Imprint Mold with Deformable Back Surface for Filling and Release
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In the imprint technique, air spaces between the mold and the imprint material lead to pattern defects, and the mold release process is inefficient due to changes in adhesion strength and mold release speed, affecting productivity and causing unfilling or pattern defects.
Innovation Solution
A mold with a concave portion on its back surface, featuring sidewalls along the rectangular shape of the pattern portion, allows for uniform deformation and controlled pressure application, ensuring complete filling and efficient release by matching the pattern shape with the concave shape, thereby reducing defects and improving productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pressure is applied to the back surface of the mold to deform the pattern portion into a downwardly convex shape, then air spaces are eliminated and filling is improved, but the mold release force increases and mold release speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold back surface is designed with a deformable structure that changes shape dynamically between imprinting and release phases. During imprinting, the back surface deforms into a downwardly convex shape to eliminate air spaces. During release, it returns to a flat or upwardly convex shape to reduce adhesion strength, enabling fast mold release.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical shape parameter of the mold back surface between two states: a downwardly convex shape during imprinting to improve filling, and a flat or upwardly convex shape during release to reduce mold release force and increase release speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If the mold pattern portion is deformed into a downwardly convex shape, then filling is improved from the central portion, but the four corner portions are contacted later causing unfilling defects and decreased productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a downwardly convex curved shape for the pattern portion during imprinting, which naturally directs material flow from the high-point center toward the lower peripheral areas, ensuring uniform and simultaneous filling of all regions including corners.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-deformed convex shape anticipates the filling process by creating a pressure distribution that prevents air entrapment at corner portions before filling occurs, eliminating unfilling defects proactively.
3Productivity
If pressure is applied to deform the mold into a circular convex shape for release, then mold release force is reduced, but the circular shape does not match the rectangular pattern region reducing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different geometric characteristics to different regions: the overall back surface may have a general convex shape for release, but the pattern portion specifically maintains rectangular contours that match the pattern region, ensuring both effective release and shape fidelity.
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 design enhances filling speed, reduces pattern defects, and minimizes mold damage by uniformly deforming the pattern portion, ensuring complete filling and controlled release, thus improving productivity and reducing defects.
Implementation Method 1
applying pressure to the back surface of the mold to deform a mold pattern portion into a downwardly convex shape
Implementation Method 2
curing an imprint material by ultraviolet light or heat while pressing a mold having the pattern formed on it against a substrate applied with the imprint material
Implementation Method 3
the adhesion strength changes depending on the pattern density, and thus the mold release speed suddenly changes
Data Source
AI summary
A mold includes a pattern portion in which a pattern is formed, and a concave portion formed in the back surface of the pattern portion and having a size to include the pattern portion in a planar view. The edge of the pattern portion has an almost rectangular shape in the planar view. The concave portion has an almost rectangular shape with four rounded corners in the planar view. The shortest distance from each point on a side of the edge of the pattern portion to the edge of the concave portion is constant.