UV radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Unaxis Balzers Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Eugen Beck, Jürgen Ramm, Heinrich Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 6379741
    Abstract: The surface of a high molecular weight polymer such as high molecular weight polyethylene is modified in a localized manner by treatment with a plasma gas. The treatment produces a variety of useful results, depending on the gas used and the treatment conditions. One such result is crosslinking of the polymer in a localized manner at the surface to improve the durability of the surface against detrimental processes such as reorientation and alignment of the crystalline lamellae parallel to the contact surface which renders the surface susceptible to disintegration into particles. Another result is the chemical transformation of the surface for purposes such as increasing the hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of the surface or coupling functional groups to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Kyriakos Komvopoulos, Catherine M. Klapperich, Lisa A. Pruitt, Stephen L. Kaplan
  • Patent number: 6368677
    Abstract: A method for providing a waterborne, inorganic barrier coating to a polyolefin substrate is described. The method involves applying a primer composition containing a vinyl polymer, wherein at least 75% of the polymer repeat units contain side groups having hydroxyl moieties, to the substrate. This primer coating facilitates the application and binding of the subsequently applied barrier coating composition to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Hoechst Trespaphan GmbH
    Inventors: Michael A. Hubbard, James A. McCaulley, Douglas R. Holcomb
  • Patent number: 6365235
    Abstract: A surface treatment method wherein one or more active particle streams are generated and aimed at a surface to be treated so that the particle stream interacts therewith. The active particle stream consists of activated particles forming chemically active sites on the surface, and modifying particles occupying said sites. The energy of the activated particles is greater than the energy at break of the inhibited surface bonds of the surface, and lower than the radiative flaw formation energy on the surface. The strength of the particle stream at the treated surface is greater than a quantity N/t where N is the surface density of the inhibited bonds to be broken and t is the duration of exposure of any point on the treated surface to the stream. A device for carrying out the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: TePla AG
    Inventors: Pavel Koulik, Evgenia Zorina
  • Patent number: 6361819
    Abstract: Coatings are provided in which biopolymers may be covalently linked to a substrate. Such biopolymers include those that impart thromboresistance and/or biocompatibility to the substrate, which may be a medical device. Coatings disclosed herein include those that permit coating of a medical device in a single layer, including coatings that permit applying the single layer without a primer. Suitable biopolymers include heparin complexes, and linkage may be provided by a silane having isocyanate functionality. Plasma deposition and solvent swelling techniques are described as preferred methods of depositing a derivatized silane or a silane-heparin coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Medtronic AVE, Inc.
    Inventors: Eugene Tedeschi, Chirag B. Shah, Laurel L. Wolfgang
  • Publication number: 20020034630
    Abstract: An ophthalmic lens consisting of an organic glass substrate, a hard scratchproof coating, a primary shockproof coating layer, and an anti-reflective coating, wherein the surface of said substrate is covered with said scratchproof coating and the primary shockproof coating layer is inserted between said scratchproof coating and the anti-reflective coating. A method for making said lens is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Cano, Yves Leclaire, Anne Robert
  • Patent number: RE37698
    Abstract: A method of contacting a substrate having a surface containing hydroxyl groups with a non-aqueous solution containing a material having a chrolosilyl group; washing if desired; coating the substrate with a non-aqueous solvent containing a compound having a fluorocarbon group and a chlorosilane group or a solvent containing a compound containing a fluorocarbon group and an alkoxysilane; and baking the substrate if necessary in order to form a fluorocarbon-based polymer coating film chemically bonded to the substrate surface. The hydroxyl groups on the substrate surface and chlorosilyl groups are reacted to form a thin film having a large number of silanol groups (—SiOH) capable of connecting the polymer coating film to the substrate to form a heat-, weather-, and wear-resistant film on various surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
    Inventors: Kazufumi Ogawa, Mamoru Soga
  • Patent number: RE38087
    Abstract: The fuel hose of this invention is a fuel hose comprising a tubular fluororesin inner ply and, as laminated onto the peripheral surface thereof, a thermoplastic resin or rubber outer ply, the tubular fluororesin inner ply having been molded from a fluororesin with an F/C ratio, i.e. ratio of the number of fluorine atoms (F) to the number of carbon atoms (C), of not greater than 1.6 and the peripheral surface layer of the fluororesin inner ply having been modified into the following treated layer (A). (A) a layer with a distribution of oxygen atoms and having an F/C ratio, i.e. ratio of the number of fluorine atoms (F) to the number of carbon atoms (C), of not greater than 1.12 and an O/C ratio, i.e. ratio of the number of oxygen atoms (O) to the number of carbon atoms (C), of not less than 0.08.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Tokai Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuhiko Yokoe, Kazuhiro Kato, Koyo Murakami, Eiichi Daikai, Hiroaki Ito