RU2835122C2 - Heating structure for generating an aerosol (versions), a device for generating an aerosol and a method of making a heating structure for generating an aerosol by surface plasmon resonance - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to the tobacco industry, in particular to devices simulating the tobacco smoking process. Heating structure for generating an aerosol comprises a substrate and a metal prism which forms at least one hole in the substrate and is configured to generate heat by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Aerosol generating device comprises a light source and the disclosed heating structure. Heating structure is configured to receive light from a light source. Version of the heating structure for generating an aerosol comprises a substrate with thermal conductivity from more than 0 to less than or equal to 45 W/mK. Metal prism forms at least one hole in the substrate and is configured to generate heat by means of SPR. To implement the method of producing a heating structure for generating an aerosol by means of SPR, a plurality of balls is deposited on a substrate and the size of the plurality of balls is reduced. Multiple metal particles are deposited on the substrate and/or multiple balls and multiple balls are removed.

EFFECT: high thermal efficiency of the heating structure for generating aerosol.

15 cl, 19 dwg

Description

Field of technology

[1] The invention relates to a heating structure capable of generating heat by means of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), for example, to an aerosol generating device comprising the heating structure.

Prior art

[2] Techniques for heating an object by generating heat are currently being developed. For example, heat can be generated by supplying electrical energy to an element with electrical resistance. In another example, heat can be generated by electromagnetic coupling between a coil and a current collector. The above description represents information obtained by the author(s) of the invention in the course of preparing the description of the present invention, or already available to him(them) at that time, and does not necessarily describe the level of technology generally known prior to the filing of this application. The closest analogue of the claimed group of inventions can be considered to be the device for generating an aerosol and a heating structure disclosed in the source US2020375253 A1, published 03.12.2020.

Disclosure of invention

Technical problem of the invention

[3] A first aspect of the invention may relate to a heating structure for generating heat via surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and an aerosol generating device comprising such a structure.

Solution to the problem

[4] The heating structure comprises a substrate and a metal prism forming at least one hole in the substrate and configured to generate heat by means of surface plasmon resonance (SPR).

[5] At least one opening may be surrounded by a substrate and a metal prism.

[6] A metal prism can form multiple holes separated from each other.

[7] At least one opening may have a substantially circular or elliptical shape.

[8] The at least one hole may have a diameter of between about 290 nm and about 360 nm.

[9] The first metal prism may comprise a first base surface facing the substrate, a second base surface opposite the first base surface, and several side surfaces between the first base surface and the second base surface for forming at least one opening.

[10] The distance between the first base surface and the second base surface may be from greater than 0 nm to less than or approximately equal to 10 nm.

[11] The metal prism may comprise metal particles configured to resonate with light having a wavelength in the range of approximately 380 to 780 nm.

[12] The substrate may have a thermal conductivity in the range of greater than 0 to less than or approximately equal to 45 watts per meter Kelvin (W/mK).

[13] The aerosol generating device comprises a light source and a heating structure configured to receive light from the light source, wherein the heating structure may comprise a substrate and a metal prism forming at least one opening in the substrate and configured to generate heat by means of a PPR.

[14] The heating structure comprises a substrate with a thermal conductivity of greater than 0 to less than or approximately equal to 45 W/mK and a metal prism located on the substrate and configured to generate heat by means of a PPR.

[15] The substrate may contain glass.

[16] A method for producing a heating structure for generating heat by means of PPR comprises depositing a plurality of beads on a substrate, reducing the size of the plurality of beads, depositing a plurality of metal particles on the substrate and/or the plurality of beads, and removing the plurality of beads.

[17] Reducing the size of the plurality of balls may involve etching the plurality of balls using reactive ion etching.

[18] Reducing the size of the plurality of beads may involve reducing the diameter of the beads to a range of approximately 290 to 360 nm.

Beneficial effects of the invention

[19] In one embodiment of the invention, when the heating structure is used to heat an object(s), the object can be heated locally, or at least a portion of the object(s) of several objects can be heated. In one embodiment of the invention, the object can be heated in a predetermined temperature range with a relatively low energy consumption. In other words, the thermal efficiency of the heating structure can be increased. The effects of the heating structure and the aerosol generating device containing such a structure in one embodiment of the invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects; other effects not mentioned in the text should be understood from this disclosure by a person skilled in the art.

Brief disclosure of the drawings

[20] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[21] FIGS. 1-3 schematically illustrate examples in which an aerosol generating article is inserted into an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the invention.

[22] FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically illustrate examples of an aerosol generating article according to one embodiment of the invention.

[23] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the invention.

[24] FIGS. 7-11 are views illustrating steps of a method for producing a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

[25] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a portion of a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

[26] FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a heating structure along line 13-13 in FIG. 12 according to one embodiment of the invention.

[27] FIG. 14 shows comparative graphs of the average absorption coefficient of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[28] FIG. 15 shows comparative graphs of the average absorption coefficient of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[29] FIG. 16 shows a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

[30] FIG. 17 is a comparative graph of the temperature increase of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[31] FIG. 18 is a comparative graph of the temperature increase of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[32] FIG. 19 is a diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the invention.

Principle of the invention

[33] The terms used in describing the embodiments of the invention are selected from the general terms widely used at present, taking into account their purpose in the description of the invention. However, the terms may differ depending on the problem solved by a person skilled in the art, a precedent, or the emergence of a new technology. In addition, in special cases, the applicant selects the terms at his own discretion and discloses the meaning of these terms in detail in the relevant part of the detailed description. Therefore, the terms used in the description are not merely designations, but are determined based on the meaning of the terms and the functions described.

[34] It should be understood that when a certain part "comprises" a certain component, it is not excluded that the part contains another component, but the part may additionally contain another component unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, terms such as "block", "module", etc., used in the description may refer to a part for processing at least one function or operation and may be implemented in the form of hardware and/or software.

[35] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, allowing the embodiments to be easily realized by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. However, the present invention can be realized in various forms and is not limited to the embodiments of the invention listed below.

[36] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[37] FIGS. 1-3 schematically illustrate examples in which an aerosol generating article is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

[38] As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 1 may comprise a battery 11, a controller 12 and a heater 13. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the aerosol generating device 1 may further comprise an evaporator 14. In addition, an aerosol generating article 2 (for example, a cigarette) may be inserted into the interior space of the aerosol generating device 1.

[39] The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1-3 may comprise components related to the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein. Thus, it should be understood by one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that the aerosol generating device 1 may further comprise other general-purpose components in addition to the components shown in FIGS. 1-3.

[40] Furthermore, although in FIGS. 2 and 3 it is shown that the heater 13 is included in the aerosol generating device 1, the heater 13 may be excluded if necessary.

[41] FIG. 1 shows a linear arrangement of the battery 11, the controller 12, and the heater 13. FIG. 2 shows a linear arrangement of the battery 11, the controller 12, the evaporator 14, and the heater 13. FIG. 3 shows a parallel arrangement of the evaporator 14 and the heater 13. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to the structure shown in FIGS. 1-3. That is, the arrangement of the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the evaporator 14 can be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1.

[42] When the aerosol generating article 2 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the aerosol generating device 1 can drive the heater 13 and/or the evaporator 14 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 13 and/or the evaporator 14 can be supplied to the user through the aerosol generating article 2.

[43] Even if the aerosol generating article 2 is not inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the aerosol generating device 1 can heat the heater 13 as necessary.

[44] The battery 11 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the battery 11 may supply power to heat the heater 13 or the evaporator 14 and power required to operate the controller 12. In addition, the battery 11 may supply power required to operate the display, sensor, motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 1.

[45] The controller 12 may control the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 as a whole. In particular, the controller 12 may control the corresponding operations of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1, in addition to the battery 11, the heater 13, and the evaporator 14. Additionally, the controller 12 may check the state of each component of the aerosol generating device 1 to determine whether the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operating state.

[46] The controller 12 may comprise at least one processor. The at least one processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logical elements or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executed in the microprocessor is stored. In addition, it should be understood by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that the at least one processor may be implemented by means of hardware of other types.

[47] The heater 13 may be heated by power supplied by the battery 11. For example, when the aerosol generating article is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the heater 13 may be located outside the aerosol generating article. Therefore, the heated heater 13 may increase the temperature of the aerosol generating material in the aerosol generating article.

