| abstract |
Broadly the invention is a method for forming a highly-oriented crystal structure on a substrate in a known orientation comprising the steps of forming a film of highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) with an orientation angle of less than 20 DEG on a surface of the substrate with its nominal orientation director along a desired orientation director and then depositing a crystal-forming material on the highly-oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) to form the structure. Specific examples include a method for growing a highly-oriented crystal on filament substrates, a method for producing extruded polymer articles (fibers, tapes, and solids) containing oriented crystal growth to improve the characteristics thereof, and a method for storing and retrieving data. |