Method and system for forming a patterned structure on a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10338473-B2
Application number	US-201415032950-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a method and system for providing a patterned structure ( 3 p ) on an acceptor substrate 4 ). The method comprises providing a donor substrate ( 10 ) arranged between a light source ( 5 ) and an acceptor substrate ( 4 ). A mask ( 7 ) is arranged between the light source ( 5 ) and the donor substrate ( 10 ). The mask ( 7 ) comprises a mask pattern ( 7 p ) for patterning light ( 6 ). The patterned light ( 6 p ) impinging the donor substrate ( 10 ) causes the donor material ( 3 ) to be released from the donor substrate ( 10 ) and transfer to the acceptor substrate ( 4 ) to form the patterned structure ( 3 p ) thereon. The patterned light ( 6 p ) is divided by the mask pattern ( 7 p ) into a plurality of separate homogeneously sized beams ( 6 b ) simultaneously impinging the donor substrate ( 10 ) for causing the donor material ( 3 ) to be released from the donor substrate ( 10 ) in the form of separate homogeneously sized droplets ( 3 d ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method for providing a patterned structure on a substrate, the method comprising
providing a donor substrate arranged between a light source and an acceptor substrate, wherein the donor substrate comprises a donor material;
providing a mask arranged between the light source and the donor substrate, wherein the mask comprises a mask pattern for patterning light from the light source impinging the donor substrate, wherein the patterned light matches the patterned structure to be created, wherein the patterned light impinging the donor substrate causes the donor material to be released from the donor substrate and transfer to the acceptor substrate to form the patterned structure thereon; wherein
the patterned light is divided into a plurality of separate homogeneously sized beams simultaneously impinging the donor substrate for causing the donor material to be released from the donor substrate in the form of separate homogeneously sized droplets;
wherein the mask pattern comprises a plurality of pattern areas having different sizes corresponding to different sizes of areas of the patterned structure to be formed, wherein the light that is patterned by a pattern area of the plurality of pattern areas is divided into a plurality of separate homogeneously sized neighbouring beams which neighbouring beams form an interconnected area of the patterned structure on the acceptor substrate.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the mask is produced by
receiving a mask pattern comprising a plurality of pattern areas having different sizes corresponding to differently sized circuit elements to be formed; and
dividing the pattern areas into a plurality of separate homogeneously sized pixels.

3. Method according to claim 1 wherein the beams are homogeneously distanced for depositing the droplets at homogeneous distances onto the acceptor substrate, wherein an interconnecting patterned structure is formed by the transferred droplets spreading on the acceptor substrate and connecting to neighbouring transferred droplets.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each of the beams impinging the donor substrate is 150-250% times a layer thickness of the donor material on the donor substrate.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein a separation distance between neighbouring beams is between 10-150% a size of the beams.

6. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the beams are square or circular.

7. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a flash lamp.

8. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the light comprises a modulated pulse wherein the modulation comprises a first time interval and a second time interval that is longer than the first time interval wherein, in the first time interval, the modulated pulse has a first light intensity for releasing the donor material and wherein, in the second time interval, the modulated pulse has a second light intensity that is lower than the first light intensity for drying, melting, and/or sintering the donor material while the donor material is in transit between the donor substrate and acceptor substrate.

9. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the donor substrate comprises a transparent substrate with a layer of donor material arranged on a face thereof between the donor substrate and acceptor substrate.

10. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the donor substrate comprises a releasing layer between a transparent substrate and the layer of donor material, wherein the releasing layer reacts under influence of the light for releasing the donor material from the donor substrate.

Assignees

• TNO

Inventors

• Hendriks Rob Jacob
• Arutinov Gari
• Smits Edsger Constant Pieter

Classifications

• B41M5/46

  characterised by the light-to-heat converting means; characterised by the heat or radiation filtering or absorbing means or layers · CPC title

• B41M2205/14

  Production or use of a mask · CPC title

• G03F7/2008 Primary

  characterised by the reflectors, diffusers, light or heat filtering means or anti-reflective means used · CPC title

• B41M3/006 Primary

  Patterns of chemical products used for a specific purpose, e.g. pesticides, perfumes, adhesive patterns; use of microencapsulated material; Printing on smoking articles · CPC title

• G03F7/7015

  Details of optical elements · CPC title