Claims
- 1. An apparatus for fabricating a layered periodic structure on a substrate comprising:
material receiving means for receiving a first and a second dielectric material; substrate support means for retaining the substrate; material delivery means, connected to said material receiving means and to said substrate support means, for delivering said received first and second dielectric materials to the substrate to form alternating material layers and to thereby form a layered periodic structure on the substrate.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said material delivery means comprises:
a holding member having a channel defined therein connecting said material receiving means and the substrate; a drive unit for rotating said material receiving means such that when each of said first and second dielectric materials is delivered thereto, said dielectric material is forced to travel along said channel to coat the substrate in a uniform layer, so that by alternating delivery of said first and second dielectric materials into said material receiving means, a layered periodic structure is formed on the substrate.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second materials are selected to be mutually insoluble and cannot mix with one another.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising polymerization means for polymerizing the first and second materials, said polymerization means being activated after each layer is formed on the substrate.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising rotating means, connected to said substrate support means for rotating the substrate by a predefined angle after each layer is deposited thereon.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said first and second materials are one of: (a) anisotropic materials having substantially similar properties, and (2) the same anisotropic material.
- 7. An apparatus for fabricating a layered periodic structure from thin uniform alternating layers of a first and a second material on a substrate, comprising:
a receiving vessel configured to receive the first and the second materials therein; a substrate mount for retaining the substrate; a holding member, connecting a side of said receiving vessel to a side of said substrate mount, having a longitudinal axis and having a channel along said longitudinal axis configured to enable the first and the second material to flow from said receiving vessel to an upper surface of the substrate; a driving unit connected to said receiving vessel for rotating said receiving vessel at a predetermined speed about said central axis; and material delivery means for:
(a) delivering the first material to said receiving vessel when said driving unit is activated, such that centrifugal force causes the first material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform first layer, (b) delivering the second material to said receiving vessel when said driving unit is activated, such that centrifugal force causes the second material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform second layer over the first material, and (c) repeating delivery of the first and the second materials until a predetermined number of alternating first and second material layers are formed on said substrate upper surface.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and the second materials are selected such that they cannot mix with or dissolve one another.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of holding arms each having a channel positioned along a central axis, each connected to said receiving vessel and each connected to one of a plurality of corresponding substrate mounts each holding a substrate, wherein when said material delivery means is activated, the first and second materials are sequentially delivered to each of said plural substrates such that a plurality of layered periodic structures are thus formed.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said holding arm is substantially curved and wherein a first end of said holding arm connects to said receiving vessel at a first angle, and wherein said second end of said holding arm connects to said substrate mount at a second angle.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a control unit connected to said driving unit and to said material delivery means, operable to control operation of said driving unit and said material delivery means.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of said plural holding arms is curved and wherein a first end of each said plural holding arm connects to said receiving vessel at a first angle and wherein said second end of each said plural holding arm connects to each said plural substrate mount at a second angle.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said holding member channel further comprises:
a first end connected to said receiving vessel; and a second end connected to said substrate mount, said second end having a width equal to or greater than said substrate, wherein said second end is wider than the first end.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:
a position adjustment unit, connected to said substrate mount and to said holding member, operable to incrementally move said substrate mount along a vertical axis to maintain said upper surface of the substrate aligned with said channel.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a position control unit connected to said position adjustment unit and to said material delivery means, operable to:
(a) automatically control a vertical position of said substrate mount in response to material delivery by said material delivery means, such that after said material delivery means delivers a predetermined number of material layers to the substrate, said position control unit causes said position adjustment unit to lower the substrate so that an upper material layer of the substrate is kept substantially aligned with said channel; and (b) after the substrate is removed, and a new substrate added, returning the new substrate to an initial position where said new substrate surface is aligned with said channel.
- 16. A method for fabricating a layered periodic structure from thin uniform layers of a first and a second material on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a receiving vessel, configured to receive the first and the second materials therein, a substrate mount for retaining the substrate, a holding member, connecting a side of said receiving vessel to a side of said substrate mount, having a longitudinal axis and having a channel along said longitudinal axis configured to enable the first and the second material to flow from said receiving vessel to an upper surface of the substrate and a driving unit connected to said receiving vessel for rotating said receiving vessel at a predetermined speed about its central axis; (b) activating said drive unit to cause rotation of said receiving vessel about its central axis; (c) delivering the first material to said receiving vessel, wherein centrifugal force causes the first material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform first layer; (d) delivering the second material to said receiving vessel, wherein centrifugal force causes the second material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform second layer over the first material; and (e) repeating said steps (c) and (d) until a predetermined number of alternating first and second material layers are formed on said substrate upper surface.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and the second materials are selected such that they cannot mix with or dissolve one another.
