Pattern transfer sheet, method for monitoring pattern transfer, and pattern transfer system

Abstract

The present invention provides a pattern transfer sheet, a method for monitoring pattern transfer, and a pattern transfer system for monitoring and adjusting laser irradiation for transferring a paste pattern from a groove on a transfer sheet to a substrate (e.g., a circuit and / or solar cell substrate). The pattern transfer sheet includes (i) a trace mark on the outside of the pattern, which is configured to receive printing paste, aligned with the groove and wider than the width of the irradiating laser beam to detect misalignment of the paste released from within the trace mark, and / or (ii) a working window mark, which is configured to receive printing paste, is set at a specified offset relative to a specified groove, and different working window marks are set at different offsets to correct the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of transfer printing, and more particularly to the control of irradiation alignment and the process control of transfer printing. Background Art

[0002] U.S. Patent No. 9,616,524, which is incorporated herein in its entirety for reference, teaches a method of depositing a material on a receiving substrate, the method comprising: providing a source substrate having a rear surface and a front surface, the rear surface carrying at least one piece of coating material; providing a receiving substrate, which is disposed adjacent to the source substrate and faces the coating material; and irradiating light toward the front surface of the source substrate to remove at least one piece of coating material from the source substrate and deposit the removed at least one piece as a whole onto the receiving substrate.

[0003] Lossen et al. (2015) proposed a pattern transfer printing (PTP) method for c-Si solar cell metallization in the 5th workshop on metallization of crystalline silicon solar cells. TM ), Energy Procedia 67:156-162, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, teaches pattern transfer as a non-contact printing technique for advanced front side metallization of c-Si PV solar cells based on laser induced deposition from polymer substrates. Summary of the invention

[0004] The following is a simplified summary to provide an initial understanding of the present invention. This summary does not necessarily identify key elements nor limit the scope of the present invention, but merely serves as an introduction to the following description.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention provides a pattern transfer sheet comprising: a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves when irradiated by a laser beam onto a receiving substrate; and at least one trace mark located outside the specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned relative to at least one groove and is wider than the width of the laser beam.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention provides a pattern transfer sheet, comprising: a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves when irradiated by a laser beam onto a receiving substrate; and a plurality of working window marks located outside the specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste, wherein the working window marks are set at a specified offset relative to a specified groove of the specified pattern, and wherein different working window marks are set at different offsets.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention provides a pattern transfer sheet that is transparent to laser beam irradiation, contains a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern, and is configured to receive printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam; the pattern transfer sheet is at least one polymer layer, and at least one trace mark is arranged on the at least one polymer layer.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a method for monitoring pattern transfer using a pattern transfer sheet, the pattern transfer sheet comprising a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam, the method comprising: (i) adding at least one trace mark to the pattern transfer sheet, the trace mark being located outside the specified pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned relative to at least one groove and is wider than a width of the laser beam, and after pattern transfer, detecting the pattern transfer sheet according to at least one of the at least one trace mark; a trace calculating misalignment of the laser beam, and correcting the calculated misalignment of the laser beam by adjusting the positioning of the laser beam; and / or (ii) adding a plurality of working window marks to the pattern transfer sheet, the working window marks being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive printing paste, wherein the working window marks are set at a designated offset relative to a designated groove of the designated pattern, and wherein different working window marks are set at different offsets, and an effective working window of the laser beam is calculated based on the working window marks transferred after the pattern transfer, and the effective working window is corrected by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention provides a pattern transfer system, comprising: at least one laser scanner, the at least one laser scanner configured to irradiate a pattern transfer sheet with at least one laser beam, the pattern transfer sheet comprising a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and containing printing paste, wherein the pattern transfer sheet is configured to release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by the laser beam; at least one imaging unit configured to monitor at least a portion of the pattern transfer sheet during and / or after the release of the printing paste; and a controller configured to adjust the laser beam irradiation based on the monitoring performed by the at least one imaging unit, wherein: the pattern transfer sheet comprises at least one of the following: (i) at least one trace mark located outside the specified pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark The invention relates to a method for printing a printed circuit board comprising: a first printing device and a second printing device; ...

