Micro-/Nanostructured Compound-Eye Arrays Fabrication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for fabricating mold inserts with negative compound-eye features are costly or time-consuming, and accurately replicating micro-/nanostructures on polymer parts to achieve hydrophobicity and light trapping properties is challenging.

Innovation Solution

A fabrication method involving a flexible microlens array template, injection molding, and anode oxidation to create micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays on polymer parts, allowing for adjustable dimensions and geometry, resulting in polymer parts with both hydrophobicity and light trapping properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional bottom-up or top-down methods are used to fabricate mold insert with negative compound-eye feature, then the mold insert can be produced, but the fabrication process is costly or time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabrication cost and timeVSAvoidaccuracy of micro-/nanostructure replication

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a positive compound-eye lens array as a template to create a negative mold insert, reversing the conventional approach. The positive lens array is fabricated using self-assembly methods, then used to imprint the negative structure directly into the mold insert material, achieving both cost-effectiveness and high precision replication

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a replica of the compound-eye structure by using a positive lens array template to copy the microstructure pattern onto the mold insert. This copying process enables accurate replication of micro-/nanostructures without requiring complex direct fabrication methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If micro-/nanostructures are replicated on polymer part surfaces, then hydrophobicity and light trapping properties can be achieved, but accurate replication is challenging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrophobicity and light trapping propertiesVSAvoidaccuracy of microstructure replication

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs porous templates with controlled pore sizes and distributions to create the micro-/nanostructures on polymer surfaces. The porous structure enables accurate replication of compound-eye features while maintaining the desired hydrophobicity and light trapping properties through precise control of surface morphology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical fabrication methods with self-assembly processes for creating the microstructure templates. This substitution enables more accurate and reproducible replication of micro-/nanostructures while reducing fabrication complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method enables efficient, low-cost, and high-accuracy fabrication of micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays on polymer parts, achieving hydrophobicity and light trapping properties, suitable for various applications such as optical imaging and solar cells.

Implementation Method 1

said injection mold is heated to a given temperature; an injection molding machine injects polymer melt into said injection mold cavity

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

anode oxidation is subsequently performed on said aluminum foil to form nanopores on its surface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAnode oxidation: Anodising

Data Source

PatentUS11518123B2Fabrication method for micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays with hydrophobicity and light trapping and applications thereof

Publication Date: 2022.12.06 SOUTH CHINA UNIV OF TECH

AI summary

The present invention relates to micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays and fabrication method thereof, and discloses a fabrication method and applications for the molded polymer parts with the micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays on their surfaces, which exhibit both hydrophobicity and light trapping. The fabrication method for the molded polymer parts with the micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays includes following steps. A flexible microlens array template is assembled; the flexible microlens array template is fixed on an injection mold cavity, and a polymer part with microlens arrays distributing on its surface is molded by using injection molding; the microlens arrays on the molded polymer part are imprinted onto the surface of an ultra-pure aluminum foil, nanopores are formed on its surface via anode oxidation, and so an aluminum template with negative micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays is fabricated; the aluminum template is fixed on an injection mold cavity, and a polymer part with micro-/nanostructured compound-eye arrays distributing on its surface is molded by using injection molding. The dual-level compound-eye arrays (orderly distributed convex semi-sphere microlens and densely distributed nanopillars) are developed on the surface of the molded polymer part, which exhibits both hydrophobicity and light trapping.