Patent ID: 9348231
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: B05C,B41F,G03F,G03G

Claim Text:
1. A system for producing a micro-scale patterned structure, the system comprising: a first conveyor having a first surface constrained to move along a first path; a second conveyor having a second surface constrained to move along a second path, the first and second paths being arranged such that a minimum distance defined between the first and second surfaces occurs in a gap region; means for moving the first and second conveyors at matching speeds such that a first surface region of the first surface passes through said gap region substantially simultaneously with a corresponding second surface region of said second surface; means for disposing a curable liquid thin film on the first surface region such that a first portion of said curable liquid thin film is disposed on the first surface region when the first surface region is located upstream from the gap region; means for generating an electric field between the first conveyor and the second conveyor such that said first portion of the liquid thin film disposed on said first surface region undergoes Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) patterning deformation during passage of said first surface region through the gap region such that the first portion forms a patterned liquid feature having a micro-scale patterned shape; and means for solidifying the patterned liquid feature to form said solid micro-scale patterned structure having said micro-scale patterned shape, wherein said means for disposing said curable liquid thin film comprises means for forming a liquid polymer thin film with nanostructures dispersed with initial orientations within said liquid polymer thin film, and wherein said means for generating an electric field comprises means for aligning the nanostructures in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to the first surface within the micro-scale patterned structure.