[0010] These, additional, and / or other aspects and / or advantages of the invention are set forth in the detailed description which follows; may be inferred from the detailed description; and / or may be learned by practice of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a better understanding of embodiments of the invention, and to show how they may be practiced, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding elements or parts throughout.

[0012] In the attached picture:

[0013] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a highly schematic view of a portion of a pattern transfer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is a highly schematic view of a pattern transfer sheet having trace marks for laser beam position measurement according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 and Figure 4is a highly schematic view of a pattern transfer sheet having trace marks and working window marks for monitoring the position and power of laser beam illumination, respectively, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5A is a highly schematic view of a PTP system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 5B is a highly schematic cross-sectional view of a pattern transfer sheet according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 6 is a high-level flow chart illustrating a method of monitoring pattern transfer according to some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In the following description, various aspects of the present invention are described. For the purpose of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without the specified details given herein. In addition, in order not to obscure the present invention, well-known features may have been omitted or simplified. With specific reference to the accompanying drawings, it is emphasized that the details shown are presented as examples, for purposes of illustrative discussion of the present invention only, and in order to provide the most useful and easily understood description of the principles and concepts of the present invention. In this regard, except for the details necessary for a basic understanding of the present invention, no attempt is made to illustrate the structural details of the present invention in more detail, and the description made in conjunction with the accompanying drawings makes it clear to those skilled in the art how to implement several forms of the present invention in practice.

[0020] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. The present invention is applicable to other embodiments that can be practiced or executed in various ways and combinations of the disclosed embodiments. Moreover, it should be understood that the words and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting.

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention provide effective and economical methods and mechanisms for controlling the transfer process, thereby providing improvements in the technical field of producing circuits. A diagnostic pattern is set on a special donor substrate used as a pattern transfer sheet. The diagnostic pattern is configured to assist in evaluating the system and method of pattern transfer (PTP), and is used for PTP process control to monitor and improve the quality of the transfer pattern. The pattern on the donor substrate (e.g., a belt or sheet) includes features that are transferred to (e.g., deposited or printed on) a receiving structure or pattern (e.g., a metal line on a photovoltaic cell or other circuit board). For example, the transfer of features can be performed using laser irradiation, which separates the feature material (e.g., a metal high viscosity slurry) from the donor substrate and promotes the deposition of the separated material onto the receiving structure. The pattern on the donor substrate also includes additional features and / or marks, which are located outside the transfer pattern and are used for real-time control of the printing process, particularly real-time control of the position and power of the irradiation laser beam, so as to maximize or optimize the quality of the printed pattern.

[0022] The pattern transfer process is typically performed by a PTP system and method that utilizes imaging to monitor and control pattern deposition, such as by monitoring the alignment of a primary laser scanner with the transfer pattern sheet (also referred to as the donor substrate pattern). Detection of additional features and / or markings may be performed by the same imaging device, such as a camera (or possibly an auxiliary imaging device), and corresponding algorithms and software running on a system computer. Typically, the slurry remaining on the pattern transfer sheet is optically detected and used to assess possible laser misalignment.

[0023] A pattern transfer sheet and related systems and methods are provided for monitoring and adjusting laser irradiation for transferring a paste pattern from a groove on a sheet to a substrate (such as a circuit and / or solar cell substrate). The pattern transfer sheet includes, on the outside of the pattern: (i) a trace mark configured to receive printing paste, aligned with the groove and wider than the width of the irradiating laser beam, to detect misalignment of the paste released from within the trace mark, and / or (ii) a working window mark configured to receive printing paste, set at a specified offset relative to a specified groove, wherein different working window marks are set at different offsets to correct the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

[0024] Figure 1A and Figure 1B is a highly schematic view of a portion of a pattern transfer sheet 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The portion depicted by dashed lines illustrates the patterning principle and is not limiting with respect to the arrangement, relative positions and sizes of the elements shown.

