METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING PATTERN AND STRUCTURE FORMATION BY AN ELECTRIC FIELD

摘要

A processing method and apparatus uses at least one electric field applicator (34) biased to produce a spatial-temporal electric field to affect a processing medium (26), suspended nano-objects (28) or the substrate (30) in processing, interacting with the dipole properties of the medium (26) or particles to construct structure on the substrate (30). The apparatus may include a magnetic field, an acoustic field, an optical force, or other generation device. The processing may affect selective localized layers on the substrate (30) or may control orientation of particles in the layers, control movement of dielectrophoretic particles or media, or cause suspended particles of different properties to follow different paths in the processing medium (26). Depositing or modifying a layer on the substrate (30) may be carried out. Further, the processing medium (26) and electrical bias may be selected to prepare at least one layer on the substrate (30) for bonding the substrate (30) to a second substrate, or to deposit carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with a controlled orientation on the substrate.

主权项

1. An electric field processing apparatus comprising:
a processing chamber configured to receive a substrate and a processing medium having dielectric properties affected by an electric field; at least one electric field applicator, and a distribution coupling unit for coupling an electrical bias to the at least one electric field applicator, wherein the at least one electric field applicator includes at least one electric field applicator directly coupled to the processing chamber, and wherein the apparatus is configured for applying a non-uniform, time-varying electrical bias to the at least one electric field applicator to create an electric field to exert a dipolar effect on the processing medium in the vicinity of or at the surface of the substrate, or both.