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Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms

a technology of electroforms and electroforms, applied in the field of electroforms and methods for forming electroforms, can solve the problems of difficult to manufacture masters, difficult to produce masters, and bright or very dark spots on display

Inactive Publication Date: 2007-06-07
SABIC INNOVATIVE PLASTICS IP BV
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes methods for making electroforms and products using them. The method involves creating a negative image of the product on the surface of the electroform, then applying a current to the electroform to create the final product shape. The product is then cured and removed from the electroform. The technical effect of this method is the ability to create precise and detailed products using electroforms.

Problems solved by technology

Since such structures serve to strongly enhance the brightness of a display, any defects, even if they are small (on the order of 10 microns), can result in either a very bright or very dark spot on the display, which is undesirable.
Since this master tends to be expensive to produce and fragile in nature, tooling or molds are typically reproduced off of this master, which in turn serve as the molds from which plastic microstructured films are mass-produced.
One difficulty always present when a manufacturing process, such as the optical display film manufacturing process, uses a component or subprocess in a subsequent step of the process is the systemic defect.
If a major component, such as a shim tool or a master tool, is defective, then every subsequent mold and film replicated from those components will be defective.
These needs are especially difficult when the articles made from the electroform serve an optical function, making tolerances critical and very small defects unacceptable.

Method used

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  • Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms
  • Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms
  • Electroform, methods of making electroforms, and products made from electroforms

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

Passivation in a Caustic Solution with Anodic Current

[0081] Sample 1, a nickel sub-master electroform having a microstructure comprising a plurality of channels and grooves of about 1 μm to about 37 μm in depth, was passivated by immersion into an aqueous solution for 4 minutes at 25° C. while applying an anodic current density of 4 ASF. The aqueous solution comprised 20 g / l potassium hydroxide and 0.5 g / l sodium lauryl sulfate and had a pH of 13.5. The sub-master was removed, rinsed with deionized water, and then dried. The sub-master was then plated with a nickel-cobalt (NiCo) alloy by electroforming a layer that was about 100 μm in thickness. After electroforming, the plated sub-master was rinsed and dried, and the nickel-cobalt electroform was readily peeled from the sub-master, showing complete removal and no visible damage to the microstructures when examined under a microscope at up to 40×. It is also noted that samples have been examined to a magnification of 100×X without ...

example 2

Passivation in a Caustic Solution with Anodic Current

[0082] Sample 2, a nickel sub-master electroform having a microstructure comprising a plurality of channels and grooves of about 1 μm to about 37 μm in depth, was passivated by immersion into an aqueous solution for 4 minutes at 35° C. while applying an anodic current density of 4 ASF. The aqueous solution comprised 20 g / l of StamperPrep (a high alkalinity (pH greater than 13), low foaming, cleaning agent comprising sodium hydroxide commercially available from DisChem, Inc., Ridgway, Pa.), and had a pH of greater than 13.5. The sub-master was removed, rinsed with deionized water, and then dried. The sub-master was then plated with a nickel-cobalt alloy by electroforming a layer that was about 100 μm in thickness under the same conditions as in Example 1. After electroforming, the plated sub-master was rinsed and dried, and the nickel-cobalt electroform was readily peeled from the sub-master, showing complete removal and no visibl...

example 3

Passivation of a Nickel Containing Sub-master

[0083] Sample 3, a nickel sub-master electroform having a microstructure comprising a plurality of channels and grooves of about 1 μm to about 37 μm in depth, was passivated by immersion into an aqueous solution for 30 seconds at 35° C. while applying an anodic current density of 35 ASF. The aqueous solution comprised 90 g / l of StamperPrep, and had a pH of greater than 13.5. The sub-master was removed, rinsed with deionized water, and then dried. The sub-master was then plated with a nickel-cobalt alloy by electroforming a layer that was about 100 μm in thickness under the same conditions as in Example 1. After electroforming, the plated sub-master was rinsed and dried, and the nickel-cobalt electroform was readily peeled from the sub-master, showing complete removal and no visible damage to the microstructures when examined under a microscope.

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Abstract

In one embodiment, the method for making a product comprises: contacting a surface of the electroform with a solution having a pH of less than or equal to 6, applying a cathodic current to the electroform, applying a product material to the electroform, curing the product material, and removing the cured material from the electroform to form the product.

Description

BACKGROUND [0001] This disclosure generally relates to electroforming and methods for forming an electroform. [0002] Electroforming involves an electrochemical process that uses an anode (which may supply metal for deposition), an electrolyte, and a substrate (which acts as a cathode). An electrical current to the anode and cathode is controlled to manage the deposition of the metal onto the substrate to create a metal replica of various shapes and textures. In another example, electroforms can be made from a complex micromachined master. The replicas (or micromachined master) can be used to mass-produce plastic articles with precise microstructure using processes such as printing, embossing, and casting. For example, these replicas can be employed in the production of data storage media such as CDs, DVDs, and the like. [0003] In backlight computer displays or other display systems, optical films are often used to direct light. For example, in backlight displays, light management fi...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C25D1/00
CPCB29C33/3842B29L2031/3475C25D1/10C25D11/02
Inventor BUCKLEY, PAUL WILLIAMCOYLE, DENNIS JOSEPHDAVIS, MICHAEL J.EDWARDS, RICHARDZARNOCH, KENNETH PAUL
Owner SABIC INNOVATIVE PLASTICS IP BV