Method and apparatus for controlling the movement of a liquid on a nanostructured or microstructured surface

• Main Authors: KROUPENKINE, TIMOFEI NIKITA, MANDICH, MARY LOUISE, TAYLOR, JOSEPH ASHLEY, YANG, SHU, KORNBLIT, AVINOAM, SCHNEIDER, TOBIAS MANUEL
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.11.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICALDEVICES; MICROSTRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGY; MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING, DISPERSING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TESTING; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

A method and apparatus is disclosed wherein the movement of a droplet disposed on a nanostructured or microstructured surface is determined by at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern or at least one characteristic of the droplet. In one embodiment, the movement of the droplet is laterally determined by at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern such that the droplet moves in a desired direction along a nanostructured feature pattern. In another embodiment, the movement of the droplet is determined by either at least one characteristic of the nanostructure feature pattern or at least one characteristic of the droplet in a way such that the droplet penetrates the feature pattern at a desired area and becomes substantially immobile.