Patent ID: 7736906

Claim:
A method of making an array of molecules comprising: obtaining a substrate having a substantially flat first surface; forming a plurality of hydrophilic reaction regions on the first surface of the substrate by: coating the first surface of the substrate with a hydrophilic material having a plurality of reactive functional groups, wherein said plurality of reactive functional groups comprise coupled thereto a plurality of hydrophobic photo protecting groups; activating regions where said plurality of hydrophilic reaction regions are to be located, wherein the hydrophobic photo protecting groups are removed to re-liberate the hydrophilic material with the plurality of the reactive functional groups, wherein the activated regions are surrounded by hydrophobic constraining regions comprised of intact photo protecting groups, which prevent flow of reactants from the reaction regions; wherein the first surface includes greater than 100 reaction regions at a density of at least 1000 reaction regions/cm 2 ; and attaching molecules to the reaction regions to form an array.