Reinforced Microscopy Membranes with Segmented Viewing Regions

Solution Overview

Problem

Extremely thin membranes used in microscopy techniques are prone to breaking due to lack of strength, especially when differential pressure is applied, limiting their usefulness in applications requiring sustained pressure across the membrane.

Innovation Solution

A reinforced membrane structure with integrated support features is developed, comprising an array of viewing regions supported by reinforcement regions, created through a process involving substrate deposition, etching, and patterning of support and reinforcement layers to enhance mechanical strength while maintaining a large, thin membrane-like viewing area.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of moving object

If extremely thin membranes are used to achieve large viewing areas, then the membrane provides sufficient sample viewing region, but the membrane lacks mechanical strength and is prone to breaking under differential pressure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemembrane viewing areaVSAvoidmembrane mechanical strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The membrane is divided into multiple smaller individual membrane regions separated by reinforcement regions. This segmentation prevents a single large membrane from breaking under pressure by creating multiple smaller, more stable regions, while still providing a large overall viewing area when all regions are combined.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The membrane structure has different properties in different regions: thin membrane regions for optimal viewing quality and thicker reinforcement regions for mechanical strength. This local variation in thickness and material properties allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Strength

If membrane thickness is increased to improve mechanical strength, then the membrane becomes more durable, but the membrane loses transparency and sample viewing quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemembrane mechanical strengthVSAvoidmembrane thickness uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The membrane is divided into multiple smaller individual membrane regions separated by reinforcement regions. This segmentation prevents a single large membrane from breaking under pressure by creating multiple smaller, more stable regions, while still providing a large overall viewing area when all regions are combined.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The membrane structure has different properties in different regions: thin membrane regions for optimal viewing quality and thicker reinforcement regions for mechanical strength. This local variation in thickness and material properties allows each region to perform its specific function optimally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If multiple separate small membranes are used to provide reinforcement, then the membrane structure gains mechanical strength, but the overall sample viewing area is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemembrane mechanical strengthVSAvoidtotal viewing area

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSArea of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple individual membrane regions are combined into a single integrated membrane structure that functions as one large viewing area. The reinforcement regions serve dual purposes: providing mechanical strength and acting as structural connectors that allow the small membrane regions to work together as a unified large-area membrane.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9040939B2Membrane supports with reinforcement features

Publication Date: 2015.05.26 PROTOCHIPS INC

AI summary

A sample support structure with integrated support features and methods of making and using the reinforced membrane. The sample support structures are useful for supporting samples for analysis using microscopic techniques, such as electron microscopy, optical microscopy, x-ray microscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques.