Pattern-Illuminated Coated Substrates for Rapid Sensor Prototyping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sensors for detecting materials such as viruses, bacteria, and chemicals are costly and limited in production capacity, requiring large-scale clean rooms and lacking flexibility in processing, which hinders their widespread use and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A process for creating pattern illumination-based annealed coated substrates with integrated electronic and optical functionalities, allowing for rapid prototyping and easy configuration, which can be used to attach functional molecules for sensing specific biomaterials and chemicals without the need for large-scale clean rooms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current sensor production processes are used, then sensor capability can be achieved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor fabrication process is divided into separate modules: substrate preparation, coating deposition, pattern illumination annealing, and functional molecule attachment. Each module can be independently optimized and performed in sequence, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining sensor performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is pre-coated with functional materials and pre-patterned with conductive traces before final sensor assembly. This preliminary preparation enables faster final assembly and reduces the complexity of the complete manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If current sensor production methods are used, then sensor performance can be maintained, but production speed and scalability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical coating and patterning methods are replaced with deposition techniques and photo-induced annealing processes. These methods enable parallel processing of multiple substrates simultaneously, dramatically increasing production throughput while maintaining consistent sensor performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The annealing process uses controlled illumination parameters (wavelength, intensity, duration) to achieve precise material transformation. By optimizing these parameters, the process can be rapidly executed without compromising sensor quality, enabling high-speed manufacturing.
3Reliability
If current sensor fabrication processes are used, then sensor functionality can be achieved, but uniformity and consistency across batches are difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
Manual or mechanical coating processes are replaced with controlled deposition and photo-induced annealing methods. These methods provide precise control over material distribution and structural transformation, ensuring uniform sensor characteristics across all production batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination annealing process uses precisely controlled parameters (light wavelength, intensity, exposure time, temperature) to achieve consistent material transformation. This parameter control ensures that every sensor receives identical processing conditions, guaranteeing batch-to-batch uniformity.
4Reliability
If traditional sensor production is used, then basic sensing capability is achieved, but accuracy and specificity are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate surface is pre-functionalized with specific coating materials and patterns before biomolecule attachment. This preliminary functionalization creates optimized binding sites that enhance the specificity and accuracy of target molecule detection, going beyond basic sensing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor employs composite structures combining conductive materials, semiconductor coatings, and functionalized biomolecules. This multi-layer composite architecture enables both basic sensing and high-precision detection by integrating multiple functional properties in a single device.
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
Enables the production of sensors that are as good or better than current sensors, capable of rapid device prototyping and design evolution, while being cost-effective and highly specific for target detection.
Implementation Method 1
pattern illumination-based annealing a coated substrate
Implementation Method 2
pattern illumination-based annealing comprising using one or more lasers and/or lamps to achieve at least one of a chemical change or structural change
Implementation Method 3
using one or more lasers and/or lamps to achieve at least one of a chemical change or structural change
Implementation Method 4
achieve at least one of a chemical change or structural change in at least a portion of at least one of said one or more chemical coatings
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to sensors comprising pattern illumination-based annealed coated substrate and one or more functional molecules and process of using same. Such process yields components that can have one or more electronic and/or optical functionalities that are integrated on the same substrate or film and to which one or more functional molecules can be attached to yield a sensor. In addition, such process does not require large-scale clean rooms and is easily configurable. Thus, rapid device prototyping, design change and evolution in the lab and on the production side is realized. The resulting sensors provide a sensing capability that is as good as or better than current sensors and can be tailored to sense specific biomaterials and/or chemicals.