[48] The heater 13 may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater 13 may comprise an electrically conductive path, and the heater 13 may be heated while current flows along the electrically conductive path. However, the heater 13 is not limited to the example disclosed above, and any example of heating the heater 13 to a desired temperature may be applied without limitation. In this case, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 1 or set by the user.

[49] In another example, the heater 13 may be an induction type heater. In particular, the heater 13 may comprise an electrically conductive coil for heating an aerosol generating article in an inductive manner, wherein the aerosol generating article may comprise a current collector heated by the induction heater.

[50] For example, the heater 13 may comprise a tubular, plate, needle or rod heating element and heat the inner or outer portion of the article 2 to generate an aerosol depending on the shape of the heating element.

[51] In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be provided with multiple heaters 13. In this case, the multiple heaters 13 may be inserted into the aerosol generating article 2 or located outside the aerosol generating article 2. In addition, some of the multiple heaters 13 may be inserted into the aerosol generating article 2, and the rest may be located outside the aerosol generating article 2. However, the shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1-3, and the heater may be formed into various shapes.

[52] The evaporator 14 may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, after which the generated aerosol may be supplied to the user through the aerosol generating article 2. That is, the aerosol generated by the evaporator 14 may move along the air flow path of the aerosol generating device 1, which may be configured to deliver the aerosol generated by the evaporator 14 to the user through the aerosol generating article.

[53] For example, the evaporator 14 may comprise a liquid storage (e.g., a reservoir), a liquid transfer means, and a heating element. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. For example, the liquid storage, the liquid transfer means, and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 1 as independent modules.

[54] A liquid composition may be stored in the liquid storage. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco material, which includes a volatile tobacco flavoring ingredient, or a liquid containing a material other than tobacco. The liquid storage may be made with the possibility of connection and disconnection with the evaporator 14, or may be made as an integral part of the evaporator 14.

[55] For example, the liquid composition may comprise water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a flavoring agent, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The flavoring agent may be, for example, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, etc. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. The flavoring agent may comprise ingredients that allow the user to experience a variety of aromas or tastes. The vitamin mixture may be, in particular, a mixture of vitamin A and/or vitamin B and/or vitamin C and/or vitamin E. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. The liquid composition may also comprise an aerosol-forming agent, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[56] The liquid transfer means may move the liquid composition in the liquid storage to the heating structure. For example, the liquid transfer means may be a wick, such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[57] The heating element may be an element configured to heat the liquid composition transmitted by the liquid transmission means. The heating element may be, for example, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, or another similar element. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, the heating element may be an electrically conductive thread, such as a nichrome wire, and may be wound around the liquid transmission means. The heating element may be heated by applying a current and may impart heat to the liquid composition coming into contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

[58] For example, the evaporator 14 may be called a cartomizer or an atomizer. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[59] In this case, the aerosol generating device 1 may also comprise general-purpose components in addition to the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the evaporator 14. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may comprise a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may comprise at least one sensor (for example, a puff sensor, a temperature sensor, a sensor for recognizing the insertion of an aerosol generating article, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be configured to introduce outside air/exhaust internal gases even after the aerosol generating article 2 is inserted.

[60] Although not shown in FIGS. 1-3, the aerosol generating device 1 may form a system together with a separate stand. For example, the stand may be used to charge the battery 11 of the aerosol generating device 1. Alternatively, the stand may be used to heat the heater 13, wherein the stand and the aerosol generating device 1 are connected to each other.

[61] The aerosol generating article 2 may be similar to a conventional combustion cigarette. For example, the aerosol generating article 2 may be divided into a first part containing an aerosol generating material and a second part containing a filter, etc. Alternatively, the second part of the aerosol generating article 2 may also contain an aerosol generating material. For example, an aerosol generating material in the form of granules or capsules may be introduced into the second part.

[62] The first part may be fully inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, and the second part may be led out. Alternatively, only the first part may be partially inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, or the first part may be fully inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, and the second part may be partially inserted into the aerosol generating device 1. The user may inhale the aerosol when the second part is in the user's mouth. In this case, the aerosol may be generated when outside air passes through the first part, and the generated aerosol may enter the user's mouth through the second part.

[63] For example, outside air may be supplied to at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1. In this case, the user can adjust the opening or closing of the air passage and/or the size of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1. Accordingly, the user can adjust the degree of spraying, the taste of smoke, etc. In another example, outside air may be introduced into the aerosol generating article 2 through at least one opening formed on the surface of the aerosol generating article 2.

[64] Next, examples of the aerosol generating article 2 will be disclosed with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[65] FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically illustrate examples of an aerosol generating article.

[66] As shown in FIG. 4, the aerosol generating article 2 may comprise a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22. The first part and the second part disclosed above with reference to FIGS. 1-3 may comprise the tobacco rod 21 and the filter rod 22, respectively.

[67] Although the filter rod 22 is shown in FIG. 4 as having a single segment, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. That is, in an alternative embodiment, the filter rod 22 may comprise multiple segments. For example, the filter rod 22 may comprise an aerosol cooling segment and a segment that filters out a predetermined ingredient contained in the aerosol. In addition, if necessary, the filter rod 22 may further comprise at least one segment that performs other functions.

[68] The diameter of the aerosol generating article 2 may be from 5 mm to 9 mm, and its length may be about 48 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. For example, the length of the tobacco rod 21 may be about 12 mm, the length of the first segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 10 mm, the length of the second segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 14 mm, and the length of the third segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 12 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[69] The aerosol generating article 2 may be wrapped in at least one wrapper 24. The wrapper 24 may comprise at least one opening through which outside air enters or inside gas exits. For example, the aerosol generating article 2 may be wrapped in one wrapper 24. In another example, the aerosol generating article 2 may be wrapped in two or more wrappers 24 overlapping each other. For example, the tobacco rod 21 can be wrapped in the first wrapper 241, and the filter rod 22 can be wrapped in wrappers 242, 243 and 244. In addition, the aerosol generating article 2 as a whole can be wrapped in a single wrapper 245. For example, if the filter rod 22 contains several segments, several segments can be wrapped in wrappers 242, 243 and 244, respectively.

[70] The first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be made of general-purpose wrapping paper for filters. For example, the first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be made of porous or non-porous wrapping paper. In addition, the first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be made of greaseproof paper and/or aluminum laminated wrapping material.

[71] The third wrapper 243 may be made of rigid wrapping paper. For example, the density of the third wrapper 243 may be from 88 g/ ^m2 to 96 g/ ^m2 , preferably from 90 g/ ^m2 to 94 g/ ^m2 . In addition, the thickness of the third wrapper 243 may be from 120 to 130 μm, preferably about 125 μm.

[72] The fourth wrapper 244 may be made of greaseproof rigid wrapping paper. For example, the density of the fourth wrapper 244 may be from 88 g/ ^m2 to 96 g/ ^m2 , preferably from 90 g/ ^m2 to 94 g/ ^m2 . In addition, the thickness of the fourth wrapper 244 may be from 120 to 130 μm, preferably about 125 μm.

[73] The fifth wrapper 245 may be made of sterile paper (e.g., MFW). In this case, sterile paper (MFW) may refer to paper specially prepared to improve its tensile strength, water resistance, smoothness, etc., compared to ordinary paper. For example, the density of the fifth wrapper 245 may be from 57 g/ ^m2 to 63 g/ ^m2 , preferably 60 g/ ^m2 . In addition, the thickness of the fifth wrapper 245 may be from 64 μm to 70 μm, preferably about 67 μm.

[74] The fifth wrapper 245 may contain a predetermined material inside. The material may be, for example, silicon. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. Silicon may have properties such as, for example, heat resistance with a smaller change under the influence of temperature, oxidation resistance meaning resistance to oxidation, resistance to various chemicals, water-repellent or dielectric properties. However, the use of silicon is not necessary; any material having the properties disclosed above may be applied to the fifth wrapper 245 (or used for coating) without limitation.

[75] The fifth wrapper 245 can prevent the aerosol generating article 2 from burning. For example, when the tobacco rod 21 is heated by the heater 13, there is a possibility that the aerosol generating article 2 will ignite. In particular, when the temperature rises to a temperature exceeding the ignition point of any of the materials included in the tobacco rod 21, the aerosol generating article 2 may ignite. Even in this case, the aerosol generating article 2 can be prevented from burning because the fifth wrapper 245 contains a non-combustible material.

