DRY ADHESIVES AND METHODS FOR MAKING DRY ADHESIVES
A dry adhesive and a method of forming a dry adhesive. The method includes forming an opening through an etch layer and to a barrier layer, expanding the opening in the etch layer at the barrier layer, filling the opening with a material, removing the barrier layer from the material in the opening, and removing the etch layer from the material in the opening.
1 . An adhesive fiber, comprising:
a stem is connected to a tip at a point of connection,
wherein the tip comprises a surface and a cross-sectional area; and
wherein the stem comprises a longitudinal length and a cross-sectional area smaller than the tip cross-sectional area.
2 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the tip surface is a flat surface.
3 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tip further comprises a plurality of tip cross-sectional areas;
wherein the plurality of tip cross-sectional areas increase from the tip point of connection to the tip surface; and
wherein the stem cross-sectional area at the tip point of connection is equal to or less than a tip cross-sectional area of the plurality of tip cross-sectional areas at the tip point of connection.
4 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stem further comprises a plurality of cross-sectional areas; and
wherein the plurality of cross sectional areas of the stem have same cross sectional areas to form a uniform stem cross-sectional area along the longitudinal length.
5 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stem further comprises a plurality of cross-sectional areas; and
wherein the plurality of cross sectional areas of the stem have different cross sectional areas to form a non-uniform stem cross-sectional area along the longitudinal length.
6 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , further comprising a backing layer connected to an end of the stem opposing the point of connection.
7 . The adhesive fiber array according to claim 6 , further comprising an angle between the stem and the backing layer being equal to 90 degrees.
8 . The adhesive fiber array according to claim 6 , further comprising an angle between the stem and the backing layer not being equal to 90 degrees.
9 . The adhesive fiber array according to claim 1 , further comprising an angle between the tip and the stem being equal to 90 degrees.
10 . The adhesive fiber array according to claim 1 , further comprising an angle between the tip and the stem not being equal to 90 degrees.
11 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , further comprising a base connected to the end of the stem.
12 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the stem cross-sectional area further comprises a plurality of cross-sectional areas along a longitudinal length, wherein the plurality of cross sectional areas have the same area to form a uniform cross-sectional area stem.
13 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the stem cross-sectional area further comprises a plurality of stem cross sectional areas along a longitudinal length, wherein the plurality of stem cross sectional areas comprise two or more stem cross sectional areas having different areas forming a non-uniform diameter stem to form a non-uniform cross-sectional area stem.
14 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the tip cross-sectional area further comprises a plurality of tip cross sectional areas along a longitudinal length, wherein the plurality of tip cross sectional areas comprise two or more tip cross sectional areas having different areas forming a non-uniform diameter tip.
15 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the stem further comprises a surface having a hydrophobic and low surface energy layer on the surface of the stem.
16 . The adhesive fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the tip comprises a layer of fluorocarbon.
17 . The dry adhesive fiber structure of claim 1 , further comprising a stem-fiber angle δ that ranges between 1-180 degrees.
18 . The dry adhesive fiber structure of claim 1 , further comprising a tip wedge angle α that ranges between 1-179 degrees.