Improves upon existing grooved cantilever designs by creating cantilevers from polymeric materials.
Background:
Microcantilevers have been used for a variety of nano and microscale printing techniques including dip-pen nanolithography (DPN, a scanning probe lithography technique where an atomic force microscope tip is used to create patterns directly on a range of substances with a variety of inks) and grooved cantilever-based microprinting. Advanced, better-performing microcantilevers would therefore have a substantial impact on a wide range of nanoscale and microscale printing applications.
Technology Overview:
This technology improves upon existing grooved cantilever designs by creating cantilevers from polymeric materials, which are easier to fabricate than traditional silicon-based cantilevers. They also are cheaper to produce and have inherent surface properties that are more amenable to the printing/deposition process. The polymer-based cantilevers can be tuned for their chemical compatibility and surface interaction with the various fluids to be printed. Polymeric grooved cantilevers do not require surface pre-treatment prior to printing water-based fluid. In addition, these cantilevers have been used to print living cells onto surfaces, which is not possible with silicon-based cantilevers. Furthermore, polymeric grooved cantilevers also can be covered with a capping structure that creates an enclosed fluidic channel that can enhance fluid manipulation and deposition.
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Advantages:
• Easier to fabricate than traditional silicon-based cantilevers.
• Cheaper to produce.
• Inherent surface properties that are more amenable to the printing/deposition process.
• Can be tuned for chemical compatibility and surface interaction with the fluids to be printed.
Applications:
The primary application for this technology is fabrication of microcantilevers for use in nano and microscale printing techniques such as dip-pen nanolithography and grooved cantilever-based microprinting.
Intellectual Property Summary:
Patent application filed: Non-provisional U.S. Patent Application, Published – #12/613,258
Stage of Development:
TRL 3 - Experimental proof of concept
Licensing Status:
This technology is available for licensing.
Licensing Potential:
This technology would be of interest to anyone involved in microprinting applications, including:
• Manufacturers of additive manufacturing equipment.
• Fabrication shops.
• Medical research laboratories.