[76] In addition, the fifth wrapper 245 can prevent the holder from being contaminated with substances generated in the aerosol generating article 2. Liquid substances may be generated in the aerosol generating article 2 when the user takes a puff. For example, such liquid substances (e.g., water, etc.) may be generated as the aerosol generated in the aerosol generating article 2 is cooled by the outside air. Since the aerosol generating article 2 is wrapped with the fifth wrapper 245, it is possible to prevent liquid substances generated inside the aerosol generating article 2 from leaking out of the aerosol generating article 2.

[77] The tobacco rod 21 may comprise an aerosol generating material. For example, the aerosol generating material may comprise at least one of the following substances: glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleyl alcohol. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may comprise other additives such as a flavoring additive, a wetting additive and/or an organic acid. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may comprise a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a humectant, which is added to the tobacco rod 21 by injection.

[78] The tobacco rod 21 can be made in various shapes. For example, the tobacco rod 21 can be formed in the form of a sheet or a strand. Alternatively, the tobacco rod 21 can be obtained from tobacco leaves finely cut from a tobacco leaf. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 can be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. For example, the heat-conducting material can be a metal foil, in particular, aluminum foil. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. For example, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 can evenly distribute the heat imparted to the tobacco rod 21, which makes it possible to increase the heat transfer to the tobacco rod 21 and, thereby, improve the taste of tobacco. In addition, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 can serve as a current collector heated by an induction heater. In this case, although not shown in the drawings, the tobacco rod 21 may comprise an additional current collector along with the heat-conducting material surrounding it on the outside.

[79] The filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. However, the shape of the filter rod 22 is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the filter rod 22 may have the shape of a hollow cylinder or a hollow tube. In addition, the filter rod 22 may be a rod with a recess. For example, if the filter rod 22 comprises several segments, at least one of the segments may have a different shape.

[80] The first segment of the filter rod 22 may be a filter made of cellulose acetate. For example, the first segment may be in the form of a tube with a cavity inside. The first segment may prevent the internal material of the tobacco rod 21 from being pushed out when the heater 13 is inserted into the tobacco rod 21, and may cool the aerosol. The desired diameter of the cavity in the first segment may be from 2 mm to 4.5 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[81] The desired length of the first segment may be from 4 to 30 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. Preferably, the length of the first segment may be 10 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[82] The rigidity of the first segment can be adjusted by adjusting the content of the plasticizer during the manufacturing process of the first segment. In addition, the first segment can be manufactured by introducing into its interior (e.g., cavity) a structure, in particular a film, tube or other element made of the same or another material.

[83] The second segment of the filter rod 22 can cool the aerosol generated by the heater 13 heating the tobacco rod 21. Thus, the user can inhale the aerosol cooled to a suitable temperature.

[84] The length or diameter of the second segment may vary depending on the shape of the aerosol generating article 2. For example, the desired length of the second segment may be from 7 to 20 mm. Preferably, the length of the second segment is about 14 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[85] The second segment may be made by weaving a polymer fiber. In this case, the flavor liquid may be applied to the fibers made of the polymer. In another example, the second segment may be made by weaving a separate fiber, onto which the flavor liquid is applied, and a fiber made of the polymer. In yet another example, the second segment may be made of a corrugated polymer sheet.

[86] For example, the polymer may be selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactide (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and aluminum foil.

[87] Since the second segment is formed by a woven polymer fiber or a corrugated polymer sheet, the second segment may comprise one or more channels oriented in the longitudinal direction. The channel referred to in this document may mean a path along which a gas (e.g., air or aerosol) moves.

[88] For example, the second segment made from a corrugated polymer sheet may be formed from a material having a thickness of about 5 to 300 μm, such as about 10 to 250 μm. In addition, the total surface area of the second segment may be about 300 to 1000 mm ² /mm. In addition, the aerosol cooling element may be formed from a material having a specific surface area of about 10 to 100 mm ² /mg.

[89] In this case, the second segment may comprise a thread containing a volatile aromatic ingredient. The volatile aromatic ingredient may be menthol. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. For example, the thread may be impregnated with a sufficient amount of menthol to ensure that the menthol content in the second segment is not less than 1.5 mg.

[90] The third segment of the filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. The desired length of the third segment may be from 4 to 20 mm. For example, the length of the third segment is approximately 12 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[91] The third segment may be manufactured in such a way that the flavoring agent is formed by spraying the flavoring liquid onto the third segment during the manufacturing process of the third segment. Alternatively, a separate fiber may be inserted into the third segment and the flavoring liquid is applied to it. The aerosol generated in the tobacco rod 21 may be cooled as it passes through the second segment of the filter rod 22, and the cooled aerosol may be delivered to the user through the third segment. Accordingly, when the flavoring agent is added to the third segment, the taste and aroma delivered to the user may be retained for a much longer time.

[92] In addition, the filter rod 22 may contain at least one capsule 23. In this case, the capsule 23 may perform the function of generating a taste and aroma or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is wrapped in a film. The capsule 23 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[93] As shown in FIG. 5, the aerosol generating article 3 may further comprise a front plug 33. The front plug 33 may be located on the side of the tobacco rod 31 opposite the filter rod 32. The front plug 33 may prevent the tobacco rod 31 from falling out and prevent liquefied aerosol from the tobacco rod 31 from entering the aerosol generating device (for example, the aerosol generating device 1 in FIGS. 1-3) during smoking.

[94] The filter rod 32 may comprise a first segment 321 and a second segment 322. In this case, the first segment 321 may correspond to the first segment of the filter rod 22 in FIG. 4, and the second segment 322 may correspond to the third segment of the filter rod 22 in FIG. 4.

[95] The diameter and the overall length of the aerosol generating article 3 may correspond to the diameter and the overall length of the aerosol generating article 2 in FIG. 4. For example, the length of the front plug 33 may be approximately 7 mm, the length of the tobacco rod 31 may be approximately 15 mm, the length of the first segment 321 may be approximately 12 mm, and the length of the second segment 322 may be approximately 14 mm. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[96] The aerosol generating article 3 may be wrapped in at least one wrapper 35. The wrapper 35 may comprise at least one opening through which outside air enters or inside gas exits. For example, the front plug 33 may be wrapped in the first wrapper 351, the tobacco rod 31 in the second wrapper 352, the first segment 321 in the third wrapper 353, and the second segment 322 in the fourth wrapper 354. In addition, the aerosol generating article 3 as a whole may be wrapped in the fifth wrapper 355.

[97] In addition, at least one perforation 36 may be provided in the fifth wrapper 355. For example, the perforation 36 may be provided in the region surrounding the tobacco rod 31. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. The perforation 36 may serve to transfer the heat generated by the heater 13 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 into the tobacco rod 31.

[98] In addition, the second segment 322 may contain at least one capsule 34. In this case, the capsule 34 may perform the function of generating a taste and aroma or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is wrapped in a film. The capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[99] The first wrapper 351 may be a combination of general-purpose wrapping paper for filters and a metal foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the total thickness of the first wrapper 351 may be from 45 to 55 μm, preferably about 50.3 μm. In addition, the thickness of the metal foil of the first wrapper 351 may be from 6 to 7 μm, preferably 6.3 μm. In addition, the density of the first wrapper 351 may be from 50 to 55 g/ ^m2 , preferably 53 g/ ^m2 .

[100] The second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be made of general-purpose wrapping paper for filters. For example, the second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be made of porous or non-porous wrapping paper.

[101] For example, the porosity of the second wrapper 352 may be 35,000 AU. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, the thickness of the second wrapper 352 may be from 70 to 80 μm, preferably about 78 μm. In addition, the density of the second wrapper 352 may be from 20 to 25 g/m ² , preferably 23.5 g/m ² .

[102] For example, the porosity of the third wrapper 353 may be 24,000 AU. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, the thickness of the third wrapper 353 may be from 60 to 70 μm, preferably about 68 μm. In addition, the density of the third wrapper 353 may be from 20 to 25 g/ ^m2 , preferably 21 g/ ^m2 .

[103] The fourth wrapper 354 may be made of polylactide-laminated paper. In this case, the polylactide-laminated paper may be understood to mean a three-layer paper comprising a paper layer, a polylactide layer and a paper layer. For example, the thickness of the fourth wrapper 354 may be from 100 to 120 μm, preferably about 110 μm. In addition, the density of the fourth wrapper 354 may be from 80 to 100 g/ ^m2 , preferably 88 g/ ^m2 .

