Abstract:
A layer of conformationally adaptive organic molecules are used in epitaxially layered structures to accommodate lattice mismatch between layers at least one of which is of a nonorganic crystalline material. Such a layer on a substrate layer may constitute the epitaxially layered structure or the conformationally adaptive organic molecule layer may be used to accommodate a lattice mismatch between two other layers or the substrate and another layer.
Abstract:
Liquid cell crystal, with fine structures made up of regions having defined different orientation and dimensions of the order of 0.1 to about 100 &mgr;m can be used as optical conductors and projection displays. The fine structures in the liquid crystals are produced in that the plates bounding and guiding the liquid crystal are provided with micromechanically produced regions having different defined preferred directions. The result is a molecular orientation having a higher refractive index that the surrounding region for guiding and polarizing irradiated light. The orienting layers on the plates bounding the liquid crystal are micromechanically structured in that certain spatial regions are mechanically structured in a uniform direction by a stylus moved by piezoelectric means.
Abstract:
This invention relates to the controlled two-dimensional structural transition of a dipole monolayer at a metal, semi-conducting or insulating interface. The dipole monolayer consists of objects/molecules with a permanent electric dipole moment. A transition between the structures of the molecular layer can be performed locally and reversibly by applying an electrical field and the structures/patterns can be reversibly switched many times between two different structures/states. Both of the two structures, the ordered and the disordered structures, are intrinsically stable without the presence of the switching electrical field. This controlled switch of the local layer structure can be used to change layer properties (i.e., mechanical, electrical, optical properties). The controlled reversible modifications of the dipole monolayer structures are usable as bit assignments in data storage applications for example.
Abstract:
The invention is essentially characterized in that in a first step a substrate is provided, which is coated with defined pattern of protrusions of a coating layer of a different material, so that an interface is defined between the substrate and the coating layer. As an example, the patterned coating layer can be applied by first forming an essentially homogeneous coating layer, which is then partially removed by means of photolithographic and etching techniques, leaving nanometer sized protrusions in that layer. As a next step, the surface provided with these structures is modified by selectively removing protrusions by means of a micro-device. Such a micro-device can be formed in a similar way to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip. The presence or absence of a protrusion represents a readable data bit information.