Glass Cliche Laser Etching Hybrid Process
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing glass clichés, such as wet and dry etching, face limitations in precision, cost, and durability due to isotropic etching, vacuum requirements, and the need for photoresists and masks, while laser etching methods suffer from slow etching speeds and pattern deterioration.
Innovation Solution
A method combining wet etching with laser etching that involves dipping a glass cliché in an etching solution, using laser irradiation to form patterns with differential irradiation areas based on calculated area information, and controlling laser irradiation time to achieve high aspect ratios and efficient pattern formation, along with an apparatus for laser irradiation that receives pattern information, calculates irradiation areas, and controls laser output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional wet etching is used to manufacture glass clichés, then the etching process is simple, but the etching speed is slow and the pattern precision deteriorates due to isotropic etching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines wet etching and laser etching into a hybrid process. The glass cliché is dipped in etching solution and laser irradiation is applied simultaneously, allowing the chemical etching solution to react with the glass surface while the laser provides localized energy to enhance etching speed and control pattern formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and etching speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where laser irradiation acts as a mediator between the etching solution and the glass surface. The laser energy activates and enhances the chemical reaction of the etching solution at specific locations, enabling faster etching while maintaining pattern precision, thus resolving the contradiction between etching speed and pattern quality
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional wet etching is used to manufacture glass clichés, then the etching process is simple, but the pattern precision deteriorates due to isotropic etching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines wet etching and laser etching into a hybrid process. The glass cliché is dipped in etching solution and laser irradiation is applied simultaneously, allowing the chemical etching solution to react with the glass surface while the laser provides localized energy to enhance etching speed and control pattern formation, thereby resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and etching speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using laser irradiation to create localized zones of enhanced etching activity. The laser irradiates specific areas of the glass cliché, causing the etching solution to react more intensely at those locations, thereby achieving high pattern precision while maintaining the simplicity of the wet etching process
3Productivity
If laser etching is used to etch glass clichés, then the etching speed increases, but the pattern deteriorates due to thermal impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where laser irradiation acts as a mediator between the etching solution and the glass surface. The laser energy activates and enhances the chemical reaction of the etching solution at specific locations, enabling faster etching while maintaining pattern precision, thus resolving the contradiction between etching speed and pattern quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of the etching process by combining chemical etching with laser irradiation. The laser provides localized thermal energy that accelerates the chemical reaction rate of the etching solution, enabling high etching speeds while the chemical solution simultaneously cools and stabilizes the glass surface to prevent thermal damage and pattern deterioration
4Manufacturing precision
If photoresist and photo mask are used for patterning, then the pattern can be formed, but the material consumption increases and the process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the photoresist and photo mask from the traditional patterning process. Instead of using these additional materials and steps, the invention directly uses laser irradiation combined with wet etching to form patterns on the glass cliché, thereby reducing material consumption and process complexity while maintaining pattern formation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical and chemical patterning system (photoresist application, mask alignment, exposure, development) with a direct laser-based patterning system. The laser irradiation combined with wet etching directly creates the desired pattern without requiring photoresist materials or mask alignment procedures, significantly simplifying the process
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
This approach enables the production of glass clichés with high aspect ratios and improved work efficiency, effectively dispersing physical loads and minimizing residual pattern material, while reducing the need for photoresists and masks, and allowing for simpler, cost-effective manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a patterning step for irradiating laser to the glass cliché dipped in the etching solution to form a pattern therein
Implementation Method 2
glass etching reaction occurs partially only on a region where a glass cliché is exposed
Implementation Method 3
The glass cliché having the pattern of the photoresist formed therein is dipped in a glass etching solution, and then glass etching reaction occurs partially only on a region where a glass cliché is exposed
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a glass cliché using laser etching includes a dipping step for dipping a glass cliché, which will be etched, into an etching solution, a patterning step for irradiating laser to the glass cliché dipped in the etching solution to form a pattern therein, and a washing step for washing the patterned glass cliché. This method allows making a cliché with a high aspect ratio and fine line widths in comparison to a conventional cliché manufacturing method using photoresist for etching, and also ensures more efficient energy consumption and higher etching efficiency rather than an etching method using laser only.