[104] The fifth wrapper 355 may be made of sterile paper (e.g., MFW). In this case, sterile paper (e.g., MFW) may refer to paper specially prepared to improve tensile strength, water resistance, smoothness, etc. compared to ordinary paper. For example, the density of the fifth wrapper 355 may be from 57 to 63 g/ ^m2 , preferably about 60 g/ ^m2 . In addition, the thickness of the fifth wrapper 355 may be from 64 to 70 μm, preferably about 67 μm.

[105] The fifth wrapper 355 may contain a predetermined material inside. The material may be, for example, silicon. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. Silicon may have properties such as, for example, heat resistance with a smaller change under the influence of temperature, oxidative stability meaning resistance to oxidation, resistance to various chemicals, water-repellent or dielectric properties. However, the use of silicon is not necessary; any material having the properties disclosed above may be applied to the fifth wrapper 355 (or used for coating) without limitation.

[106] The front plug 33 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example, the front plug 33 may be produced by adding a plasticizer (such as triacetin) to a cellulose acetate fiber. The monodenier of the cellulose acetate fiber may be from 1.0 to 10.0, preferably from 4.0 to 6.0. More preferably, the monodenier of the thread of the front plug 33 may be about 5.0. In addition, the cross-section of the thread of the front plug 33 may have a Y-shape. The total denier of the front plug 33 may be from 20,000 to 30,000, preferably from 25,000 to 30,000. More preferably, the total denier of the front plug 33 may be 28,000.

[107] In addition, if necessary, the front plug 33 may comprise at least one channel, the cross-section of which may have various shapes.

[108] The tobacco rod 31 may correspond to the tobacco rod 21 disclosed above with reference to FIG. 4. Thus, a detailed disclosure of the tobacco rod 31 will be omitted herein.

[109] The first segment 321 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example, the first segment may be formed in the form of a tube with a cavity inside. For example, the first segment 321 may be made by adding a plasticizer (for example, triacetin) to the cellulose acetate fiber. For example, the monodenier and the total denier of the first segment 321 may coincide with the monodenier and the total denier of the front plug 33.

[110] The second segment 322 may be made of cellulose acetate. The monodenier of the thread of the second segment 322 may be from 1.0 to 10.0, preferably from 8.0 to 10.0. More preferably, the monodenier of the thread of the second segment 322 may be 9.0. In addition, the cross-section of the thread of the second segment 322 may have a Y-shape. The total denier of the second segment 322 may be from 20,000 to 30,000, preferably 25,000.

[111] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 400 according to one embodiment of the invention.

[112] The aerosol generating device 400 may include a controller 410, a sensor unit 420, an output unit 430, a battery 440, a heater 450, a user input unit 460, a memory 470, and a communication unit 480. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 400 is not limited to the structure shown in FIG. 6. It should be understood by a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that some of the components shown in FIG. 6 may be omitted, or new components may be added in accordance with the design of the aerosol generating device 400.

[113] The sensor unit 420 may recognize the state of the aerosol generating device 400 or the state of the environment around the aerosol generating device 400, and transmit the information received by the sensors to the controller 410. Based on the information received by the sensors, the controller 410 may control the aerosol generating device 400 by adjusting the operation of the heater 450, restricting smoking, determining the presence of an aerosol generating article (e.g., a cigarette, a cartridge, etc.), displaying notifications, and performing other functions.

[114] The sensor unit 420 may comprise a temperature sensor 422 and/or an insertion recognition sensor 424 and/or a puff sensor 426. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[115] The temperature sensor 422 may determine the temperature to which the heater 450 (or aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 400 may comprise a separate temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater 450, or the heater 450 itself may serve as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 422 may be located around the battery 440 to monitor the temperature of the battery 440.

[116] The insertion recognition sensor 424 may determine whether an aerosol-generating article is inserted or removed. The insertion recognition sensor 424 may include, for example, a film sensor and/or a pressure sensor and/or a light sensor and/or a resistive sensor and/or a capacitive sensor and/or an inductive sensor and/or an infrared sensor capable of sensing a change in a signal when an aerosol-generating article is inserted or removed.

[117] The puff sensor 426 may recognize a puff performed by a user based on various physical changes in the air flow path or in the air flow channel. For example, the puff sensor 426 may recognize a puff performed by a user based on a change in any of the following parameters: temperature, flow, voltage, and pressure.

[118] The sensor unit 420 may further comprise at least one of the following components: a temperature/humidity sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, a position sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) sensor), a proximity sensor, or a red, green, blue (RGB) color sensor (e.g., an illumination sensor), in addition to the sensors 422-426 disclosed above. The function of each sensor may be intuitively understood from its name by a person skilled in the art, and therefore a detailed disclosure of this function is not given in this document.

[119] The output unit 430 may output information about the state of the aerosol generating device 400 and provide it to the user. The output unit 430 may be a display 432 and/or a tactile portion 434 and/or a sound output device 436. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. If the display 432 and the touch panel are formed as a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display 432 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

[120] The display 432 may visually provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 400. The information about the aerosol generating device 400 may include, for example, a charge/discharge state of the battery 440 of the aerosol generating device 400, a preheating state of the heater 450, a state of insertion/removal of the aerosol generating article, a state of limited use (for example, a non-standard article is detected) of the aerosol generating device 400, and the like, and the display 432 may output the information to the outside. The display 432 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, and the like. The display 432 may also be implemented as a light-emitting diode (LED).

[121] The tactile portion 434 may provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 400 in a tactile manner by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus. The tactile portion 434 may be, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[122] The sound output device 436 may provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 400 in sound form. For example, the sound output device 436 may convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

[123] The battery 440 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 400. The battery 440 may supply power to heat the heater 450. In addition, the battery 440 may supply power needed to operate other components (for example, the sensor unit 420, the output unit 430, the user input unit 460, the memory 470, and the communication unit 480) included in the aerosol generating device 400. The battery 440 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 440 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[124] The heater 450 may be powered by the battery 440 for heating the material for generating the aerosol. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the aerosol generating device 400 may further comprise a power conversion circuit (for example, a direct current to direct current (DC/DC) converter) that converts the power of the battery 440 and supplies power to the heater 450. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 400 generates the aerosol by the induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 400 may further comprise a direct current to alternating current (DC/AC) converter that converts the direct current of the battery 440 into alternating current.

[125] The controller 410, the sensor unit 420, the output unit 430, the user input unit 460, the memory 470 and the communication unit 480 may receive the power necessary to perform their functions from the battery 440. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the aerosol generating device 400 may further comprise a power conversion circuit, such as a low dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, which converts the power from the battery 440 and supplies power to the corresponding components.

[126] The heater 450 may be made of any suitable electrically resistive material. The electrically resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy, including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel or nichrome, as well as other metals or alloys. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, the heater 450 may be made in the form of a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate on which an electrically conductive track is placed, or a ceramic heating element, etc., as well as in the form of other elements.

[127] In one embodiment of the invention, the heater 450 may be an induction type heater. For example, the heater 450 may comprise a current collector that heats the material to generate the aerosol by generating heat with a magnetic field induced by the coil.

[128] In one embodiment of the invention, the heater 450 may comprise multiple heaters. For example, the heater 450 may comprise a first heater for heating the article to generate an aerosol and a second heater for heating the liquid.

[129] The user input unit 460 may receive information from the user or output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 460 may comprise, in particular, a keyboard, a dome switch, a touch panel (for example, a contact capacitive type, a resistive film type, an infrared sensor type, a surface ultrasonic conductivity type, an integral voltage measurement type, a piezo effect type, etc.), a switch wheel, a rotary switch, and the like. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 6, the aerosol generating device 400 may further comprise a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to another external device through a connection interface such as a USB interface for transmitting and receiving information or for charging the battery 440.

[130] Memory 470 is hardware that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol generating device 400 and can store data processed by the controller 410 and data to be processed in this manner. Memory 470 can be at least one of the following types of storage media: flash memory, a hard disk, a multimedia micro-card, a card (e.g., SD or XE), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. Memory 470 can store the operating time of the aerosol generating device 400, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data on the user's smoking habits, etc.

[131] The communication unit 480 may comprise at least one component for communicating with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit 480 may comprise a short-range wireless communication unit 482 and a wireless communication unit 484.

