Tuesday, June 13, 2006

US Patent 7060224 - Nanoscale Fabrication by Electroosmotic Solder Flow

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7060224.pdf

Fabrication on the molecular or nanoscale level is usually accomplished one of two ways-"in solution" or "on substrate". "In solution" fabrication usually employs chemical synthesis and self-assembly techniques and often works on developing molecular structures or nanocrystals from basic chemistries. "On substrate" fabrication usually employs techniques familiar to the semiconductor fabrication industry and often works on developing quantum wells, quantum wires, and other nanostructures. Usually these techniques are very distinct and performed separately under very different conditions. However, to optimally exploit the molecular processing of "in solution" processes, while providing a platform for substrate level processing that is suitable for mass production, it would be useful to find a technique that combines aspects of each of these fabrication methodologies. The inventors of this patent combine aspects of chemical (such as DNA) processing via electroosmotic transport and working on substrates (such as silicon). Claim 1 reads:


1. A method for the fabrication of microscale and nanoscale devices comprising the steps of: providing a target device having at least one target electrode, providing a first component device and a fluidic medium in contact with the target device, placing the first component device relative to the target electrode through action of at least electroosmotic force from the target device to the component device, and attaching the component device to the target device, wherein the attachment step includes a solder reflow step.