Role Of Surface Topography Research Articles

A three-dimensional scaffold with precise micro-architecture and surface micro-textures

A three-dimensional (3D) structure comprising precisely defined micro-architecture and surface micro-textures, designed to present specific physical cues to cells and tissues, may provide an efficient scaffold in a variety of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. We report a fabrication technique based on microfabrication and soft lithography that permits for the development of 3D scaffolds with both precisely engineered architecture and tailored surface topography. The scaffold fabrication technique consists of three key steps starting with microfabrication of a mold using an epoxy-based photoresist (SU-8), followed by dual-sided molding of a single layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using a mechanical jig for precise motion control; and finally, alignment, stacking, and adhesion of multiple PDMS layers to achieve a 3D structure. This technique was used to produce 3D Texture and 3D Smooth PDMS scaffolds, where the surface topography comprised 10μm diameter/height posts and smooth surfaces, respectively. The potential utility of the 3D microfabricated scaffolds, and the role of surface topography, were subsequently investigated in vitro with a combined heterogeneous population of adult human stem cells and their resultant progenitor cells, collectively termed connective tissue progenitors (CTPs), under conditions promoting the osteoblastic phenotype. Examination of bone-marrow derived CTPs cultured on the 3D Texture scaffold for 9 days revealed cell growth in three dimensions and increased cell numbers compared to those on the 3D Smooth scaffold. Furthermore, expression of alkaline phosphatase mRNA was higher on the 3D Texture scaffold, while osteocalcin mRNA expression was comparable for both types of scaffolds.

Surface microtopographies of tropical sea stars: lack of an efficient physical defence mechanism against fouling

The role of surface topography as a defence against fouling in tropical sea stars was investigated. The sea stars Linckia laevigata, Fromia indica, Cryptasterina pentagona and Archaster typicus are not fouled and have paxillae (modified ossicles with a median vertical pillar) on their aboral surfaces, which varied in diameter, height and distance depending on species and position on the aboral surface, providing unique and complex surface microtopographies for each species. The surfaces of the sea stars L. laevigata, F. indica and A. typicus were moderately wettable, with their mean seawater contact angles, calculated from captive bubble measurements, being 60.1°, 70.3° and 57.3°, respectively. The seawater contact angle of C. pentagona could not be measured. To evaluate the effectiveness of the surface microtopographies in deterring the settlement of fouling organisms, field experiments with resin replicas of the four sea star species were conducted at three sites around Townsville, Australia, for 8 weeks during the dry and wet seasons. The fouling community and total fouling cover did not differ significantly between replicas of L. laevigata, F. indica, C. pentagona, A. typicus and control surfaces at any site during the dry season. Significant differences between fouling communities on the replicas of the sea stars and control surfaces were detected at two sites during the wet season. However, these differences were transitory, and the total fouling cover did not differ significantly between replicas of sea stars and control surfaces at two of the three sites. In contrast to recent literature on the effects of biofouling control by natural surfaces in the marine environment, the surface microtopographies of tropical sea stars alone were not effective in deterring the settlement and growth of fouling organisms.

Significance of Surface Topography on Performance and Lifetime of MEMS Switches and Relays

AbstractSwitches and relays that have emerged from the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology have the potential to replace traditional solid-state devices due to broader operating temperature range, higher breakdown voltage, and much higher off-state resistance. Interest in MEMS switches and relays has surged recently, principally due to the demonstrated performance in switching radio-frequency signals. However, understanding of the effect of the surface topography on performance and lifetime of these microdevices is rather empirical. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the role of surface topography in various physical phenomena encountered at contact interfaces of MEMS switches and relays. Emphasis is given on the dependence of pull-in voltage, electric field, and electrical breakdown on surface topography and interpretation of contact interface phenomena associated with surface erosion and adhesion in the context of surface topography effects. In addition, current obstacles in the study of the influence of the surface topography on the performance of MEMS switches and relays are discussed in light of recent findings.

