Flexible Imprint Texture Reservoirs for Sharp Substrate Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roll-to-plate imprinting processes face challenges with surplus lacquer overflow and irregular edges due to substrate irregularities, leading to visual appeal issues and functional loss at the edges of textured substrates.
Innovation Solution
The process incorporates a flexible stamp with a Young's Modulus of 0.1 to 10 GPa, featuring domains of greater volumes at the edges, known as reservoirs, to control the overflow of lacquer and ensure defined edges by using controlled laminar flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rigid stamp is used for plate-to-plate imprinting, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability to substrates with random surface profiles deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible stamp made of elastomeric material instead of a rigid stamp. This flexible stamp can conform to substrates with random surface profiles while maintaining sufficient manufacturing precision for edge definition. The flexibility allows the stamp to adapt to surface irregularities without compromising the imprint quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the stamp from rigid to flexible by selecting elastomeric materials with appropriate durometer values. This parameter change enables the stamp to adapt to varying surface profiles while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled material properties.
2Productivity
If surplus lacquer is used to ensure complete coverage, then manufacturing precision deteriorates due to overflow, but productivity is improved through complete substrate coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of surplus lacquer overflow by designing reservoirs at the edges of the stamp. These reservoirs capture the excess lacquer that would otherwise cause poor edge definition, transforming the overflow problem into a beneficial feature that ensures complete substrate coverage while maintaining sharp edges.
Solution Approach 2:
The stamp design segments the imprinting area into a central functional region and peripheral reservoir regions. This segmentation allows the central region to provide precise edge definition while the peripheral reservoirs accommodate surplus lacquer, enabling both complete coverage and sharp edges simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If the imprint area is fixed on large substrates, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates due to inability to select imprint area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic positioning capability that allows the imprint area to be selected and positioned on large substrates. The system can adaptively choose the imprint location and size while maintaining texture replication accuracy, transforming the fixed imprint area constraint into a flexible, adjustable parameter.
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 effectively gathers surplus lacquer in controlled reservoirs, resulting in well-defined edges and improved visual appearance without functional loss, enhancing the quality of textured substrates.
Implementation Method 1
control the laminar flow of lacquer and gather surplus lacquer
Implementation Method 2
US 2006/0177532 A1 describes a plate-to-plate imprinting method to control a quantity of liquid from extruding from a volumetric gap defined between a mold included in the substrate and a region of the substrate in superimposition therewith that features varying the capillary forces between the liquid and one of the template and the substrate
Implementation Method 3
The curing method can be thermal or by use of UV light
Implementation Method 4
The curing method can be thermal or by use of UV light
Data Source
AI summary
A roll-to-plate process for texturing or patterning discrete substrates, such as displays, lighting or solar panels comprising the steps of supplying an imprinting lacquer, texturing or patterning the imprinting lacquer with an imprint texture which imprint texture is formed by openings and elevations thus creating volumes in the imprint texture to obtain an imprinted lacquer and optionally followed by curing the imprinted lacquer to obtain a solidified textured or patterned layer, characterized in that the texturing or patterning is performed with an imprint texture that comprises domains of greater volumes at its edges, and with a flexible stamp with a Young's Modulus of between 0.1 Giga Pascal (GPa) and 10 Giga Pascal (GPa).