[132] The short-range wireless communication unit 482 may be a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE communication unit, a near-field communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a ZigBee communication unit, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, and an Ant+ communication unit. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above.

[133] The wireless communication unit 484 may be, for example, a cellular network communicator, an Internet communicator, a computer network communicator (for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) and the like. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited to the above. The wireless communication unit 484 may use subscriber information (for example, an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 400 in the communication network.

[134] The controller 410 may control the operation of the aerosol generating device 400 as a whole. In one embodiment of the invention, the controller 410 may include at least one processor. The at least one processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logical elements or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. In addition, one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains should understand that it may be implemented by means of other types of hardware.

[135] The controller 410 may control the temperature of the heater 450 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 440 to the heater 450. For example, the controller 410 may control the supply of power by controlling the switching of the switching element between the battery 440 and the heater 450. In another example, the direct heating circuit may control the supply of power to the heater 450 in accordance with a control command from the controller 410.

[136] The controller 410 may analyze the measurement result obtained by the sensor unit 420 and control the processes that will be performed thereafter. For example, the controller 410 may control the supply of power to the heater 450 to start or stop the operation of the heater 450 based on the measurement result obtained by the sensor unit 420. In another example, the controller 410 may control the amount of energy supplied to the heater 450 and the time of supply of this energy, that is, the heater 450 can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at a desired temperature level based on the measurement result obtained by the sensor unit 420.

[137] The controller 410 may control the output unit 430 based on the measurement result obtained by the sensor unit 420. For example, if the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 426 reaches a predetermined number, the controller 410 may inform the user that the operation of the aerosol generating device 400 will soon end, via the display 432 and/or the tactile portion 434 and/or the sound output device 436.

[138] In one embodiment of the invention, the controller 410 may control the timing of the power supply and/or the amount of power for the heater 450 depending on the state of the aerosol generating article detected by the sensor unit 420. For example, if the aerosol generating article is in an over-moistened state, the controller 410 may control the timing of the power supply to the inductive coil to increase the preheating time compared to the case when the aerosol generating article is in a normal state.

[139] One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a storage medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules executable by a computer. A computer-readable medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, as well as removable and non-removable media. Furthermore, a computer-readable medium may be both a computer storage medium and a communication medium. A computer storage medium is a volatile medium, a nonvolatile medium, a removable medium, or a non-removable medium implemented with any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. A communication medium typically includes computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in modulated data signals such as program modules, or other transfer mechanisms, and includes any information transfer media.

[140] FIGS. 7-11 are views illustrating steps of a method for producing a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention. The order of the steps for producing the heating structure is not limited to the order described herein, and at least one additional step may be included between the steps, any of the steps described may be omitted, or the order of some steps may be changed.

[141] As shown in FIG. 7, a method for producing a heating structure 550 may include a step of providing a substrate 551. The substrate 551 may be in the form of a plate with opposite surfaces (e.g., a surface oriented in the +Z direction and a surface oriented in the -Z direction). At least one surface (e.g., a surface oriented in the +Z direction) of the substrate 551 may be formed as a substantially flat surface.

[142] In one embodiment of the invention, substrate 551 may be made of various materials. For example, substrate 551 may be made of glass, silicon (Si), silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ), sapphire, polystyrene, polymethyl methacrylate and/or any other material with suitable thermal conductivity properties. In some embodiments, substrate 551 may be made of glass and/or silicon (Si) and/or silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) and/or sapphire. In some embodiments, substrate 551 may comprise a material with a relatively low heat transfer coefficient. This allows heat to be locally transferred to a partial region on substrate 551.

[143] In one embodiment, substrate 551 may have electrical conductivity. In one embodiment, substrate 551 may have dielectric properties.

[144] In one embodiment of the invention, the substrate 551 may be made of a material with any thermal conductivity suitable for use in the environment in which the heating structure 550 is located. For example, the substrate 551 may have a thermal conductivity of about 0.6 watts per meter kelvin (W/mK) or less, from about 1 W/mK to about 2 W/mK, from about 2 W/mK to about 5 W/mK, from about 5 W/mK to about 10 W/mK, from about 10 W/mK to about 100 W/mK, or from about 100 W/mK to about 200 W/mK, at a pressure of 1 bar and a temperature of 25°C.

[145] In one embodiment of the invention, the substrate 551 may have a relative thermal conductivity. In other words, the thermal conductivity of the substrate 551 may be substantially equal to or less than the thermal conductivity of another component (e.g., the metal prism 554) of the heating structure 550. If the substrate 551 has a relatively low thermal conductivity, the dissipation of heat through the substrate 551 may decrease and the amount of heat transferred to the target may increase. For example, the thermal conductivity of the substrate 551 may be about 45 W/mK or less, about 40 W/mK or less, about 35 W/mK or less, about 30 W/mK or less, about 25 W/mK or less, about 20 W/mK or less, about 15 W/mK or less, about 10 W/mK or less, about 5 W/mK or less, about 2 W/mK or less, or about 1 W/mK at a pressure of 1 bar and a temperature of 25°C.

[146] As shown in FIG. 8, a method for producing a heating structure 550 may comprise the step of depositing a plurality of balls 552 on one surface (e.g., a surface oriented in the +Z direction) of a substrate 551. The plurality of balls 552 may be deposited in the form of a monolayer (i.e., substantially one layer) on one surface of the substrate 551.

[147] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may be deposited on the substrate 551 by any suitable method. For example, the plurality of balls 552 may be deposited by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, and/or any other suitable method. In some embodiments, the plurality of balls 552 may be deposited by physical vapor deposition.

[148] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of beads 552 can be applied at a substantially low heat-resistant temperature. For example, the plurality of beads 552 can be applied at a heat-resistant temperature of about 110°C or less, about 100°C or less, about 90°C or less, about 80°C or less, about 70°C or less, about 60°C or less, about 50°C or less, about 40°C or less, or about 30°C or less. For example, the plurality of beads 552 can be applied at a heat-resistant temperature of about 20°C or more, about 30°C or more, about 40°C or more, about 50°C or more, about 60°C or more, about 70°C or more, or about 80°C or more. For example, a plurality of 552 beads may be deposited at a heat resistance temperature close to room temperature (approximately 25°C).

[149] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may have a structure with a substantially curved surface. For example, the plurality of balls 552 may have a spherical shape of a circular or elliptical cross-section. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may be formed in the form of a three-dimensional shape of a polygonal cross-section.

[150] In one embodiment of the invention, some of the plurality of balls 552 may be in contact with one another. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may be arranged to form gaps between some (e.g., three) adjacent balls 552.

[151] In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of balls 552 may be applied to the substrate 551 in a regular arrangement. For example, the plurality of balls 552 may comprise a plurality of first balls 552A arranged in a first direction (e.g., in the +/-X direction) of the substrate 551, and a plurality of second balls 552B arranged in a second direction (e.g., +/-Y) intersecting with the first direction of the substrate 551 from among the plurality of first balls 552A arranged in the first direction of the substrate 551. In some embodiments, the plurality of first balls 552A and the plurality of second balls 552B may be arranged such that the center of the plurality of first balls 552A and the center of the plurality of second balls 552B may not coincide when viewing the substrate 551 in the same direction (e.g., in the +/-Y direction).

[152] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of beads 552 may be formed from a styrene-based resin, a (meth)acrylic-based resin, an imide-based resin, and/or a copolymer thereof. In some embodiments, the plurality of beads 552 may be formed from polymethyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, poly-n-butyl methacrylate, polysec-butyl methacrylate, polytert-butyl methacrylate, polymethyl acrylate, polyisopropyl acrylate, polycyclohexyl methacrylate, poly 2-methylcyclohexyl methacrylate, polydicyclopentanyloxyethyl methacrylate, polyisobornyl methacrylate, polycyclohexyl acrylate, poly 2-methylcyclohexyl acrylate, polydicyclopentenyl acrylate, polydicyclopentanyl acrylate, polydicyclopentanyl methacrylate, polydicyclopentanyl methacrylate, polydicyclopentanyl methacrylate, polydicyclopentanyl methacrylate, polydicyclopentanyloxyethyl acrylate, polyisobornyl acrylate, polyphenyl methacrylate, polyphenyl acrylate, polybenzyl acrylate, polybenzyl methacrylate, poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, poly-α-methylstyrene, poly-m-methylstyrene, poly-p-methylstyrene, vinyltoluene, 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl 1,3-butadiene, polyimide and/or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the plurality of beads 552 may be formed from polystyrene or silica. In some embodiments, the plurality of beads 552 may be formed from polystyrene.

