Novel material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017152174-A9
Application number	US-201314377403-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	Feb 8, 2013
Priority date	Feb 8, 2012
Publication date	Jun 1, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate comprising an ion-implanted layer, for example a cation, wherein the ion implanted layer has a uniform distribution of the implanted ions at a significantly greater depth than previously possible. The invention further comprises said substrate wherein the substrate is a silicon based substrate, such as glass. The invention also comprises the use of said material as a waveguide and the use of said material in measurement devices.

First claim

1 . A substrate comprising an ion-implanted layer wherein the penetration depth of the implanted ions is at least 50 nm, or at least 200 nm.

2 . A substrate according to claim 1 where the penetration depth of the implanted ions is at least 500 nm.

3 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the ion implanted layer has a substantially uniform distribution of the implanted ions.

4 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the ion implanted layer has an implanted ion density of at least 10 21 ions cm −3 , or at least 10 23 ions cm −3 .

5 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is a glass selected from silica, silicate, phosphate, tellurite, tellurite derivatives, germanate, bismuthate and solgel route glasses.

6 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is an optical polymer.

7 . A substrate according to claim 6 wherein the optical polymer is selected from Poly(methyl methacrylate), polyvinyl alcohol, polyether ether ketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polypropylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

8 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the ion-implanted layer is either:
(i) on an outside face of the substrate; or
(ii) within the substrate.

9 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the ion-implanted layer either:
(i) encompasses substantially the whole area of the substrate; or
(ii) comprises one or more zones.

10 . A substrate according to claim 9 wherein one or more of the zones overlap.

11 . A substrate according to claim 9 wherein the zones comprise the same or different ions.

12 . A substrate according to claim 1 wherein the ion is a cation.

13 . A substrate according to claim 12 wherein the cation is selected from the group Nd(3+), Yb(3+), Er(3+), Tm(3+), Pr(3+), Ho(3+), Sm(3+), Eu(3+), Tb(3+), Ce(3+) and La (3+).

14 . A waveguide comprising a substrate according to claim 1 .

15 . A biosensor comprising a substrate according to claim 1 as an optical substrate or as a waveguide comprising said substrate.

16 . A method for the non-invasive measurement of a metabolite in an animal which comprises:
(i) applying a sensor on or near said animal, said sensor comprising an optical substrate or waveguide; (ii) irradiating said substrate or waveguide with a light source such that a portion of the light escapes into the animal; (iii) measuring the photoluminescence lifetime of the escaped light; wherein the recovery lifetime is correlated with the level of the metabolite.

17 . A process for fabricating a substrate according to claim 1 comprising: ablating a target layer with incident radiation from a laser in the presence of a substrate whereby a quantity of the target layer is implanted into the substrate.

18 . A process according to claim 17 wherein the target layer is tellurium glass.

19 . A process according to claim 17 wherein the laser is a Femtosecond laser.

20 . A process according to claim 17 wherein the substrate is heated.

21 . A substrate comprising an ion-implanted layer wherein the ion implanted layer has a substantially uniform distribution of the implanted ions.

22 . A substrate comprising an ion-implanted layer wherein the ion implanted layer has an implanted ion density of at least 10 21 ions cm −3 , or at least 10 23 ions cm −3 .

Assignees

• Univ Leeds Innovations Ltd

Inventors

• Jose Gin
• Fernandez Toney Teddy
• Grant Peter John
• Jha Animesh
• Saha Sikha
• Steenson David Paul

Classifications

• C23C14/221

  Ion beam deposition (C23C14/46, C23C14/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/32

  by explosion; by evaporation and subsequent ionisation of the vapours {, e.g. ion-plating}(C23C14/34 - C23C14/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• C23C14/28

  by wave energy or particle radiation (C23C14/32 - C23C14/48 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B2006/12061

  Silicon · CPC title

• Y10T428/31

  Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block · CPC title