Amorphous Carbon Stencil with Silane Coupling for Paste Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screen printing stencils with amorphous carbon films lack sufficient water-oil repellency and fixability, leading to inadequate paste release and bleeding issues, especially with high-viscosity pastes.
Innovation Solution
A screen printing stencil with an amorphous carbon film composed of silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen, coated with a thin film of a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent, which forms a strong chemical bond to enhance water-oil repellency and fixability, preventing paste bleeding and improving plate separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fluorine coating layer is formed on the DLC film to provide water-oil repellency, then paste release property is enhanced, but the fixability to the DLC film becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of a DLC film as the base layer and a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent as the coating layer. The silane coupling agent contains both silane groups that bond to the DLC film and fluorine atoms that provide water-oil repellency, creating a composite material that combines strong adhesion with paste release properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The silane coupling agent acts as an intermediary between the DLC film and the fluorine coating. The silane groups form chemical bonds with the DLC film surface, while the fluorine atoms extend outward to provide the desired water-oil repellency, mediating between the substrate and the functional coating requirements.
2Reliability
If fluorine coating is entirely provided to the screen printing stencil, then paste release is improved, but wettability required for contact portions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the fluorine-containing silane coupling agent only to specific portions of the screen printing stencil where paste release is needed, such as the print pattern openings and paste contact surfaces, while leaving contact portions like the squeegee interface untreated to maintain their required wettability and bonding characteristics.
3Reliability
If conventional fluorine coating is applied to reduce paste bleeding, then paste release is enhanced, but the coating lacks sufficient durability and fixability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite coating system where the fluorine-containing silane coupling agent provides both the fluorine atoms for paste release and the silane groups for strong chemical bonding to the DLC film, resulting in a durable, permanently bonded coating rather than a superficial application.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces physical or mechanical coating methods with chemical bonding through silane coupling. The silane groups form covalent bonds with the DLC film surface, substituting mechanical adhesion with chemical bonding, thereby significantly enhancing the durability and resistance to degradation of the fluorine coating.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces paste bleeding and enhances paste release properties by providing a durable water-oil repellent layer on the stencil, ensuring efficient printing processes even with high-viscosity materials.
Implementation Method 1
a thin film of a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent which forms a strong chemical bond to enhance water-oil repellency and fixability
Data Source
AI summary
[Object] To provide a screen printing stencil including an amorphous carbon film, such as a DLC film, and a water-oil-repellent layer provided on at least part of the amorphous carbon film so as to exhibit high fixability.[Solution] A screen printing plate 10 of an embodiment of the present invention includes a mesh 16 fixed to a frame body 12; an emulsion layer 14 which fills up the mesh 16 and has a print pattern opening 18; an amorphous carbon film formed on at least part of the surface of an inner wall 22 of the print pattern opening 18 and composed of at least one element of silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen; and a thin film 20 of a fluorine-containing silane coupling agent formed on at least part of the amorphous carbon film.