[153] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may have an average maximum diameter of about 10 nm or more, about 50 nm or more, about 90 nm or more, about 100 nm or more, about 150 nm or more, about 200 nm or more, about 300 nm or more, about 450 nm or more, or about 500 nm or more. In some embodiments, the plurality of balls 552 may have an average maximum diameter of about 450 nm or more.

[154] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may have an average maximum diameter of about 1000 nm or less, about 900 nm or less, about 800 nm or less, about 700 nm or less, about 600 nm or less, or about 550 nm or less. In some embodiments, the plurality of balls 552 may have an average maximum diameter of about 600 nm or less.

[155] As shown in FIG. 9, a method for producing a heating structure 550 may include a step of reducing the size of a plurality of balls 552 on a substrate 551.

[156] In one embodiment of the invention, the reduced size (e.g., average maximum diameter) of the plurality of balls 552 can be about 360 nm or less, about 350 nm or less, about 340 nm or less, about 330 nm or less, about 320 nm or less, about 310 nm or less, or about 300 nm or less. In one embodiment of the invention, the reduced size (e.g., average maximum diameter) of the plurality of balls 552 can be about 290 nm or more, about 300 nm or more, about 310 nm or more, about 320 nm or more, about 330 nm or more, or about 340 nm or more.

[157] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of balls 552 may have substantially the same shape that they had before being reduced in size. For example, the plurality of balls 552 may maintain a spherical shape of a circular or elliptical cross-section.

[158] In one embodiment of the invention, the size of the plurality of balls 552 may be reduced by any suitable method. In one embodiment of the invention, the size of the plurality of balls 552 may be reduced by an etching process (e.g., reactive ion etching, ion etching, and/or any other etching). Reactive ion etching may be selected as one of the advantageous processes, given that the free electrons of the metal particles are concentrated in the edge region of the metal prism (e.g., the metal prism 554). In one embodiment of the invention, the size of the plurality of balls 552 may be reduced by at least partially immersing the plurality of balls 552 in a solvent.

[159] In one embodiment of the invention, at least some of the plurality of reduced-size balls 552 may be physically separated from one another. Some of the plurality of balls 552 may be displaced without contacting one another to form a gap therebetween.

[160] As shown in FIG. 10, a method for producing a heating structure 550 may comprise a step of depositing a plurality of metal particles 553 on one surface (e.g., a surface oriented in the +Z direction) of a substrate 551.

[161] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of metal particles 553 may have dimensions in the nanoscale range. For example, the plurality of metal particles 553 may have an average maximum diameter of about 1 μm or less. In some embodiments, the plurality of metal particles 553 may have an average maximum diameter of about 700 nm or less, about 600 nm or less, about 500 nm or less, about 400 nm or less, about 300 nm or less, about 200 nm or less, about 150 nm or less, or about 100 nm or less.

[162] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be deposited on the substrate 551 and/or the plurality of beads 552 by any suitable deposition method. For example, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be deposited by sputtering, ion beam deposition, thermal evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, plasma deposition, and/or any other suitable deposition method.

[163] In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of metal particles 553 may be deposited on a first deposition region A1 comprising corresponding open portions of a plurality of balls 552 located on one surface of a substrate 551, and a second deposition region A2 comprising a portion of at least a portion of one surface of the substrate 551 and/or portions between the plurality of balls 552. In some embodiments, the substrate 551 may comprise a non-deposition region A3 in which the plurality of metal particles 553 are not deposited and the plurality of balls 552 are not located.

[164] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be formed from any material suitable for generating heat. For example, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be formed from at least one of the following substances: gold, silver, copper, palladium, platinum, aluminum, titanium, nickel, chromium, iron, cobalt, manganese, rhodium, and ruthenium, or combinations thereof.

[165] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be formed from any material suitable for generating heat when interacting with light of a certain wavelength range (e.g., the wavelength range of visible light, i.e., from about 380 nm to 780 nm). For example, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be obtained from at least one of the following substances: gold, silver, copper, palladium and platinum, or combinations thereof.

[166] In some embodiments, the plurality of metal particles 553 may be formed from a metal material characterized by an average maximum absorption coefficient. In this case, the average maximum absorption coefficient may be understood to mean an absorption coefficient that substantially has a peak in a wavelength range. The wavelength range corresponding to the absorption coefficient can be understood as a wavelength range in which the plurality of metal particles 553 resonates. For example, the plurality of metal particles 553 can be formed from a metal material having an average maximum absorption coefficient in a wavelength range between about 430 nm and about 450 nm, between about 480 nm and about 500 nm, between about 490 nm and about 510 nm, between about 500 nm and about 520 nm, between about 550 nm and about 570 nm, between about 600 nm and about 620 nm, between about 620 nm and about 640 nm, between about 630 nm and about 650 nm, between about 640 nm and about 660 nm, between about 680 nm and about 700 nm or between about 700 nm and about 750 nm. The average maximum absorption coefficient of the plurality of metal particles 553 may vary depending on the type of substrate 551 in addition to the metal material, the size of the structure (e.g., the metal prism) formed by the plurality of metal particles 553, and/or the shape of the structure.

[167] In one embodiment of the invention, the deposition thickness of the plurality of metal particles 553 may be about 20 nm or less. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the deposition thickness of the plurality of metal particles 553 may be about 10 nm or less. When the plurality of metal particles 553 are deposited on the substrate 551 with a thickness of more than 10 nm, the level of exothermic reaction in the structure (for example, a metal prism) formed by the plurality of metal particles 553 may be reduced. If the thickness of the structure formed by the plurality of metal particles 553 exceeds 10 nm, the probability of heat leakage to the environment of the heating structure 550 may increase, which may lead to a decrease in the thermal efficiency of the heating structure 550.

[168] As shown in FIG. 11, a method for producing a heating structure 550 may include a step of removing a plurality of balls (e.g., balls 552 in FIG. 10). By removing the plurality of balls, a plurality of holes H surrounded by a metal prism 554 may be formed on the substrate 551. The holes H may have a shape (e.g., a substantially circular or elliptical shape) corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the balls.

[169] Removal of the plurality of beads may be accomplished by any suitable method. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of beads may be dissolved by a solvent by immersion in the solvent. For example, the solvent may include toluene and/or acetone and/or benzene and/or phenol and/or ether and/or any other suitable inorganic solvent or any organic solvent. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of beads may be removed by an etching process (e.g., reactive ion etching, ion etching and/or any other etching).

[170] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a portion of a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the heating structure along line 13-13 in FIG. 12 according to one embodiment of the invention.

[171] As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the heating structure 650 may be configured to generate heat by means of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refers to a collective oscillation of electrons propagating along the interface of metal particles with a medium. For example, the collective oscillation of electrons of metal particles may be caused by light propagating from the outside of the heating structure 650. The excitation of electrons of the metal particles may generate thermal energy, and the generated thermal energy may be transferred in a medium to which the heating structure 650 is applied.

[172] The heating structure 650 may comprise a substrate 651. The substrate 651 may comprise a first surface 651A (e.g., a top surface) and a second surface 651B (e.g., a bottom surface) opposite the first surface 651A.

[173] The heating structure 650 may comprise a metal prism 654. The metal prism 654 may be in the form of a grid. The metal prism 654 may be a substantially uniform structure and comprise a plurality of openings H. The metal prism 654 may comprise a first base surface 654A facing the first surface 651A of the substrate 651, a second base surface 654B opposite the first base surface 654A, and a plurality of side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 between the first base surface 654A and the second base surface 654B. The first surface 651A of the substrate 651 and the plurality of side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 of the metal prism 654 may form a plurality of openings H.

[174] In one embodiment of the invention, the first base surface 654A and the second base surface 654B may be substantially parallel to each other.

[175] In one embodiment of the invention, the first base surface 654A and/or the second base surface 654B may be formed as a substantially flat surface.

[176] In one embodiment of the invention, the distance between the first base surface 654A and the second base surface 654B (e.g., the thickness of the metal prism 654) may be approximately 10 nm or less. When the metal prism 654 has a thickness greater than 10 nm, the level of exothermic reaction of the plurality of metal particles forming the metal prism 654 may decrease, which may lead to a decrease in the thermal efficiency of the heating structure 650.