Weld features that differentiate weld and plate corrosion

Corrosion is an environmentally assisted damage that professionals face daily, particularly with welded structures. Fusion welds result from solidification and solid-state transformations induced by well-localized thermal cycles. A fusion weld joint inherently exhibits an irregular surface as well as gradients in chemical composition, microstructure, properties, and residual stress, depending on process parameters and part geometry. This article analyzes the roles of surface topography, alloy chemical compositional variation, hydrogen distribution, and stress on weld corrosion. Methods to inhibit weld corrosion are suggested.

The Effects of Disk Surface Topography on Baseline Instability of MR Head

Several factors which influence baseline instability (BLI) phenomenon in MR drive were investigated experimentally. In particular, the role of surface topography on BLI was studied in detail. The r esults show that BLI is linearly proportional to the surface waviness with a spatial wavelength of 0.4 to 5.0 min. BLI becomes worse as the surface waviness increases. On the other hand, surface roughness which has a spatial wavelength below 25 m has no effect on BLI. The results further show that the effect of bias current on the BLI is amplified on the disk with worse surface waviness. The disk surface waviness is dependent on the manufacturing process and becomes an inherent surface property of media. The disk surface waviness. therefore, can not be overlooked when evaluating the media for a high-performance hard disk drive. In general, waviness is reduced mainly during grinding and polishing process during manufacturing.

The role of surface topography in predicting scattering at grazing incidence from optical surfaces

Monochromator design and the design of optical experiments at XUV and X-ray wavelengths are frequently limited by scattering from optical components, yet theoretical treatments are few and untested experimentally. This is partly due to the failure of scattering models used in the visible and near UV when the wavelength becomes comparable to, or smaller than, the topographic features on the surface, and partly it is due to the difficulty in measuring the topography on the required size scale. We briefly review the theoretical problems and prospects for accurately predicting both the magnitude and angular distribution of scattering at grazing incidence from optical surfaces. Experimental methods for determining and representing the surface topography are also reviewed, together with their limitations and ranges of applicability. Finally, the first results of our experiments, conducted recently at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory on the angular distribution of scattering by surfaces of known topography are presented and discussed, along with their potential implications for the theory of scattering, and for XUV and X-ray optical components.

Adhesion of Polyethylene to Metals: The Role of Surface Topography

Previous work established the importance of the fibrous substrate topography in obtaining good adhesion of polyethylene to matt black oxide films formed on copper in alkaline solution. In this paper the effect of the very rough surface topography is shown to be general. Anodising treatments for copper and zinc and a high temperature oxidation for steel are described which give a very rough surface consisting (respectively) of fibrous, dendritic and blade-like growths. The peel strength of polyethylene to these substrates is high even under circumstances, for example when the polymer is stabilised with anti-oxidant, where adhesion to a chemically similar smooth surface is low. The high peel strength is associated with large amounts of energy being dissipated during peeling in plastic deformation of the polymer near the interface. It is suggested that this is caused by the development of high shear stress concentration at the fibre ends causing yielding in a large volume of polymer.

Surface topography and tribology

The development of ideas about the role of surface topography in tribology is reviewed. The role of experiments using stylus profilometers with A/ D conversion is emphasized. The most radical change which has occurred is the recent widespread acceptance of the concept that a typical tribological system can involve both elastic and plastic deformation of asperities. New methods of describing and characterizing surface topography have emerged and there is an urgent need to relate these methods to the tribological behaviour of surfaces.

Mechanism of Surface Alignment in Nematic Liquid Crystals

Abstract Chatelain hypothesized that orientation of liquid crystals by interaction with the substrate is due to an adsorbed layer of fatty contaminants, but substrate topography has also been postulated as a causal factor. Experiments with chemically cleaned surfaces rubbed without contamination now confirm the importance of the impurity layer, which has been investigated using Auger spectrometry. Through the use of known surfactans, intentionally deformed substrates, and electron microscopy, the roles of surface topography and surface chemistry have been distinguished: substrates with surface energy lower than the liquid crystal surface tension cause homeotropic alignment; otherwise alignment is parallel to the substrate plane, following any long-range order, e.g., grooves, present on the surface.