Patent ID: 7351346

Claim:
A method for forming a plurality of substantially-straight metallic lines of predetermined periodicity Λ on a thin film substrate of elastomeric material having an unstressed length, said method comprising the steps of: a) applying a first uniaxial tensile force to stress said substrate whereby said substrate is elongated from said unstressed length to a first stressed length; then b) coating said elongated substrate with a sacrificial layer of material; then c) removing said first uniaxial tensile force from said coated substrate whereby said substrate assumes substantially said unstressed length and said material of said sacrificial layer buckles to assume a repetitive undulating topology of periodicity Λ; then d) depositing a masking layer of material at an oblique angle with respect to said buckled layer so that said material of said masking layer is arranged into regions of alternating thickness of periodicity Λ; then e) applying a second uniaxial tensile force that exceeds said first uniaxial tensile force to said substrate so that said substrate is elongated to a second stressed length exceeding said first stressed length whereby said material of said masking layer is fractured into a plurality of lines of periodicity Λ′; then f) removing regions of said sacrificial layer that lie between said lines of material of said masking layer; then g) depositing a metallic layer onto said substrate whereby said metallic layer overlies said lines of said masking layer and exposed portions of said substrate; then h) removing said lines of material of said masking layer, underlying portions of said sacrificial layer and portions of said metallic layer that overlie said lines of material of said masking layer, leaving parallel lines of said metallic layer of periodicity Λ′ that directly overlie said substrate; and then i) removing said second uniaxial tensile force from said substrate whereby said substate is relaxed to substantially said unstressed length the periodicity of said lines of material of said metallic layer is reduced to Λ.