Method for making, inking, and mounting stamps for micro-contact printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701045-B2
Application number	US-201214116376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2012
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A method of preparing a patterned micro-contact printing stamp for micro contact printing including the making of a submaster of e.g. epoxy, against which a micro-contact printing stamp from polydimethylsiloxane or other stamp forming material can be formed. The micro-contact printing stamp can then be exposed to an inking material while the micro-contact printing stamp is still against the submaster, resulting in a micro-contact printing stamp capable of making numerous impressions before the inking material is exhausted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a patterned micro-contact printing stamp for micro contact printing, comprising:
providing a master of the desired pattern;
applying stamp forming material to the master;
hardening the stamp forming material to form a micro-contact printing stamp; and
placing a quantity of an inking material on the micro-contact printing stamp and exposing the micro-contact printing stamp to the inking material while the micro-contact printing stamp is still in contact with the master, wherein the inking material comprises chemical species that form self-assembled monolayers.

2. A method of preparing a patterned micro-contact printing stamp for micro contact printing, comprising:
providing a master of the desired pattern;
applying negative-making material to the master to obtain a negative of the desired pattern;
preparing a submaster from the negative;
applying stamp forming material to the submaster;
hardening the stamp forming material to form a micro-contact printing stamp; and
placing a quantity of an inking material on the micro-contact printing stamp and exposing the micro-contact printing stamp to the inking material while the stamp is still against the submaster, wherein the inking material comprises chemical species that form self-assembled monolayers.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the master is a photoresist on glass.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the master comprises a metal.

5. A method according to claim 2 wherein the submaster comprises epoxy.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the inking material is a thiol solution.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the inking material is placed on the backside of the micro-contact printing stamp opposite the side in contact with the master.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein the inking material is placed on the backside of the micro-contact printing stamp opposite the side in contact with the submaster.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein the micro-contact printing stamp is saturated with inking material for approximately three hours.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the inking material comprises neat thiol.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the inking material comprises thiol with a solvent.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the stamp forming material is selected from the group consisting of silicone polymers, epoxy polymers, and acrylate polymers.

13. A method according to claim 2 wherein the applying stamp forming material to the submaster comprises:
placing a plurality of spacers on the submaster;
depositing a quantity of stamp forming material on the submaster,
placing a leveler on the spacers; and wherein
the hardening the stamp forming material to form a micro-contact printing stamp comprises:
curing the stamp forming material against the submaster; and
removing the leveler.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the leveler comprises a sheet of glass and a liner placed thereon, and wherein removing the leveler comprises:
sliding the sheet of glass away in a direction substantially parallel to the plane defined by the tops of the spacers, and
peeling the liner away from the micro-contact printing stamp.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising adhering an attachment layer to the micro-contact printing stamp.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the attachment layer is selected from the group consisting of a layer of transfer adhesive, a double-sided film tape, and a double-sided foam tape.

17. A method according to claim 2 further comprising transferring the micro-contact printing stamp directly from the submaster to a printing roll.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the printing roll has an attachment layer adhered thereon, and wherein the attachment layer is selected from the group consisting of a layer of transfer adhesive, a double-sided film tape, and a double-sided foam tape.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the transferring comprises placing the inked micro-contact printing stamp in contact with the printing roll and placing both the submaster and the printing roll into motion, adhering the inked micro-contact printing stamp onto the printing roll and peeling the inked micro-contact printing stamp from the submaster.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the submaster is moved at the same linear velocity as the surface velocity of the printing roll.

21. A method according to claim 7 wherein the micro-contact printing stamp has a thickness between about 0.5 to 10 mm.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the micro-contact printing stamp has a thickness between about 2 to 4 mm.

Assignees

• O'Hare Jonathan J
• Greger Richard W
• Pekurovsky Mikhail L
• Meehan Daniel P
• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• O'Hare Jonathan J
• Greger Richard W
• Pekurovsky Mikhail L
• Meehan Daniel P

Classifications

• B82Y10/00

  Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic · CPC title

• B41K1/28

  flexible · CPC title

• G03F7/0002

  Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping · CPC title

• H05K3/1275

  by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing · CPC title

• B29C33/424 Primary

  Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning (for injection moulding B29C45/372) · CPC title