Claims
- 1. A method for forming an array of materials, the steps of the method comprising:
(a) at least partially dissolving two or more components, wherein each of said components is independently selected from the group consisting of oxides, alkoxides, aryloxides, allyloxides, diketonates, oxoalkoxides, oxoaryloxides, oxodiketonates, phosphates, phosphines, sulfates, nitrites, nitrates, hydroxides, amines, amides, imides, carbonates, carbonyls, halides, oxyhalides, metals, carboxylates and combinations thereof; (b) mixing said two or more components together in nine or more different ratios thereby forming nine or more different mixtures; (c) dispensing said two or more components in nine or more different ratios into regions on a substrate; and (d) optionally, heat treating the substrate comprising said nine or more different mixtures to form an array.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of adding a stabilizer to at least one of said nine or more different mixtures, wherein said stabilizer contains a functional group capable of reaction with or binding to said components in said mixtures.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, carboxylates, ketones, aldehydes, amines, amides, amino acids, alkanolamines, sugars and combinations thereof.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 2,4-pentanedione, 2,3-pentanedione, acetic acid, triethanolamine, diethanolamine, 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, dipentaerythritol, pentaerythritol, tricine, or ethanolamine.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the components contains a metal or metalloid atom selected from the group consisting of Groups 1-17, Lanthanides and Actinides of the Periodic Table of Elements.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said components is additionally selected from the group consisting of alkyl hexanoates.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein there are at least three components.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein there are at least four components.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein there are at least five components.
- 10. The method of claim 9, wherein there are at least six components.
- 11. The method of claim 1, wherein said two or more components are prepared by dissolving said components in a common solvent.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two components of said two or more components are dissolved together to form at least one component mixture.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohols, amines and combinations thereof.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein said solvent is selected from the group consisting of 2-methoxyethanol, 2-methoxpropanol, 2-ethoxyethanol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, neopentanol, water, triethanolamine, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, isobutanol and combinations thereof.
- 15. The method of claim 11, wherein there are three components and two of said components are mixed into a component mixture prior to said component mixture being mixed with the third component.
- 16. The method of claim 11, wherein at least two component mixtures are formed using at least four components.
- 17. The method of claim 11, wherein at least three component mixtures are formed using at least five components.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of said component mixtures is further mixed with another component prior to being dispensed on said substrate.
- 19. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing step uses automated dispensing techniques.
- 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising a drying step before the heat treating step.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein said drying step comprises allowing said substrate comprising said mixtures to rest for sufficient time for said components to gel.
- 22. The method of claim 1 further including the step of adding a drying agent to one or more of said two or more mixtures prior to dispensing step.
- 23. The method of claim 1, wherein said heating step comprises the step of placing said substrate comprising the component mixtures in regions in an atmosphere controlled oven and heating to a temperature of at least 100° C. for at least 30 minutes.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein said heating is carried out at a temperature of at least 400° C. for at least 1 hours.
- 25. The method of claim 23, wherein said heating is carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere.
- 26. The method of claim 23, wherein said heating is carried out in an sulfiding atmosphere.
- 27. The method of claim 23, wherein said heating is carried out in a reducing atmosphere.
- 28. The method of claim 1, wherein said heating step is carried out according to a schedule that heats said components at a first temperature in the range of about room temperature to about 120° C. for a period of about 1 hour to about 4 hours and subsequently heats said components at a second temperature in the range of about 160° C. to about 220° C. for a period of about 1 hour to about 4 hours.
- 29. The method of claim 1, wherein said heating step is carried out according to a schedule that heats said components at a first temperature in the range of about 300° C. to about 600° C. for a period of about 1 hour to about 12 hours and subsequently heats said components at a second temperature in the range of about 600° C. to about 120° C. for a period of about 1 minute to about 24 hours.
- 30. The method of claim 29, wherein said first temperature is reached by heating at a rate of about 1-10° C./minute and wherein said second temperature is reached by heating from the first temperature at a rate of 1-3° C./minute.
