System and method for coating substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944996-B2
Application number	US-202017413942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2020
Priority date	Jan 13, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A system for coating of a donor material onto a laser radiation transparent substrate, the system including a donor material applicator, applying donor material to the laser radiation transparent substrate, a multi-pass precise donor material thickness determiner for providing a desired thickness of the donor material on the laser radiation transparent substrate and including a linearly displaceable blade support, a layer thickness uniformizing blade lockably pivotably mounted onto the linearly displaceable blade support about a pivot axis, the blade having a straight edge and a blade position maintainer operative for maintaining the straight edge at a desired separation distance from the laser radiation transparent substrate, the separation distance being uniform along the straight edge of the layer thickness uniformizing blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for coating of a donor material onto a laser radiation transparent substrate having a straight surface portion, said method comprising:
providing a layer thickness uniformizing blade pivotably mounted onto a linearly displaceable blade support about a pivot axis, said blade having a straight edge, wherein the layer thickness uniformizing blade is pivotably mounted on an axle;
initially positioning said linearly displaceable blade support relative to said laser radiation transparent substrate such that said straight edge lies coplanar with said straight surface portion of said laser radiation transparent substrate, wherein said straight surface portion lies along a blade engagement axis which is perpendicular to said pivot axis;
thereafter locking said layer thickness uniformizing blade against pivotable movement relative to said linearly displaceable blade support about said pivot axis;
thereafter repositioning said linearly displaceable blade support and said layer thickness uniformizing blade about a linear displacement axis which is perpendicular to said blade engagement axis and perpendicular to said pivot axis to a position at which said straight edge is separated from said straight surface portion of said laser radiation transparent substrate by a separation distance, which is uniform along said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade;
applying said donor material to said laser radiation transparent substrate;
providing mutual displacement between said layer thickness uniformizing blade and said laser radiation transparent substrate along an axis parallel to said pivot axis, thereby to reduce the thickness of said initial layer of said donor material; and
maintaining said separation distance.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sequentially repeating said repositioning and said providing mutual displacement steps at least once thereby to sequentially reduce said thickness of said donor material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said providing mutual displacement comprises reducing the thickness of said donor material to a thickness between 10 and 2000 microns.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said initially positioning said linearly displaceable blade support comprises measuring a force exerted by said layer thickness uniformizing blade on said laser radiation transparent substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said initially positioning comprises initially positioning said layer thickness uniformizing blade such that a portion of said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade touches said laser radiation transparent substrate, while said layer thickness uniformizing blade is free to pivot about said pivot axis.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said initially positioning further comprises thereafter lowering said layer thickness uniformizing blade such that said straight edge lies in parallel touching engagement with said laser radiation transparent substrate, while said layer thickness uniformizing blade is free to pivot about said pivot axis.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said initially positioning further comprises thereafter further lowering said layer thickness uniformizing blade until a measured force of said layer thickness uniformizing blade on said laser radiation transparent substrate is about 150 grams, while said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade lies in parallel touching engagement with said laser radiation transparent substrate and said layer thickness uniformizing blade remains free to pivot about said pivot axis.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said locking said layer thickness uniformizing blade against pivotable movement relative to said linearly displaceable blade support about said pivot axis is provided by operation of an electromagnet mounted onto said linearly displaceable blade support by attracting a locking arm, fixed to said layer thickness uniformizing blade.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said repositioning takes place when said layer thickness uniformizing blade is not free to pivot about said pivot axis.

10. A system for coating of a donor material onto a laser radiation transparent substrate, said system comprising:
a donor material applicator for applying donor material to said laser radiation transparent substrate;
a multi-pass precise donor material thickness determiner for providing a desired thickness of said donor material on said laser radiation transparent substrate and including:
a linearly displaceable blade support;
a layer thickness uniformizing blade lockably pivotably mounted onto said linearly displaceable blade support about a pivot axis, said layer thickness uniformizing blade having a straight edge, wherein the layer thickness uniformizing blade is pivotably mounted on an axle; and
a blade position maintainer operative for maintaining said straight edge at a desired separation distance from said laser radiation transparent substrate, said separation distance being uniform along said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said multi-pass precise donor material thickness determiner is configured to produce said desired thickness of said donor material on said laser radiation transparent substrate between 10 and 2000 microns.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said linearly displaceable blade support is linearly displaceable perpendicular to said pivot axis.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said linearly displaceable blade support also supports an electromagnet.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein said electromagnet is selectably actuable for locking said layer thickness uniformizing blade relative to said linearly displaceable blade support against rotation of said layer thickness uniformizing blade about said pivot axis when said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade is positioned at a desired separation distance from said laser radiation transparent substrate.

15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said blade position maintainer includes a force sensor for sensing a force exerted by said layer thickness uniformizing blade on said laser radiation transparent substrate.

16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein said linearly displaceable blade support is configured to be linearly displaced between sequential passes to sequentially reduce a thickness of said donor material until said desired thickness is reached.

Assignees

• Orbotech Ltd

Inventors

• Goichman Tal
• Aghajani Ashkan

Classifications

• B05D1/42

  by non-rotary members · CPC title

• B05C11/045

  characterised by the blades themselves · CPC title

• B05C11/044

  characterised by means for holding the blades · CPC title

• B05C11/041 Primary

  characterised by means for positioning, loading, or deforming the blades · CPC title