Process for Directing Assemblies of Particulate Dispersions Using Surface Roughness
- Technology Benefits
- Assemblies formed are identical with very low error rate Assemblies can contain moveable parts that are lubricated by a liquid layer Several stages of assembly can be made using different sizes of surface roughness and depletion agents to produce highly complex devices
- Technology Application
- Fractionating and separating particles having different surface roughness Mass production of multi-component assemblies of particles in solution through control over roughness on their surfaces Assembling two or more microscale solid components in a desired configuration Mass production of microscale devices made from several interlocking pieces, including microscale engines and pumps.
- Detailed Technology Description
- Researchers at UCLA have studied dispersions of microscopic particles mixed with depletion agents and demonstrated that the strength of depletion attractions between the different surfaces of the particles can be tuned not only through shape control, but also through localized control of the surface roughness. This is another viable route for systematically designing and directing the assembly of custom-shaped particles by tailoring the surface roughness of custom-shaped microparticles dispersed in a liquid and varying the size of smaller nanoscale colloids relative to the roughness. Commercial applications include mass producing microscale devices made from several interlocking pieces, including microscale engines and pumps. In addition, particles can be aggregated and separated based on surface roughness to remove particles with very rough surfaces. Other applications include decorating surfaces with particles, depending on the roughness of the particles.
- Supplementary Information
- Patent Number: US8193102B2
Application Number: US2010739697A
Inventor: Mason, Thomas G. | Zhao, Kun
Priority Date: 14 Nov 2007
Priority Number: US8193102B2
Application Date: 23 Apr 2010
Publication Date: 5 Jun 2012
IPC Current: H01L002131 | H01L0021469
US Class: 438778 | 438458 | 438478 | 438779 | 438780
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: Process for directing assemblies of particulate dispersions using surface roughness
Usefulness: Process for directing assemblies of particulate dispersions using surface roughness
Summary: Assembling composite structure from objects in a fluid (claimed).
Novelty: Assembling composite structure from objects in fluid by dispersing objects each having preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features characterizing surface roughness into fluid, and introducing depletion agent into fluid
- Industry
- Chemical/Material
- Sub Category
- Chemical Composition
- Application No.
- 8193102
- Others
-
State of Development
Separate particle components in solution have been controlled using surface roughness and depletion attractions to form millions of identical assemblies with very low error rate.
Background
One of the key frontiers in mass-producing three-dimensional devices at the microscale and nanoscale is being able to manipulate and assemble constituent components reliably and in parallel. Previous research has shown that shape-specific attractive interactions between solid particles that are dispersed in liquid solutions can be controlled to assemble differently shaped components into microscale and nanoscale components.
Related Materials
Additional Technologies by these Inventors
- Litho-particle Dispersions: Designer Particles with Customizable Shapes
- Process For Creating Stable Double Emulsions
- Massively Parallel Assembly of Composite Structures using Depletion Attractions
- Improved Treatment of Acute Metabolic Acidosis
- Measuring Size Distributions of Small-Scale Objects
- Method of Making Multicomponent Nanoemulsions
- Mechanical Process For Creating Particles Using Two Plates
- Process For Recycling Surfactant In Nanoemulsion Production
- Process For Sorting Dispersed Colloidal Structures
Tech ID/UC Case
20410/2008-090-0
Related Cases
2008-090-0
- *Abstract
-
UCLA scientists have discovered a new route for systematically designing and directing the assembly of custom-shaped particles by tailoring the surface roughness of custom-shaped microparticles.
- *IP Issue Date
- Jun 5, 2012
- *Principal Investigator
-
Name: Thomas Mason
Department:
Name: Kun Zhao
Department:
- Country/Region
- USA