[0025] The pattern transfer sheet 100 includes a plurality of grooves 110 arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive a printing paste and to be printed by a laser (see, e.g., Figure 5A Schematic diagram of a PTP system 150 in FIG. 1 ) releases the printing paste from the groove 110 to the receiving substrate when irradiated (see, for example, Figure 5A On the substrate 90). Figure 1A The filling of the grooves 110 on the empty pattern transfer sheet 100A with the slurry to produce the filled pattern transfer sheet 100B is schematically shown, as schematically shown in an enlarged portion of the pattern transfer sheet 100. Figure 1B In FIG. 1 , all trenches 110 are shown empty before the slurry filling step.

[0026] The pattern transfer sheet 100 may further include at least one trace mark 120 located outside the designated pattern of the grooves 110 and configured to receive printing paste. Figure 1A As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the trace mark 120 is aligned with respect to the corresponding groove 110A and is wider than the width of the laser beam (see, for example, Figure 2A and Figure 2B When irradiated by the laser beam, only a portion of the slurry in the trace mark 120 is printed (deposited, released from the pattern transfer sheet 100) because the width of the trace mark 120 is greater than the width of the laser beam, creating a gap that can be used to detect the position of the laser beam, as explained below.

[0027] The pattern transfer sheet 100 may further include a plurality of working window marks 130, which are located outside the designated pattern of the groove 110 and are configured to receive printing paste. The working window marks 130 are arranged at a designated offset (schematically indicated by δ) relative to the designated groove 110B of the designated pattern, wherein different working window marks 130 are arranged at different offsets δ, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 The operating window marker 130 can be used to monitor the power of the laser beam, as explained below.

[0028] In some embodiments, the pattern transfer sheet 100 may include both trace marks 120 and working window marks 130. The trace marks 120 and working window marks 130 are configured to enable image processing (e.g., by Figure 5A One or more imaging units 170) schematically shown in the figure perform clear detection.

[0029] The pattern transfer sheet 100 may also include a plurality of alignment marks 124 located outside the designated pattern of the grooves 110 and configured to receive printing paste. The alignment marks 124 may be aligned with the corresponding grooves 110C and used to provide initial laser scanner alignment relative to the designated pattern of the grooves 110. The alignment marks 124 may be arranged in an asymmetric pattern so that the designated grooves 110C can be identified from a partial image of the pattern transfer sheet 100. In some embodiments, the alignment marks 124 may be positioned adjacent to one or more trace marks 120 to form a composite mark 125 that may be used for initial scanner alignment (via the alignment marks 124) and for laser alignment during printing (via the trace marks 120). The composite mark 125 may be configured asymmetrically (e.g., with one alignment mark 124 on one side of the trace mark 120 and two alignment marks 124 on the other side of the trace mark 120 (as schematically shown) to improve alignment accuracy. In various embodiments, one or more trace marks 120 may be disposed adjacent to alignment marks 124 of various configurations to form a composite mark 125. In certain embodiments, one or more composite marks 125 may be disposed adjacent to alignment marks 124, possibly with mirrored asymmetrical arrangements, such as Figure 1B It is schematically shown as a composite mark 126.

[0030] Figure 2A and Figure 2B 1 is a highly schematic view of a pattern transfer sheet 100 having a trace mark 120 for laser beam position measurement according to some embodiments of the present invention. Since the trace mark 120 is aligned with and wider than the designated groove 110A, an accurate laser beam position removes slurry from the center of the trace mark 120, leaving a symmetrical trace of remaining slurry, while an inaccurate laser beam position removes slurry from the center of the trace mark 120, leaving an asymmetrical trace of remaining slurry.

[0031] Figure 2A The precise alignment of the laser beam 140 with the trench 110A and the corresponding center position of the laser beam 140 with respect to the filled trace mark 120B are schematically shown. Specifically, the remaining trace includes slurry 123A on either side of the gap 121A, which corresponds to the slurry removed from the mark 120B by the laser beam 140. The remaining slurry trace 120C is symmetrical and indicates the precise alignment of the laser beam 140.

[0032] Figure 2BThe schematic diagram shows the inaccurate alignment of the laser beam 140 with the groove 110A, and the off-center position of the laser beam 140 relative to the filled trace mark 120B. Specifically, the remaining trace includes slurry 123B on either side of the gap 121B, which corresponds to the slurry removed from the mark 120B by the laser beam 140. The remaining slurry trace 120C is asymmetrical and indicates the misalignment of the laser beam 140.

[0033] After slurry deposition, slurry trace 120C may be passed through a corresponding PTP system 150 (see, e.g., Figure 5A ) is measured, the PTP system is used to readjust the laser beam position in the next slurry transfer cycle, such as when printing the next wafer, for example by applying the calculated offset (related to the asymmetry of the slurry trace 120C relative to the laser beam position).

[0034] The pattern transfer sheet 100 may include a plurality of trace marks 120, and a controller 180 (see, for example, Figure 5A ) can be configured to derive laser misalignment relative to a plurality of corresponding trace marks 120, for example applying statistical methods to enhance the accuracy of the calculated misalignment.

[0035] Figure 3 and Figure 4 1 is a highly schematic view of a pattern transfer sheet 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention, the pattern transfer sheet having a trace mark 120 and an operating window mark 130 for monitoring the position and power of laser beam irradiation, respectively. Figure 3 , full and empty working window marks 130 are shown in magnified detail to illustrate the difference between marks 130A, 130B that were filled with slurry during the pattern transfer process and mark 130C that has been emptied of slurry by laser beam 140.

[0036] The working window mark 130 is designed to have a specified offset, wherein the mark 130 is displaced relative to the specified groove 110 on the pattern transfer sheet 100. For example, in an illustrative non-limiting example, the displacement (offset δ) ranges from -30 μm to -60 μm, and from +30 μm to +60 μm, with a step size of 10 μm.

[0037] Figure 3 and Figure 4The pattern transfer sheet 100B having the slurry filled therein (before laser irradiation and slurry deposition) and the pattern transfer sheet 100C after pattern transfer (the grooves 110 are emptied from the filled slurry by laser irradiation) are schematically shown. Accordingly, before pattern transfer, all the working window marks 130A are filled with slurry, and after pattern transfer, some working window marks 130C may be emptied, while other working window marks 130B may remain filled with slurry when the laser beam is not irradiated to them during the printing process.

[0038] like Figure 3 As shown in the non-limiting example of , after the printing process, the working window marks 130 shifted by an offset δ between -30 μm and -50 μm and between +30 μm and +50 μm are cleared by laser irradiation and become empty marks 130C, while the working window marks 130 shifted by an offset of +60 μm and -60 μm are not cleared by laser irradiation and remain full marks 130B. Image analysis can be applied to detect the full working window marks 130B (which remain filled with slurry after the pattern transfer process) and the empty working window marks 130C (from which slurry is removed during the pattern transfer process), and the effective working window is deduced therefrom based on the laser power, because at a specified offset, the laser beam cannot effectively remove slurry from the corresponding working window mark 130B (e.g., due to lower effective power or other reasons). Therefore, the actual effective laser beam width (referred to as the working window) may be smaller than required and insufficient to compensate for the alignment tolerance of the laser to the groove, resulting in partial or no slurry deposition. For example, in Figure 3 In the case shown, the laser power is effective only over an effective operating window of 100 μm = 50 μm + 50 μm. One or more controllers 180 (described below) of the PTP system 150 can be configured to control the operating window at least to some extent by modifying the applied laser power: the higher the laser power, the wider the laser beam, and thus the larger the operating window.

