OPTICALLY DIFFUSE MICRO-CHANNEL
An embossed micro-channel structure includes a substrate having a substrate surface. A cured layer having a cured-layer surface is formed on the substrate surface. One or more embossed micro-channels is formed in the cured layer extending from the cured-layer surface into the cured layer toward the substrate. Each micro-channel has a micro-channel bottom surface, one or more micro-channel side surface(s), and at least one of the micro-channel bottom surface or the micro-channel side surfaces is a non-planar micro-channel surface. A cured electrical conductor forming a micro-wire in each micro-channel.
1 . An embossed micro-channel structure, comprising:
a substrate having a substrate surface;
a cured layer formed on the substrate having a cured-layer surface;
one or more embossed micro-channels formed in the cured layer extending from the cured-layer surface into the cured layer toward the substrate, wherein each micro-channel has a micro-channel bottom surface, one or more micro-channel side surface(s), and at least one of the micro-channel bottom surface or the micro-channel side surfaces is a non-planar micro-channel surface; and
a cured electrical conductor forming a micro-wire in each micro-channel.
2 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the micro-wire extends across the bottom surface of each micro-channel.
3 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein non-planar micro-channel surface is a micro-channel bottom.
4 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein non-planar micro-channel surface is a micro-channel side.
5 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the non-planar micro-channel surface is irregular.
6 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the non-planar micro-channel surface has portions that are not parallel to the cured-layer surface or has portions that are not orthogonal to the cured-layer surface.
7 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , further including a plurality of micro-channels embossed in the cured layer with a micro-wire formed in each micro-channel.
8 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the micro-wire has a micro-wire bottom surface and one or more micro-wire side surface(s) and at least one of the micro-wire bottom surface or micro-wire side surfaces is a non-planar micro-wire surface.
9 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 8 , wherein the non-planar micro-wire surface is the micro-wire bottom.
10 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 8 , wherein the non-planar micro-wire surface is a micro-wire side.
11 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the micro-wire is an incident-light diffusive micro-wire.
12 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 , wherein the micro-channel is an incident-light diffusive micro-channel.
13 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the micro-wire is adhered to the micro-channel bottom surface or one of the micro-channel side surfaces.
14 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the micro-channel is at least as wide or wider where it is closer to the cured-layer surface than where the micro-channel is farther from cured-layer surface.
15 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the surface normals of the non-planar micro-channel surface are not parallel.
16 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the non-planar micro-channel surface has planar portions that have a dimension greater than 500 nm.
17 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the non-planar micro-channel surface has planar portions that have a dimension greater than 1 micron.
18 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the non-planar micro-channel surface is at least partially curved.
19 . The embossed micro-channel structure of claim 1 wherein the micro-wire is in contact with and has the shape of at least a portion of one of the micro-channel bottom surface or micro-channel side surfaces.