[177] In one embodiment of the invention, multiple side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 of the metal prism 654 may be oriented in different directions. For example, the first side surface 654C1 may be oriented in a first direction (e.g., a first radial direction), and the second side surface 654C2 may be oriented in a second direction (e.g., a second radial direction), substantially opposite to the first direction.

[178] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the plurality of side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 may be formed as a substantially curved surface. In some embodiments, the plurality of side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 may be formed as curved surfaces having substantially the same curvature. In one embodiment of the invention, the curvature of any of the plurality of side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 may differ from the curvature of another side surface.

[179] In one embodiment of the invention, several side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 may be formed as curved surfaces concave toward the center of the metal prism 654. In one embodiment of the invention, at least one of several side surfaces 654C1 and 654C2 may be formed as a curved surface convex from the center of the metal prism 654.

[180] In one embodiment of the invention, the metal prism 654 may have two side surfaces. For example, the metal prism 654 may have a substantially semicircular shape or a shape close to a semicircle.

[181] In one embodiment of the invention, some of the plurality of openings H may be separated from each other. Some of the openings H may be separated by a portion of the metal prism 654. In some embodiments of the invention, some of the plurality of openings H may be connected to each other. For example, some regions of the metal prism 654 may not be connected to each other, and the openings H on both sides of the regions may be connected.

[182] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of openings H may have an average maximum diameter D of about 10 nm or more, about 50 nm or more, about 90 nm or more, about 100 nm or more, about 150 nm or more, about 200 nm or more, about 300 nm or more, about 350 nm or more, about 450 nm or more, or about 500 nm or more. In some embodiments, the plurality of openings H may have an average maximum diameter D of about 450 nm or more.

[183] In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of openings H may have an average maximum diameter D of about 1000 nm or less, about 900 nm or less, about 800 nm or less, about 700 nm or less, about 600 nm or less, or about 550 nm or less. In some embodiments, the plurality of openings H may have an average maximum diameter D of about 600 nm or less.

[184] FIG. 14 shows comparative graphs of the average absorption coefficient of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[185] As shown in FIG. 14, the graph on the left shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a glass substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 460 nm. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure was approximately 640 nm.

[186] The graph in the middle shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a glass substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed by reducing the size of polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 460 nm using reactive ion etching. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure was approximately 640 nm.

[187] The graph on the right shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a glass substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 800 nm. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure was approximately 700 nm.

[188] FIG. 15 shows comparative graphs of the average absorption coefficient of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[189] As shown in FIG. 15, the graph on the left shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a sapphire substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 460 nm. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure was approximately 640 nm.

[190] The graph in the middle shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a sapphire substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed by reducing the size of polystyrene beads with a diameter of about 460 nm using reactive ion etching. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure was about 610 nm and about 680 nm.

[191] The graph on the right shows the absorption coefficient of a heating structure (e.g., heating structure 650 in FIG. 12) as a function of wavelength, wherein the heating structure comprises a sapphire substrate and a metal prism containing gold and formed using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 800 nm. The resonant wavelength of the heating structure did not fall within the visible wavelength range.

[192] According to the graphs in FIGS. 14 and 15, the resonant wavelength of the heating structure increases as the size of the balls increases.

[193] FIG. 16 shows a heating structure according to one embodiment of the invention.

[194] As shown in FIG. 16, the heating structure 750 may comprise a substrate 751 comprising a first surface 751A and a second surface 751B, a SPR structure 754 (e.g., a metal prism 554 or 654) located on the first surface 751A, and a reflective layer 755 located on the second surface 751B. The heating structure 750 may be configured to receive light L onto the substrate 751 and/or the SPR structure 754.

[195] In one embodiment of the invention, the SPR structure 754 may be implemented as at least one metal prism (e.g., metal prism 554 or 654) comprising a plurality of metal particles. In one embodiment of the invention, the SPR structure 754 may comprise a plurality of metal particles deposited on the first surface 751A of the substrate 751. In one embodiment of the invention, the SPR structure 754 may comprise at least one metal film formed from a metal material.

[196] The light source emitting the light L may be removed from the heating structure 750 by a certain distance. For example, the distance between the light source and the heating structure 750 may be about 40 cm or less, about 35 cm or less, about 30 cm or less, about 25 cm or less, about 20 cm or less, about 15 cm or less, about 10 cm or less, or about 5 cm or less. The distance between the light source and the heating structure 750 may be about 5 cm or more, about 10 cm or more, about 15 cm or more, about 20 cm or more, or about 25 cm or more.

[197] The light L may form a spot LS on the substrate 751 and/or the SPR structure 754. For example, the size of the spot LS may be about 2 mm or less, about 1.5 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, or about 0.5 mm or less. The size of the spot LS may be about 0.2 mm or more, about 0.4 mm or more, about 0.6 mm or more, or about 0.8 mm or more.

[198] The reflective layer 755 may be configured to reflect light L passing through the substrate 751 onto the substrate 751 and/or the SPR structures 754. The reflective layer 755 that reflects light L passing through the substrate 751 may allow the substrate 751 and the SPR structures 754 to utilize the reflected light, which may increase the efficiency of using light by the heating structure 750 and thereby increase the heating efficiency.

[199] In one embodiment of the invention, the reflective layer 755 may be formed over the entire area of the second surface 751B of the substrate 751. In one embodiment of the invention, the reflective layer 755 may be formed on a portion of the second surface 751B of the substrate 751. For example, the reflective layer 755 may be formed as a single reflective zone on a portion of the second surface 751B of the substrate 751 or as multiple reflective zones.

[200] The reflective layer 755 may be made of any material suitable for reflecting light L. In one embodiment of the invention, the reflective layer 755 may be made of a metallic material. For example, the reflective layer 755 may be made of at least one of the following substances: gold, silver, copper, and any other metallic material having reflective properties, or combinations thereof.

[201] The reflective layer 755 may have any thickness suitable for reflecting light L. The thickness of the reflective layer 755 may be determined as a value sufficient for substantially completely reflecting light L. For example, the reflective layer 755 may have a thickness of about 15 nm or less, about 12 nm or less, about 10 nm or less, about 8 nm or less, or about 5 nm or less. In a preferred example, the thickness of the reflective layer 755 may be about 10 nm. The thickness of the reflective layer 755 may be determined by the refractive index of the substrate 751, the thickness of the substrate 751, the refractive index of the reflective layer 755 and/or any other parameter.

[202] In one embodiment of the invention, the reflective layer 755 may be in direct contact with the second surface 751B of the substrate 751. In one embodiment of the invention, the reflective layer 755 may be located at some distance from the second surface 751B of the substrate 751, and a medium (e.g., air) may be located between the second surface 751B and the reflective layer 755.

[203] In one embodiment of the invention, the heating structure 750 may comprise an absorbing layer 756 disposed on the reflective layer 755. The absorbing layer 756 may be configured to absorb a portion of the transmitted light that passes through the reflective layer 755 and is not reflected by the reflective layer 755. The absorbing layer 756 may increase the efficiency of using light by the heating structure 750.

[204] In one embodiment of the invention, the absorbing layer 756 may be at least partially applied to the reflective layer 755 by coating.

[205] In one embodiment of the invention, the absorbing layer 756 may have a substantially high emissivity. In some embodiments, the absorbing layer 756 may have an emissivity substantially close to "1." The absorbing layer 756 may be implemented as a structure and/or material close to a substantially black body. For example, the absorbing layer 756 may be implemented as a structure having at least one opening through which light may penetrate and be substantially continuously reflected in it. In another example, the absorbing layer 756 may be implemented as a black dye. In another example, the absorbing layer 756 may be implemented as a black matrix. In one embodiment of the invention, the absorbing layer 756 may be implemented as a gray or white body.

[206] In one embodiment of the invention, the absorbent layer 756 may comprise a heat-resistant material. For example, the absorbent layer 756 may comprise a material that is capable of withstanding an ambient temperature of about 750°C or higher, about 800°C or higher, about 850°C or higher, about 900°C or higher, about 950°C or higher, or about 1000°C or higher.