[0039] Figure 5A is a highly schematic diagram of a PTP system 150 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5AThe transfer of patterned paste from the pattern transfer sheet 100 to the substrate 90 using a laser beam 140 of one or more laser scanners 160 is shown. One or more imaging units 170 can be configured to optically monitor the pattern transfer process, for example, to monitor the transfer of printed paste to the substrate by emptying the grooves 110 and the trace marks 120, the working window 130, as explained herein. One or more controllers 180 can communicate with the one or more laser scanners 160 and the one or more imaging units 170, and be configured to adjust the optical parameters of the laser beam 140 by modifying the settings of the power and position of the laser scanner 160 based on the analysis of the images taken by the imaging units 170. For example, the controller 180 can be configured to monitor the pattern transfer process based on the paste trace 120C ( Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 3 ) to calculate the alignment of the laser beam 140. The controller 180 may also be configured to detect misalignment of the laser scanner 160 when the asymmetric slurry track 120C is detected (see, for example, Figure 2B ). The controller 180 may also be configured to calculate the effective operating window of the laser beam 140 using the remaining operating window marks 130 on the pattern transfer sheet 100 and adjust the laser power of the laser scanner 160 accordingly. Additional non-limiting details of the PTP system are provided, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 9,616,524.

[0040] The disclosed system 150 and pattern transfer sheet 100 can be used to print thin lines 165 of thick metal paste to produce circuits, such as on a laminate for a PCB or other printed circuit board or on a silicon wafer for a photovoltaic (PV) cell, for example, to produce wires or pads or other features. Other applications may include producing conductive features in the manufacture of mobile phone antennas, decorative and functional automotive glass, semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), semiconductor IC packaging connections, printed circuit boards (PCBs), PCB component assembly, optical biological, chemical and environmental sensors and detectors, radio frequency identification (RFID) antennas, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays (passive or active matrix), OLED irradiation sheets, printed batteries and other applications. For example, in non-limiting solar applications, the metal paste may include one or more metal powders, optional glass frits and one or more modifiers, one or more volatile solvents and one or more non-volatile polymers and / or one or more resins. Non-limiting examples of pastes include those from Heraeus TM SOL9651B TM .

[0041] Filling the grooves 110, trace marks 120, and working window marks 130 with slurry can be performed by any type of slurry filling head operating within any type of PTP system. The filling process can be controlled to ensure that the grooves and marks are continuously and evenly filled with slurry.

[0042] Figure 5B is a highly schematic cross-sectional view of a pattern transfer sheet 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] In some embodiments, the pattern transfer sheet 100 may be transparent to the laser beam 140 and include at least a top polymer layer 114 including grooves 110 and marks 120, 130 (on the top polymer layer) formed by embossing, pneumatic forming, or laser forming on the top polymer layer. Figures 1A to 5A In the non-limiting example shown, the groove 110 is shown to be trapezoidal in cross-section.

[0044] It should be noted that although Figure 5B The periodic grooves 110 are shown, but the marks 120 and / or 130 ( Figures 1A to 5A ) may include grooves, recesses and / or indentations that are embossed, pneumatically formed, or laser formed into the top polymer layer 114 in a similar manner, and may have similar or different profiles. For example, the grooves 110, trace marks 120, and / or working window marks 130, and alignment marks 124 may have various profiles (cross-sectional shapes), such as trapezoidal, circular, square, rectangular, and / or triangular profiles. In various embodiments, the pattern of the grooves 110 on the pattern transfer sheet 100 may include an array of continuous grooves 110 and / or separated indentations. It should be noted that the term "groove" should not be interpreted as limiting the shape of the groove 110 to a linear element, but is broadly understood to include grooves 110 of any shape.

[0045] The pattern transfer sheet 100 may also include a bottom polymer layer 112 having a higher melting temperature than the imprinting temperature of the top polymer layer 114. In a non-limiting example, the top polymer layer 114 may have a melting temperature (Tm) of less than 170°C, more preferably less than 150°C, 130°C or 110°C or other intermediate values, if it is made of a semi-crystalline polymer, or may have a glass transition temperature of less than 160°C, more preferably less than 140°C, 120°C or 100°C or other intermediate values, if it is made of an amorphous polymer. The melting temperature or glass transition temperature of the bottom polymer layer 112 may be higher than the melting temperature or glass transition temperature of the top polymer layer 114, for example, greater than 100°C (for example, if the top polymer layer 114 is made of polycaprolactone and has a Tm / Tg of about 70°C), greater than 120°C, greater than 150°C, greater than 160°C (for example, biaxially oriented polypropylene) and up to 400°C (for example, certain polyimides), or intermediate values.

