Roll-to-roll fabrication of ordered three-dimensional nanostructure array, related techniques, materials and products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9831362-B2
Application number	US-201414202436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Mar 29, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Roll-to-roll fabrication of predetermined or ordered three-dimensional nanostructure arrays is described. Provided methods can comprise imprinting a substrate with a two-dimensional (2-D) pattern by rolling a cylindrical pattern comprising a 2-D array of structures against a substrate. In addition, control or determination of nanostructure parameters via control of process parameters is provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving a foil substrate from a roll;
imprinting the foil substrate as the foil substrate is transferred from the roll with a pattern comprising rolling a cylindrical pattern comprising a two-dimensional 2-D array of structures against the foil substrate, wherein the pattern corresponds to predetermined three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructures to be formed on the foil substrate; and
forming the predetermined 3-D nanostructures on the foil substrate comprising anodizing the foil substrate resulting in an anodized foil substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imprinting the foil substrate comprises imprinting the foil substrate with at least one of a square-ordered pattern that corresponds to 3-D nanopillars or a hexagonal-ordered pattern that corresponds to 3-D nanoconcaves.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rolling the cylindrical pattern comprises rolling the cylindrical pattern comprising the 2-D array of structures of a predetermined pitch, and wherein the pattern corresponds to a predetermined spacing of the predetermined 3-D nanostructures.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rolling the cylindrical pattern against the foil substrate comprises rolling the cylindrical pattern against a metallic foil substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rolling the cylindrical pattern against the metallic foil substrate comprises rolling the cylindrical pattern against an aluminum foil substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising fabricating the cylindrical pattern by forming a master pattern that corresponds to the cylindrical pattern on a pattern substrate via photolithography.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
electroplating at least one metallic substance on the master pattern;
releasing the at least one metallic substance from the master pattern and the pattern substrate; and
shaping the at least one metallic substance into a cylindrical shape.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rolling the cylindrical pattern comprises at least one of intermittently or continuously rolling the cylindrical pattern.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one layer formed over the predetermined 3-D nanostructures on the foil substrate comprising at least one of an amorphous silicon layer or an indium tin oxide layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the predetermined 3-D nanostructures comprises forming at least one of a square-ordered array or a hexagonal-ordered array on the foil substrate.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the predetermined 3-D nanostructures comprises forming at least one of a nanopillar array or a nanoconcave array on the foil substrate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the predetermined 3-D nanostructures further comprises etching the anodized foil substrate.

13. A method, comprising:
receiving, from a roll, a foil substrate comprising an imprinted pattern, wherein the imprinted pattern corresponds to a cylindrical pattern applied to the foil substrate, and wherein the imprinted pattern corresponds to a two-dimensional (2-D) array of structures on the cylindrical pattern; and
forming ordered three-dimensional (3-D) nanostructures on the foil substrate, wherein the ordered 3-D nanostructures correspond to the pattern, and wherein the forming the ordered 3-D nanostructures comprises anodizing the foil substrate resulting in an anodized foil substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving the foil substrate further comprises receiving a metallic foil substrate.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receiving the foil substrate further comprises receiving an aluminum foil substrate.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming the ordered 3-D nanostructures comprises forming at least one of a square-ordered array or a hexagonal-ordered array on the foil substrate.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming the ordered 3-D nanostructures comprises forming at least one of a nanopillar array or a nanoconcave array.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the forming the nanopillar array comprises forming the nanopillar array with a height of between about 500 nanometers to about 2.5 micrometers.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the anodizing the foil substrate further comprises anodizing the foil substrate in a mixture of citric acid, phosphoric acid, ethylene glycol, and deionized water.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the anodizing the foil substrate further comprises anodizing the foil substrate with a direct current voltage comprising a value between about 200 volts (V) to about 750 V.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming the ordered 3-D nanostructures further comprises etching the anodized foil substrate.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the etching the anodized foil substrate comprises etching the anodized foil substrate with an acidic solution.

Assignees

• Univ Hong Kong Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Fan Zhiyong
• Leung Siu-Fung

Classifications

• Y10T428/24479

  including variation in thickness · CPC title

• Y10T428/24545

  Containing metal or metal compound · CPC title

• H01L31/02366 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• Y10T428/24521

  with component conforming to contour of nonplanar surface · CPC title