Wednesday, October 27, 2004

NanoInk licences patent from University of Illinois

The licensing of US 6,642,129 from the University of Illinois to NanoInk represents another Bayh-Dole case. The first page of US 6,642,129 states: This invention was made with United States Government assistance through Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contract No. NW 0650 300 F 245. The Government has certain rights in this invention.

The abstract states:

A microfabricated probe array for nanolithography and process for designing and fabricating the probe array. The probe array consists of individual probes that can be moved independently using thermal bimetallic actuation or electrostatic actuation methods. The probe array can be used to produce traces of diffusively transferred chemicals on the substrate with sub-1 micrometer resolution, and can function as an arrayed scanning probe microscope for subsequent reading and variation of transferred patterns.

The first claim recites:

An apparatus for applying a pattern to a substrate for nanolithography, the apparatus comprising:

at least one patterning compound;

an array of actuated probes, said array of actuated probes being arranged in parallel, wherein each of said actuated probes comprises:

a cantilever;

a tip at an end of said cantilever for applying one of said at least one patterning compound to said substrate; and

an actuator operatively coupled to said cantilever, said actuator being responsive to an applied current or voltage to move said cantilever so as to move said tip relative to said substrate.




from businesswire:

NanoInk, Inc. announces its worldwide, exclusive license of a family of patents from the University of Illinois. The family is entitled "Nanoscale Chemical Surface Patterning Dip Pens" and
includes United States Patent No. 6,642,129 and numerous foreign filings. This license adds to NanoInk's sizable patent portfolio, which already includes over 100 filings.

The technology licensed involves arrays of "active pens" for performing nanoscale lithography, and it resulted from the work of Dr. Chang Liu, NanoInk Scientific Advisory Board member and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign. The arrays are important for improving the flexibility and
speed of the Dip Pen Nanolithography(TM) (DPN(TM)) process for
nanofabrication, and as a result, for its possible industrial applications.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home