Roll-to-roll Imprinting Resist Wrapping Substrate Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Roll-to-roll imprinting faces challenges in achieving sufficient adhesion between the resist material and substrate material layers, particularly with components having negative sidewall structures, leading to issues where the resist material sticks to the mold instead of the substrate, hindering mass production.
Innovation Solution
The resist material is applied to extend over the substrate's side edges and opposite surface, creating mechanical interlocking surfaces for enhanced adhesion without additional adhesives, using elastic materials like polysiloxane for negative sidewall structures that can deform and detach from the mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resist material with low adhesion to substrate is used, then adhesion between resist and substrate is reduced, but adhesion between resist and mold is also reduced causing resist to stick to mold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the adhesion problem from a single-plane interface (resist-substrate top surface) to a three-dimensional configuration where resist material wraps around and adheres to the substrate's side edges and opposite surface. This dimensional extension creates multiple adhesion zones that collectively strengthen the resist-substrate bond without requiring increased adhesion at any single interface, thereby preventing mold sticking while maintaining substrate attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The resist material is configured to envelop the substrate structure, with portions extending over side edges and onto the opposite surface. This nesting arrangement creates a mechanical interlocking configuration where the resist material is physically embedded around the substrate edges, providing enhanced mechanical fixation and adhesion through geometric interlocking rather than relying solely on chemical adhesion at the top surface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If elastic resist material is used for negative sidewall structures, then negative sidewalls can be formed, but adhesion to substrate material becomes poor
Solution Approach 1:
By extending the resist material configuration into three dimensions (over side edges and onto opposite surface), the patent creates multiple adhesion interfaces that compensate for the inherently poor adhesion of elastic materials. This dimensional extension ensures that even though elastic material has poor adhesion properties, the cumulative effect of multiple adhesion zones maintains reliable substrate attachment while preserving the material's elasticity needed for negative sidewall formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the resist material configuration rather than changing the material composition. By modifying the shape and distribution of the resist material (extending it to wrap around substrate edges), the patent achieves improved adhesion performance without altering the elastic properties of the material, thereby maintaining the ability to form negative sidewall structures while solving the adhesion problem.
3Reliability
If additional adhesive material layers are used to improve adhesion, then adhesion between resist and substrate increases, but process complexity and number of material layers increase
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate structure itself serves as the anchoring mechanism for the resist material. By designing the substrate with side edges that extend into the resist material configuration, the substrate provides its own mechanical fixation function without requiring additional adhesive layers or external anchoring structures. The resist material's own elastic properties and geometric configuration provide the necessary adhesion mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the need for additional adhesive material layers by extracting the adhesion function from a separate material layer and integrating it into the geometric configuration of the resist material itself. The adhesion is achieved through the resist material's shape and its mechanical interlocking with the substrate edges rather than through a distinct adhesive layer, thereby simplifying the overall structure.
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 method significantly increases adhesion between the resist and substrate materials, reducing the likelihood of the resist material sticking to the mold, enabling effective mass production of components with negative sidewall structures.
Implementation Method 1
the imprint resist material envelopes the side edges of the substrate material. This additional mechanical fixation significantly increases the adhesion between the resist material and the substrate material
Implementation Method 2
The resist material used in these components comprising negative sidewalls or side wall structures must be elastic material, which elastic material typically has a poor adhesion to the substrate material
Data Source
AI summary
Method for roll-to-roll imprinting of components, in which method an imprint resist material layer (5) is applied on a substrate material layer (1) before imprinting the resist layer with a roll mold (3), wherein the imprint resist material (5) is applied on the substrate material layer (1) so, that the imprint resist material layer extends over the side edges of the substrate material layer and on the opposite side of the substrate material layer in relation to the imprinting surface of the substrate material layer in the cross-section of the substrate material layer together with the applied imprint resist material layer.