Claims
- 1. A method of forming a monolayer of substantive particles the method comprising the steps of:
(a) applying to a substrate a curable composition having substantive particles contained therein, the substantive particles having a particle size on at least one dimension thereof of at least 1 micrometer and being in two or more groups of different sizes; (b) applying a second substrate over the curable composition to confine the curable composition between the substrates; (c) applying pressure to the assembled substrates to produce a monolayer of particles of the different sizes; (d) exposing the substantive particle-containing curable composition to a source of energy suitable for effecting polymerization of the curable composition for a sufficient time to effect polymerization of a layer of the curable composition in the discrete regions having a thickness of no more than 50% of the height of the largest substantive particles; and (e) optionally, after separating the substrates, removing uncured curable composition.
- 2. A method of forming a monolayer of substantive particles the method comprising the steps of:
(a) applying to a substrate a curable composition having substantive particles contained therein, the substantive particles having a particle size on at least one dimension thereof of at least 1 micrometer and being in two or more groups of different sizes but of substantially uniform size within the group of larger size; (b) applying a second substrate over the curable composition to confine the curable composition between the substrates; (c) applying pressure to the assembled substrates to produce a monolayer of particles of the different sizes; (d) selectively exposing discrete regions of the substantive particle-containing curable composition to a source of energy suitable for effecting polymerization of the curable composition for a sufficient time to effect polymerization of a layer of the curable composition in the discrete regions having a thickness of no more than 50% of the height of the largest substantive particles thus also creating regions wherein the curable composition remains substantially uncured; and (e) optionally, removing uncured curable composition.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the curable composition comprises a curable ferrofluid composition.
- 4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of subjecting the particle-containing curable ferro-fluid composition to a magnetic field for a sufficient time to array the particles in a non-random manner in the composition prior to exposure.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:
(f) selectively transferring particles held in the layer of polymerized composition to a second substrate.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the particles in a group of larger size particles have a size on at least one dimension thereof from about 4 to about 10 micrometers.
- 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the particles in a group of larger size particles are less compressible than the particles of the other group or groups.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the particles of one group have a particle size from about 2 to about 5 micrometers.
- 9. A method according to claim 1 wherein two groups of spherical particles are used, the particles in one group having a diameter from about 4.6 to about 5.0 micrometers and the particles in the second group having a diameter of about 3.0 micrometers.
- 10. A method according to claim 1 wherein two groups of spherical particles are used, the particles in one group having a diameter from about 6.5 to about 7.5 micrometers and the particles in the second group having a diameter from about 4.5 micrometers to about 5.0 micrometers.
- 11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of substantive particles in the curable matrix is in the range from about 20 to about 50% w/w.
- 12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the concentration of particles of the smaller size group is in the range from about 10 to about 40% w/w.
- 13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the concentration of particles of the smaller size group is in the range from about 15 to about 35% w/w.
- 14. A method according to claim 1 wherein particles of a size in the range from about 2 to about 4 micrometers have a density on the substrate of at least about 15,000 particles/mm2.
- 15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the density of the particles on the substrate is in the range from about 15,000 to about 30,000 particles/mm2.
- 16. A method according to claim 1 wherein particles of a size in the range from about 4.5 to about 5 micrometers have a density on the substrate of at least about 9,000 particles/mm2.
- 17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the density of the particles on the substrate is in the range from about 9,000 to about 12,500 particles/mm2.
- 18. A substrate having an array of monolayered substantive particles made according to the method of claim 1.
- 19. A substrate having a repeated pattern array of monolayered substantive particles made according to the method of claim 2.
- 20. A method of forming a monolayer of substantive particles, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) applying to a substrate a curable composition having substantive particles contained therein, the substantive particles having a particle size on at least one dimension thereof of at least 1 micrometer and being in two or more groups of different sizes, the particles in one group being larger than the other particles and being of soluble material; (b) applying a second substrate over the curable composition to confine the curable composition between the substrates; (c) applying pressure to the assembled substrates to produce a monolayer of particles of the different sizes; (d) exposing the substantive particle-containing curable composition to a source of energy suitable for effecting polymerization of the curable composition for a sufficient time to effect polymerization of a layer of the curable composition in the discrete regions having a thickness of no more than 50% of the height of the largest substantive particles; (e) separating the substrates; and (f) applying a solvent to remove uncured curable composition and to dissolve the particles of the group of larger size.
- 21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the two groups of different sized particles are:
(a) a group of particles of larger size and of soluble material, and (b) a group of particles of a smaller size having a particle size about 3 micrometers, present in a concentration below about 30% w/w of the curable composition, to produce particle densities on the substrate in excess of 15,000 particles/mm2 after dissolution of the particles of larger size.
- 22. A substrate having an array of monolayered substantive particles made according to the method of claim 20.
- 23. A substrate having an array of monolayered substantive particles of a particle size of about 3 micrometers at a density in excess of 15,000 particles/mm2, made according to the method of claim 21.
- 24. A substrate having an array of monolayered substantive particles of a particle size of about 3 micrometers at a density in excess of 15,000 particles/mm2 made by use of a curable composition in which the particles of a particle size of about 3 micrometers are present in a concentration below about 30% w/w of the curable composition.
- 25. A substrate having an array of monolayered substantive particles of a particle size from about 4.5 to about 5.0 micrometers at a density in excess of 9,000 particles/mm2.
RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/059,435, filed Jan. 31, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/515,687, filed Feb. 29, 2000 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,876, issued Jun. 11, 2002), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/043,879 filed Aug. 1, 1997 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,180,226 issued Jan. 30, 2001), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/693,833, filed Aug. 1, 1996, (now U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,641, issued Jun. 29, 1999); the disclosure of all of the foregoing is expressly incorporated herein by reference
Continuations (2)
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09043879 |
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09515687 |
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08693833 |
Aug 1996 |
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09515687 |
Feb 2000 |
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Continuation in Parts (2)
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10059435 |
Jan 2002 |
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09515687 |
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10059435 |
Jan 2002 |
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