- 31. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of preparing said substrate to receive said two or more components.
- 32. The method of claim 31, wherein said substrate is prepared by silanizing and thereafter creating individual regions on a top surface of said substrate by bead blasting through a physical mask.
- 33. The method of claim 1, wherein there are at least 25 different materials in said array.
- 34. The method of claim 33, wherein there are at least 50 different materials in said array.
- 35. The method of claim 34, wherein there are at least 100 different materials in said array.
- 36. The method of claim 35, wherein there are at least 500 different materials in said array.
- 37. The method of claim 36, wherein there are at least 1000 different materials in said array.
- 38. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are mixed prior to being dispensed onto said substrate.
- 39. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are mixed in said regions of said substrate.
- 40. The method of claim 1, wherein
a) a first component of a first material is delivered to a first region on said substrate, and a first component of a second material is delivered to a second region on the same substrate; b) a second component of said first material is delivered to said first region on the substrate, and a second component of said second material is delivered to said second region on the substrate.
- 41. The method of claim 1, wherein
a) a first component of a first material and a second component of a first material are delivered to a first region on a substrate; and b) a first component of a second material and a second component of a second material are delivered to a second region on the substrate.
- 42. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing step takes place prior to said mixing step.
- 43. The method of claim 1, wherein said dispensing step takes place after said mixing step.
- 44. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are sequentially delivered to said regions.
- 45. The method of claim 1, wherein said components are simultaneously delivered to said regions.
- 46. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of screening each formed material for a useful property selected from the group consisting of electrical, thermal, mechanical, morphological, optical, magnetic and chemical properties.
- 47. The method of claim 1, wherein each of material formed is independently are selected from the group consisting of inorganic materials, intermetallic materials, metal alloys, ceramic materials, and composite materials.
- 48. The method of claim 1, wherein said array additionally comprises single component members.
- 49. The method of claim 1, wherein said array is created a second time on another substrate or multiple substrates creating a second identical array.
- 50. The method of claim 49, wherein said second identical array is subjected said heat-treating step under different processing conditions.
- 51. The method of claim 49, wherein a third identical array is formed.
- 52. A method for forming an array of materials using a sol-gel process, the steps of the method comprising:
(a) at least partially dissolving two or more components in a common solvent or solvent mixture, wherein each of said components is independently selected from the group consisting of oxides, alkoxides, aryloxides, allyloxides, diketonates, oxoalkoxides, oxoaryloxides, oxodiketonates, phosphates, phosphines, sulfates, nitrites, nitrates, hydroxides, amines, amides, imides, carbonates, carbonyls, halides, oxyhalides, metals, carboxylates and combinations thereof; (b) mixing said two or more components together in nine or more different ratios thereby forming nine or more different mixtures; (c) dispensing said two or more components in nine or more different ratios into regions on a substrate; and (d) optionally, heat treating the substrate comprising said nine or more different mixtures to form an array.
- 53. The method of claim 52, wherein two ore more combinations of oxides, alkoxides, aryloxides, allyloxides, diketonates, oxoalkoxides, oxoaryloxides, oxodiketonates, phosphates, phosphines, sulfates, nitrites, nitrates, hydroxides, amines, amides, imides, carbonates, carbonyls, halides, oxyhalides, metals or carboxylates are mixed together.
- 54. The method of claim 53, wherein said combinations are combinations of different metal alkoxides.
- 55. The method of claim 52, wherein said combinations have substantially the same wetting properties.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/327,513, filed Oct. 18, 1994, and refiled as a Continuing Prosecution Application on Jun. 24, 1998. The present application is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/019,425 filed Feb. 5, 1998. The present application is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. provisional patent application 60/090,380, filed Jun. 23, 1998. The entirety of each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
Continuations (2)
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10336605 |
Jan 2003 |
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Parent |
09156827 |
Sep 1998 |
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Child |
10198709 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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08327513 |
Oct 1994 |
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09019425 |
Feb 1998 |
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09156827 |
Sep 1998 |
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