- 18. An apparatus for fabricating a chiral structure from thin uniform layers of an anisotropic material on a substrate, comprising:
a receiving vessel configured to receive the anisotropic material therein; a substrate mount for retaining the substrate; a holding member, connecting a side of said receiving vessel to a side of said substrate mount, having a longitudinal axis and having a channel along said longitudinal axis, configured to enable the anisotropic material to flow from said receiving vessel to an upper surface of the substrate; a driving unit connected to said receiving vessel operable to rotate said receiving vessel at a predetermined speed about its central axis; material dispenser means positioned over said receiving vessel operable to dispense the anisotropic material into said receiving vessel; substrate rotating means, connected to said substrate mount, operable to rotate said substrate by a predefined circumferential angle; and control means for:
(a) activating said drive unit and causing said material dispenser means to deliver the anisotropic material to said receiving vessel, such that centrifugal force causes the anisotropic material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform first layer having molecular alignment in a direction of the centrifugal force, (b) causing said substrate rotating means to rotate said substrate by said predetermined circumferential angle; and (c) repeating a cycle of delivery of said anisotropic material and angular rotation between formation of each layer until a predetermined number of plural layers are formed on said substrate upper surface thus forming a chiral structure.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said holding member channel further comprises:
a first end connected to said receiving vessel; and a second end connected to said substrate mount, said second end having a width equal to or greater than said substrate, wherein said second end is wider than said first end.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:
a position adjustment unit, connected to said substrate mount and to said holding member, operable to incrementally move said substrate mount along a vertical axis to maintain said upper surface of the substrate aligned with said channel.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said control unit is further operable to:
(d) automatically control a vertical position of said substrate mount in response to material delivery by said material dispenser means, such that after a predetermined number of anisotropic material layers are formed on the substrate, said position adjustment unit lowers the substrate so that an upper material layer of the substrate is kept substantially aligned with said channel; and (e) after the substrate is removed, and a new substrate added, returning the new substrate to an initial position where said new substrate surface is aligned with said channel.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said control unit is further operable to:
(f) cause said material dispenser means to dispense a defect material after a predetermined number of anisotropic material layers have been formed on the substrate, and thereafter cause said material dispenser means to continue to dispense the anisotropic material, such that a defect layer is formed as one of said plural layers.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said control unit is further operable to:
(g) after a predetermined number of anisotropic material layers have been formed on the substrate, set said predetermined angle to zero for at least one cycle of formation of said anisotropic material layers to form a defect layer thicker than other plural anisotropic material layers, and thereafter repeating the previous cycles of layer formation.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said control unit is further operable to:
(h) after a predetermined number of anisotropic material layers have been formed on the substrate, set said predetermined angle to a different value for one cycle of formation of said anisotropic material layers to form a defect layer having a different molecular direction angle from all other plural layers, and thereafter returning said predetermined angle to its previous value and repeating the previous cycles of layer formation.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising polymerization means for polymerizing the anisotropic material, wherein said control unit activates said polymerization means after each anisotropic material layer is formed.
- 26. A method for fabricating a chiral structure from thin uniform layers of an anisotropic material on a substrate, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a receiving vessel configured to receive said anisotropic material therein from a material dispensing unit, a substrate mount for retaining the substrate, a holding member, connecting a side of said receiving vessel to a side of said substrate mount, having a longitudinal axis and having a channel along said longitudinal axis configured to enable the anisotropic material to flow from said receiving vessel to an upper surface of the substrate, a driving unit connected to said drive shaft for rotating said receiving vessel at a predetermined speed about its central axis, and a rotating unit for circumferentially rotating the substrate; (b) activating said drive unit to cause rotation of said receiving vessel; (c) delivering the anisotropic material to said receiving vessel, wherein centrifugal force causes said anisotropic material to flow from said receiving vessel to said upper surface of the substrate to form a uniform first layer; (d) circumferentially rotating said substrate by a predetermined angle; and (e) repeating said steps (c) and (d) until a predetermined number of anisotropic material layers are formed on said substrate upper surface thus forming a chiral structure.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority from the commonly assigned U.S. provisional patent application S/No. 60/298,566 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Fabricating Layered Periodic Media” filed Jun. 15, 2001, and also from the commonly assigned U.S. provisional patent application S/No. 60/298,567 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Fabricating Chiral Media” filed Jun. 15, 2001.
Provisional Applications (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60298566 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
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60298567 |
Jun 2001 |
US |