Patent ID: 8747606

Claim:
A method of forming an adhesive bond between a first substrate and a second substrate, the method comprising: applying a semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition to the first substrate; wherein the first substrate has a first external surface and a bonding area spaced opposite the first external surface, and wherein the second substrate has a second external surface; wherein the semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition has a semi-crystalline molecular structure, a crystallization temperature, and a curing temperature that is greater than the crystallization temperature; after applying, disposing the second substrate adjacent to and in contact with the semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition to form a workpiece wherein the semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition is sandwiched between the bonding area and the second substrate; after disposing, heating the workpiece to a first temperature that is greater than or equal to the curing temperature to cure the semi-crystalline polymeric adhesive composition and thereby form a crosslinked polymeric adhesive material; concurrent to heating, expanding the first substrate at a first rate of thermal expansion, the second substrate at a second rate of thermal expansion, and the crosslinked polymeric adhesive material at a third rate of thermal expansion that is different from the first rate of thermal expansion and the second rate of thermal expansion; after heating, cooling the workpiece to a second temperature that is less than or equal to the crystallization temperature such that the crosslinked polymeric adhesive material has a crystalline molecular structure; concurrent to cooling, contracting the first substrate at the first rate of thermal expansion, contracting the second substrate at the second rate of thermal expansion, and contracting the crosslinked polymeric adhesive material at the third rate of thermal expansion to thereby impose a tensile stress on the crosslinked polymeric adhesive material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first external surface and the second external surface and orient the crystalline molecular structure in the direction; and after contracting, dissipating the tensile stress along the crystalline molecular structure in the direction to thereby form the adhesive bond between the first substrate and the second substrate.