[0046] In some embodiments, the top polymer layer 114 and the bottom polymer layer 112 may be made of at least one of the following materials: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, fully aromatic polyesters, other copolyesters, polymethyl methacrylate, other copolyacrylates, polycarbonate, polyamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, aromatic polyimide, alicyclic polyimide, fluorinated polyimide, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, aromatic polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polyphenol, polyarylate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polystyrene. As long as the melting temperature or glass transition temperature (Tg) of the top polymer layer 114 is above 500°, the bottom polymer layer 112 may be made of at least one of the following materials: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, fully aromatic polyesters, other copolyesters, polymethyl methacrylate, other copolyacrylates, polycarbonate, polyamide, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, polyetherketone, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, aromatic polyimide, alicyclic polyimide, fluorinated polyimide, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, aromatic polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polyphenol, polyarylate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polystyrene. m / T g ) is lower than the melting temperature or glass transition temperature (T m / T g ) and / or as long as the bottom polymer layer 112 is not affected by the processing conditions of the top polymer layer 114.

[0047] In some embodiments, the thickness of the bottom polymer layer 112 and the top polymer layer 114 can each be in the range of 10 μm to 100 μm, preferably between 15 μm thick and 80 μm thick, between 20 μm thick and 60 μm thick, between 25 μm thick and 45 μm thick, between 25 μm thick and 40 μm thick, wherein the thickness of the bottom polymer layer 112 is at least the same as the thickness of the top polymer layer 114. The polymer layers can be attached by an adhesive layer 113, which is thinner than 10 μm and is also transparent to laser irradiation, more preferably thinner than 8 μm, 6 μm, 4 μm or 2 μm. For example, in some embodiments, the top polymer layer 114 can be several microns thicker than the depth of the groove 110 (and / or the marks 120 and / or 130), for example, 5 μm thick, 3 μm to 7 μm thick, 1 to 9 μm thick, or up to 10 μm thick. For example, trench 110 may be 20 μm deep, top polymer layer 114 may be 20 μm to 30 μm thick, and bottom polymer layer 112 may have a thickness in the range of 25 μm to 45 μm (note that a thicker bottom polymer layer 112 provides better mechanical properties).

[0048] The temperature and thickness of the top polymer layer and the bottom polymer layer are designed so that the top polymer layer has good formability, ductility and a certain mechanical strength, the bottom polymer layer has good mechanical strength, and the two layers have good adhesion properties.

[0049] Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B The elements in the drawings may be combined in any operable combination, and the description of certain elements in certain drawings and not in other drawings is for illustrative purposes only and is not limiting. It should be noted that the disclosed values ​​may be modified by at least ±10% of the corresponding values.

[0050] Figure 6 is a high-level flow chart illustrating a method 200 for monitoring pattern transfer according to some embodiments of the present invention. The method stages may be performed using one or more pattern transfer sheets 100 and / or with respect to the PTP system 150 described above, which may optionally be configured to implement the method 200. The method 200 may be implemented at least in part by, for example, at least one computer processor in the PTP system. Certain embodiments include a computer program product including a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therewith and configured to perform the relevant stages of the method 200. The method 200 may include the following stages, regardless of their order.

[0051] Method 200 may include monitoring pattern transfer using a pattern transfer sheet having one or more trace marks and / or one or more working window marks added (stage 235). In some embodiments, method 200 may include, for example, designing and / or producing one or more pattern transfer sheets (stage represented by 201) in a sheet imprinting process, and / or monitoring pattern transfer 235 using one or more pattern transfer sheets (stage represented by 202). The pattern transfer sheet may include a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive a printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam.

