A rigid mask protects selective portions of a chip including a plurality of wells for biochemical reactions. The rigid mask includes a supporting portion and a plurality of legs, where each leg is provided with a rigid stem and a plate. The plurality of legs are arranged and fixed with respect to the supporting portion in a way aligned to the spatial arrangement of the wells, and are configured in such a way that, when each leg is inserted into the corresponding well, the respective plate covers at least in part the bottom of the well, protecting it during a chemical/physical treatment of side walls of the wells.

A preparation method of a bionic adhesive material with a tip-expanded microstructural array includes the following steps: machining through-holes on a metal sheet; modifying morphology of a through-hole by electroplating, using the metal sheet in step 1 as an electroplating cathode, and arranging the electroplating cathode and an electroplating anode in parallel to prepare a hyperboloid-like through-hole array assembly, fitting a lower surface of the hyperboloid-like through-hole array assembly tightly to an upper surface of a substrate assembly to prepare a through-hole assembly of a mold; and filling the mold assembly with a polymer, curing, and demolding to obtain the adhesive material with the tip-expanded microstructural array.

System and method for forming an ALD assembly on a surface of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprises a substrate having a surface and the ALD assembly is at least partially disposed on the surface of the substrate, wherein the ALD assembly is at least one of hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. The ALD layer further includes a first ALD and a second ALD. On the surface of the substrate, the first ALD is deposited in a first deposition cycle and the second ALD is deposited in a second deposition cycle. The ALD assembly further comprises a seed layer formed using atomic layer deposition and the ALD layer is at least partially disposed on the seed layer. In one example, the seed layer is formed from alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3) and the ALD layer is formed from platinum (Pt). In alternate embodiment, on the seed layer, the first ALD is deposited in a first deposition cycle and the second ALD is deposited in a subsequent deposition cycle. The substrate is formed from silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2).

An article having a surface treated to provide a protective coating structure in accordance with the following method: vapor depositing a first layer on a substrate, wherein said first layer is a metal oxide adhesion layer selected from the group consisting of an oxide of a Group IIIA metal element, a Group IVB metal element, a Group VB metal element, and combinations thereof; vapor depositing a second layer upon said first layer, wherein said second layer includes a silicon-containing layer selected from the group consisting of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxynitride; and vapor depositing a third layer upon said second layer, wherein said third layer is a functional organic-comprising layer, wherein said functional organic-comprising layer is a SAM.

A method of assembly of micro-scale objects includes forming a pattern of a first functional moiety on a surface of a substrate, contacting the surface of the substrate with a first liquid suspension including first micro-scale feedstock elements functionalized with a second functional moiety, complimentary to the first functional moiety, on first portions of the first micro-scale feedstock elements and functionalized with a third functional moiety on second portions of the first micro-scale feedstock elements, aligning the first portions of the first micro-scale feedstock elements with the surface of the substrate, and facilitating bonding the second functional moieties to the first functional moieties to form a first microstructure pattern of the first micro-scale feedstock elements on the surface of the substrate.

An article with controllable wettability includes a substrate and a layer of a composite material supported on the substrate. The layer has an exposed surface and the composite material includes particles that have controllable polarization embedded fully or partially in a matrix. A controller is operable to selectively apply a controlled variable activation energy to the layer. The controllable polarization of the particles varies responsive to the controlled variable activation energy such that a wettability of the exposed surface also varies responsive to the controlled variable activation energy.

Systems and methods are provided for an electroactuated adhesion system containing a dry adhesive material and at least two patterned electrodes. The two or more patterned electrodes may be capable of promoting or increasing adhesion of the electroactuated adhesion system while simultaneously preventing or mitigating the accumulation of dust, contaminants, or particulates on the surface of the adhesive material.

A master tool is provided with an ink pattern on a major surface thereof. The ink pattern is formed by a screen printing process. A stamp-making material is applied to the major surface of the master tool to form a stamp having a stamping pattern being negative to the ink pattern of the master tool. The stamping pattern is inked with an ink composition and contacted with a metalized surface to form a printed pattern on a metalized surface of a substrate according to the stamping pattern. Using the printed pattern as an etching mask, the metalized surface is etched to form electrically conductive traces on the substrate.

A method for processing a silicon substrate includes forming a structure having a bottom surface and a depth of 200 μm or more or 300 μm or more from a first surface of a silicon substrate, forming a protective film on an inner wall of the structure, and performing plasma etching so as to selectively remove the protective film disposed on the bottom surface of the structure with respect to the protective film disposed on the substantially perpendicular side wall of the structure, wherein the plasma etching is performed under the condition in which plasma with a sheath length at least 10 times the depth when the depth is 200 μm or more, or at least 5 time the depth when the depth is 300 μm or more, is generated and a mean free path of ions generated in the plasma is longer than the sheath length.

A material with a nanotexture comprising structures extending from a substrate. The structures are modified by coating the nanotexture with a protective coating and partially removing the coating, exposing a portion of the structure for functionalization.