[207] In one embodiment of the invention, the heating structure 750 may comprise a thermal imager 760 configured to generate a thermal image. For example, the thermal imager 760 may generate an image comprising a thermal distribution of the heating structure 750. In one embodiment of the invention, the thermal imager 760 may be included in an external component of the heating structure 750 (for example, in the aerosol generating device 800 of FIG. 19).

[208] FIG. 17 is a comparative graph of the temperature increase of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[209] As shown in FIG. 17, the first heating structure H1 comprised a glass substrate, a 10 nm thick metal film containing gold, and an absorber layer. The glass substrate has a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.8 W/mK. The second heating structure H2 comprised a sapphire substrate, a 10 nm thick metal film containing gold, and an absorber layer. The sapphire substrate has a thermal conductivity of approximately 46.06 W/mK. The temperature of the first heating structure H1 showed a relatively large increase as the laser power increased, while the temperature of the second heating structure H2 showed a relatively small increase as the laser power increased. This indicates that the thermal efficiency of the heating structure may decrease because the substrate with high thermal conductivity absorbs more of the generated heat.

[210] FIG. 18 is a comparative graph of the temperature increase of heating structures according to one embodiment of the invention.

[211] As shown in FIG. 18, the first heating structure H1 was manufactured using polystyrene beads with a diameter of about 460 nm. The size of the polystyrene beads was substantially maintained. After removing the polystyrene beads, the metal prism of the first heating structure H1 had a structure in which a plurality of metal prisms were located at a certain distance from each other. The first heating structure H1 contained an absorption layer.

[212] The second heating structure H2 was fabricated using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 800 nm. The size of the polystyrene beads was essentially maintained. After removing the polystyrene beads, the metal prism of the second heating structure H2 had a structure in which several metal prisms were located at some distance from each other. The second heating structure H2 contained an absorber layer.

[213] The third heating structure H3 was fabricated using polystyrene beads with a diameter of approximately 460 nm. The size of the polystyrene beads was reduced to approximately 300 nm by reactive ion etching, after which metal particles were deposited and the polystyrene beads were removed. The third heating structure H3 had a metal prism structure realized as a single mesh-shaped structure. The third heating structure H3 contained an absorber layer.

[214] The first heating structure H1 and the second heating structure H2 showed the same temperature increase rate depending on the laser power. Meanwhile, the temperature of the third heating structure H3 was higher than the temperature of the first heating structure H1 and the second heating structure H2 under the same laser power. This confirmed that the heating structure containing a mesh-shaped metal prism and fabricated by reducing the size of polystyrene beads using reactive ion etching can improve the thermal efficiency.

[215] FIG. 19 is a diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the invention.

[216] As shown in FIG. 19, the aerosol generating device 800 may comprise at least one heating structure 850 configured to heat an aerosol generating article (e.g., an aerosol generating article 2 or 3) and at least one light source 855 configured to emit light in the direction of the at least one heating structure 850. Meanwhile, although FIG. 19 shows the aerosol generating device 800 comprising a controller 810 configured to control the heating structure 850 and/or the light source 855, and a battery 840 configured to supply electrical energy to the controller 810, other components may be added or excluded.

[217] In one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol generating device 800 may comprise a single heating structure 850. The heating structure 850 may at least partially surround a cavity in which an article is placed for generating an aerosol. In the heating structure 850, for example, the substrate 551, 651 or 751 may at least partially have a curved surface.

[218] In one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol generating device 800 may comprise multiple heating structures 850. The multiple heating structures 850 may be located in different parts depending on the cavity in which the aerosol generating article is to be placed. The metal materials of the metal prisms included in the multiple heating structures 850 may be the same or different.

[219] In one embodiment, the light source 855 may be configured to transmit an optical signal in the direction of the heating structure 850 at a certain angle. For example, the light source 855 may transmit an optical signal at an angle that allows for total reflection on the surface of the heating structure 850. In one embodiment of the invention, the light source 855 may transmit an optical signal in the direction of the heating structure 850 at any angle.

[220] In one embodiment of the invention, the light source 855 may be configured to emit light in the ultraviolet range, the visible range, and/or the infrared range. In some embodiments, the light source 855 may be configured to emit light in the visible range (e.g., from about 380 nm to 780 nm).

[221] In some embodiments, the light source 855 may be configured to emit light in a range corresponding to the material of the metal particles of the metal prism included in the heating structure 850. For example, the light source 855 may emit light in a range of wavelength corresponding to an average maximum absorption coefficient in accordance with the material of the metal particles.

[222] In one embodiment of the invention, the light source 855 may be a light emitting diode and/or a laser. The type and/or size of the light emitting diode and/or laser is selected so that they are suitable for inclusion in the aerosol generating device 800. For example, the laser may be a solid-state and/or semiconductor laser.

[223] In one embodiment of the invention, the aerosol generating device 800 may comprise multiple light sources 855. The multiple light sources 855 may be configured as light sources of the same type. In one embodiment of the invention, at least some of the multiple light sources 855 may be configured as light sources of different types.

[224] In one embodiment of the invention, at least one light source 855 of the plurality of light sources 855 may be configured to irradiate a portion of the heating structure 850.

[225] In one embodiment of the invention, a portion of the heating structure 850 irradiated by any one of the light sources 855 of the plurality of light sources 855 may differ from a portion of the heating structure 850 irradiated by another light source 855. For example, multiple light sources 855 may irradiate different portions of one heating structure 850 or irradiate multiple heating structures 850.

[226] In one embodiment of the invention, multiple light sources 855 may be configured to irradiate substantially simultaneously. In one embodiment of the invention, the time of irradiation of any light source 855 of the multiple light sources 855 may differ from the time of irradiation of another light source 855.

[227] In one embodiment of the invention, multiple light sources 855 may irradiate the heating structure 850 for substantially the same amount of time. In one embodiment of the invention, the irradiation time of any light source 855 of the multiple light sources 855 may differ from the irradiation time of another light source 855.

[228] In one embodiment of the invention, multiple light sources 855 may emit light in substantially the same wavelength range. In one embodiment of the invention, the range of light emitted by any one of the multiple light sources 855 may differ from the range of light emitted by another light source 855.

[229] In one embodiment of the invention, multiple light sources 855 may irradiate the heating structure 850 with substantially the same intensity. In one embodiment of the invention, the intensity of any light source 855 of the multiple light sources 855 may differ from the intensity of another light source 855.

[230] The embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes may be made to the detailed description of the present invention, including the appended scope of the claims and equivalents. Any of the embodiments of the invention described herein may be used in combination with any other embodiment of the invention described herein.

Claims (25)

1. A heating structure for generating an aerosol, comprising: substrate; and a metal prism that forms at least one hole in the substrate and is capable of generating heat via surface plasmon resonance (SPR). 2. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one opening is surrounded by a substrate and a metal prism. 3. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein the metal prism forms a plurality of holes separated from each other. 4. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one opening has a circular or elliptical shape. 5. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one hole has a diameter of 290 to 360 nm. 6. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein the metal prism comprises a first base surface facing the substrate, a second base surface opposite the first base surface, and several side surfaces between the first base surface and the second base surface for forming at least one opening. 7. The heating structure of claim 6, wherein the distance between the first base surface and the second base surface is from greater than 0 nm to less than or equal to 10 nm. 8. The heating structure according to claim 1, wherein the metal prism comprises metal particles configured to resonate with light with a wavelength of 380 to 780 nm. 9. The heating structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a thermal conductivity of greater than 0 to less than or equal to 45 W/mK. 10. An aerosol generating device comprising: light source; and a heating structure according to claim 1, wherein the heating structure is configured to receive light from a light source. 11. A heating structure for generating an aerosol, comprising: a substrate with a thermal conductivity of greater than 0 to less than or equal to 45 W/mK; and a metal prism that forms at least one hole in the substrate and is capable of generating heat by means of a PPR. 12. The heating structure of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises glass. 13. A method for producing a heating structure according to claim 1 or 11 for generating an aerosol by means of PPR, comprising: applying multiple balls to a substrate; reduction in the size of the set of balls; depositing a plurality of metal particles on a substrate and/or a plurality of beads; and removing multiple balls. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the reduction in size of the plurality of balls is performed by etching the plurality of balls using a reactive ion etching method. 15. The method according to claim 13, wherein reducing the size of the plurality of balls involves reducing the diameter of the balls to a range from 290 to 360 nm.