[0052] Method 200 may include adding at least one trace mark to a pattern transfer sheet, the trace mark being located outside of a designated pattern and configured to receive a printing paste (stage 210), wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned relative to at least one groove and is wider than a width of a laser beam, and calculating a misalignment of the laser beam after pattern transfer based on at least one trace in the at least one trace mark (stage 250), and correcting the calculated misalignment of the laser beam by adjusting positioning of the laser beam by a laser scanner (stage 255), for example to achieve correct alignment.

[0053] Method 200 may include adding a plurality of working window marks to a pattern transfer sheet, the plurality of working window marks being located outside a specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste (stage 220), wherein the working window marks are set at a specified offset relative to a specified groove of the specified pattern, and wherein different working window marks are set at different offsets, and an actual effective working window of a laser beam is calculated based on the working window marks transferred after pattern transfer (stage 260), and the effective working window is corrected by adjusting the power of the laser beam (stage 265), for example to maintain a predefined working window.

[0054] In certain embodiments, method 200 further includes adding one or more alignment marks to the pattern transfer sheet, the alignment marks being aligned with corresponding grooves (stage 230), and using the alignment marks to detect the designated grooves on the pattern transfer sheet (stage 240).

[0055] Since the tolerance budget for the alignment of the laser beam to the groove pattern is very tight, and the process working window for qualitative printing (which depends mainly on the slurry conditions) is relatively small, any changes in the environment or internal conditions in the module may lead to degradation of the print quality. Advantageously, the disclosed system 150 and method 200 using one or more pattern transfer sheets 100 overcomes the challenge of monitoring and correcting (if necessary) the position and power of the laser irradiation to properly release the metal slurry from the polymer substrate. Specifically, in various embodiments, one or more trace marks are used to optically monitor and calculate the misalignment of the laser beam, and enable the calculated misalignment of the laser beam to be corrected by adjusting the positioning of the laser beam; and / or in various embodiments, the working window mark is used to optically monitor and calculate the actual effective working window of the printing process, and the effective working window is corrected by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

[0056] In the above description, an embodiment is an example or implementation of the present invention. The various expressions of "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "certain embodiments" or "some embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Although various features of the present invention can be described in the context of a single embodiment, the feature can also be provided individually or in any suitable combination. On the contrary, although the present invention can be described in the context of a separate embodiment for the sake of clarity, the present invention can also be implemented in a single embodiment. Certain embodiments of the present invention may include features from different embodiments disclosed above, and certain embodiments may combine elements from other embodiments disclosed above. The disclosure of the elements of the present invention in the context of a specific embodiment is not intended to limit its use to only a specific embodiment. In addition, it should be understood that the present invention can be performed or practiced in various ways, and the present invention can be implemented in certain embodiments other than the embodiments outlined in the above description.

[0057] The present invention is not limited to those figures or corresponding descriptions. For example, the process does not need to move through each shown box or state, or in exactly the same order as shown and described. Unless otherwise defined, the meaning of the technical terms and scientific terms used herein is generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Although the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, these embodiments should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of the present invention, but as examples of some preferred embodiments. Other possible changes, modifications and applications also fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by what has been described so far, but by the attached claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

1. A pattern transfer sheet, comprising: a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam, It is characterized in that the pattern transfer sheet includes at least one of the following: (i) at least one trace mark located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned with respect to at least one groove of the plurality of grooves and is wider than a width of the laser beam; and (ii) a plurality of working window marks, the working window marks being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the working window marks are disposed at designated offsets relative to designated grooves of the designated pattern, and wherein different working window marks are disposed at different offsets.

2. The pattern transfer sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pattern transfer sheet further includes a plurality of alignment marks located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the alignment marks are aligned with corresponding grooves.

3. The pattern transfer sheet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The alignment marks are arranged in an asymmetric pattern.

