US5336558A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Composite article comprising oriented microstructures
Assignee: 3M Co
•
Filing: 1991-06-24
•
Granted: 1994-08-09
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Expires: 2011-06-24
Abstract
Abstract This invention provides a composite article having discrete microstructures partially encapsulated within a layer. A method of making the same is also provided. The article of the present invention is useful for visible radiation absorbing devices, such as, for example, selective solar absorbers, flat plate solar collectors, solar absorption panels, and solar cells.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark K. Debe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 15:59
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/58; C23C14/5806; C23C14/06; C23C14/12; C23C14/14; C23C14/20; C23C14/205; C23C14/584; F; F24; F24S; F24S70/00; F24S70/20; F24S70/225; F24S70/60; H; H10; H10F; H10F77/00; H10F77/10; H10F77/16; H10F77/162; H10F77/70; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/40; Y02E10/44; Y02E10/50; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/25; Y10T428/254; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2933; Y10T428/2938; Y10T428/31
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said microstructures are selected from the group consisting of organic microstructures and inorganic semiconductor microstructures, and said microstructures have a mean diameter in the range from about 1 to about 5000 nanometers, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
131 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said microstructures are selected from the group consisting of organic microstructures and inorganic semiconductor microstructures, and said microstructures have a mean diameter in the range from about 1 to about 5000 nanometers, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and said surface of said layer are on a common plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein each of said microstructures are monocrystalline.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein each of said microstructures comprises polycrystalline regions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said dense array of said microstructures are randomly oriented.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said dense array of said microstructures are oriented such that their major axes are parallel to each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures are essentially uniform in size and shape.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures have an aspect ratio which ranges from about 3:1 to about 100:1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composite article according to claim 1 further comprising a conformal coating interposed between said microstructures and said encapsulant.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The composite article according to claim 9 wherein said conformal coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of an organic material and an inorganic material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The composite layer according to claim 10 wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal chlorides, metal carbides, metal borides, metal nitrides, metal silicides, and metals.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite article according to claim 10 wherein said organic material is a polymeric material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures have an areal number density in the range from about 0.04 to about 10 6 microstructures per square micrometer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures have an areal number density in the range from about 1 to about 10 4 microstructures per square micrometer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said organic microstructures are made of an organic material comprising planar molecules and chains or rings over which π-electron density is delocalized.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite article according to claim 15 wherein said organic material is a polymeric material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composite article according to claim 15 wherein said organic material is selected from the group consisting of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic aromatic compounds.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The composite article according to claim 17 wherein said polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons are selected from the group consisting of naphthalenes, phenanthrenes, perylenes, phenyls, anthracenes, coronenes, and pyrenes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composite article according to claim 17 wherein said heterocyclic aromatic compounds are selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanines, porphyrins, carbazoles, purines, and pterins.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite article layer according to claim 2 wherein said organic material is N,N'-di(3,5-xylyl)perylene-3,4,9,10 bis(dicarboximide).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composite article according to claim 15 wherein said organic material is metal-free phthalocyanine.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic semiconductor microstructures are made from a material selected from the group consisting of diamond, germanium, selenium, arsenic, silicon, tellurium, gallium arsenide, gallium antimonide, gallium phosphide, aluminum antimonide, indium antimonide, indium tin oxide, zinc antimonide, indium phosphide, aluminum gallium arsenide, zinc teluride, and combinations thereof.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said encapsulant is selected from the group consisting of an organic material and an inorganic material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
The composite article according to claim 23 wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal chlorides, metal carbides, metal borides, metal nitrides, metal chlorides, metal silicides, and metals.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composite article according to claim 23 wherein said organic material is a polymeric material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
18 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures form one of a repeating or nonrepeating pattern.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures are regularly arrayed.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures are oriented such that their major axes are perpendicular to said surface of said layer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composite article according to claim 1 wherein said microstructures are uniformly oriented and are perpendicular to said surface of said layer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
102 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete, regularly arrayed, organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
102 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete, regularly arrayed, organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composite article according to claim 30 further comprising a conformal coating interposed between said microstructures and said encapsulant.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composite article according to claim 30 wherein said microstructures are uniformly oriented and are perpendicular to said surface of said layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
137 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said microstructures are essentially uniform in size and shape, having an aspect ratio in the range from about 3:1 to about 100:1, and have a mean diameter in the range from about 1 to about 5000 nanometers, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
137 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, said microstructures are essentially uniform in size and shape, having an aspect ratio in the range from about 3:1 to about 100:1, and have a mean diameter in the range from about 1 to about 5000 nanometers, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composite article according to claim 33 further comprising a conformal coating interposed between said microstructures and said encapsulant.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composite article according to claim 33 wherein said microstructures are uniformly oriented and are perpendicular to said surface of said layer.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
119 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete, organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, and wherein interposed between said microstructures and said encapsulant is a conformal coating of an inorganic conformal coating material, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
119 words
A composite article comprising a layer having a dense array of discrete, organic microstructures partially encapsulated therein by an encapsulant, wherein one distal end of each of said microstructures is exposed, wherein said exposed distal ends of said microstructures and a surface of said layer are on a common side of said layer, and wherein interposed between said microstructures and said encapsulant is a conformal coating of an inorganic conformal coating material, said discrete microstructures being formed on a surface of a substrate, said substrate having a surface topography, and said exposed distal ends of said microstructures, which have been delaminated from said substrate, form a surface topography that is the inverse of said surface topography of said substrate.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composite article according to claim 36 wherein said microstructures are regularly arrayed.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-08-08 | 1998-02-07 | 1998-08-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-08-08 | 2002-02-07 | 2002-08-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-08-08 | 2006-02-07 | 2006-08-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |