Patent ID: 8793006

Claim:
A method of producing at least one patterned film to yield 2D or 3D structures comprising the steps of: providing at least one liquefiable film; providing a three-dimensional plan of a desired device; designing a temperature field configured to generate thermocapillary forces in the film, said thermocapillary forces being designed to cause a mass transfer in the film such that a three-dimensional pattern is formed in the film corresponding to the three-dimensional plan, wherein the designing uses an interface evolution calculation that is configured to at least model the thermocapillary forces corresponding with the spatial variation in surface tension across the surface of the film, said thermocapillary forces comprising at least the tangential shear stresses created by the temperature field which promote the growth of the three-dimensional pattern, and the capillary forces inherent to the film which repress formation of the three-dimensional pattern; and exposing said at least one film to the temperature field to produce the three-dimensional pattern in the film.