4. The pattern transfer sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pattern transfer sheet is transparent to the laser beam, and the groove is formed in the pattern transfer sheet by embossing, pneumatic forming or laser forming.

5. The pattern transfer sheet according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The cross section of the groove is trapezoidal, rectangular, circular or triangular.

6. The pattern transfer sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pattern transfer sheet is at least one polymer layer, and the at least one polymer layer is made of at least one of the following materials: polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, fully aromatic polyester, aliphatic-aromatic copolymer polyester, copolymer acrylate, polycarbonate, polyamide, polysulfone, polyether sulfone, polyether ketone, polyamideimide, polyetherimide, aromatic polyimide, alicyclic polyimide, fluorinated polyimide, cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, aromatic polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polyphenol, polyarylate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, and polystyrene.

7. A method for monitoring pattern transfer using a pattern transfer sheet, the pattern transfer sheet comprising a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive a printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam, characterized in that The method comprises: adding at least one trace mark to the pattern transfer sheet, the at least one trace mark being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned with respect to at least one groove of the plurality of grooves and is wider than a width of the laser beam, and A misalignment of the laser beam is calculated based on at least one of the at least one trace mark after pattern transfer, and the calculated misalignment of the laser beam is corrected by adjusting the positioning of the laser beam.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The method further includes: adding a plurality of working window marks to the pattern transfer sheet, the working window marks being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the working window marks are disposed at designated offsets relative to designated grooves of the designated pattern, and wherein different working window marks are disposed at different offsets, and The effective working window of the laser beam is calculated according to the transferred working window mark after the pattern transfer, and the effective working window is corrected by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The method also includes detecting a designated groove on the pattern transfer sheet using a plurality of alignment marks.

10. A method for monitoring pattern transfer using a pattern transfer sheet, the pattern transfer sheet comprising a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and configured to receive a printing paste and release the printing paste from the grooves onto a receiving substrate when irradiated by a laser beam, characterized in that, The method comprises: adding a plurality of working window marks to the pattern transfer sheet, the working window marks being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the working window marks are disposed at designated offsets relative to designated grooves of the designated pattern, and wherein different working window marks are disposed at different offsets, and The effective working window of the laser beam is calculated according to the transferred working window mark after the pattern transfer, and the effective working window is corrected by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that The method also includes detecting a designated groove on the pattern transfer sheet using a plurality of alignment marks.

12. A pattern transfer system, comprising: at least one laser scanner configured to illuminate a pattern transfer sheet with at least one laser beam, the pattern transfer sheet comprising a plurality of grooves arranged in a specified pattern and containing a printing paste, wherein the pattern transfer sheet is configured to release the printing paste from the grooves and onto a receiving substrate when illuminated by the laser beam, at least one imaging unit configured to monitor at least a portion of the pattern transfer sheet during and / or after release of the printing paste, and A controller configured to adjust the laser beam irradiation based on monitoring performed by the at least one imaging unit, characterized in that: The pattern transfer sheet includes at least one of the following: (i) at least one trace mark located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the at least one trace mark is aligned with respect to at least one groove of the plurality of grooves and is wider than a width of the laser beam, and (ii) a plurality of working window marks located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the working window marks are disposed at designated offsets relative to designated grooves of the designated pattern, and wherein different working window marks are disposed at different offsets, and The controller is configured to respectively perform at least one of the following: (i) calculating a misalignment of the laser beam based on at least one of the at least one trace mark after pattern transfer, and correcting the calculated misalignment of the laser beam by adjusting the positioning of the laser beam, and (ii) calculating an effective working window of the laser beam according to the transferred working window mark after the pattern transfer, and correcting the effective working window by adjusting the power of the laser beam.

13. The pattern transfer system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The pattern transfer sheet further includes a plurality of alignment marks, the alignment marks being located outside the designated pattern and configured to receive the printing paste, wherein the alignment marks are aligned with corresponding grooves, and The at least one imaging unit is further configured to detect a designated groove on the pattern transfer sheet using the alignment mark.

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