Inkjet Substrate Anchoring for Precise Registration During Printing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Inkjet printing in semiconductor and display fabrication faces challenges in achieving precise registration and alignment of substrates due to lack of registration mechanisms in existing inkjet printers, leading to potential substrate movement during printing, which is unacceptable for the required accuracy in these industries.

Innovation Solution

The method involves printing a support structure and alignment markers on the substrate to secure it in place, using a combination of liquid precursor materials that can be cured to form anchors and markers, ensuring precise positioning and preventing substrate movement through the printing process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If traditional inkjet printing is used without registration mechanisms, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to substrate movement during printing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate alignment accuracyVSAvoidregistration mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Alignment markers are printed on the substrate before the actual device structures. These markers serve as reference points for subsequent registration steps, ensuring precise alignment without requiring complex real-time registration mechanisms during the printing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Alignment markers act as intermediary elements between the substrate and the printing system. By printing these markers first and using them as references, the system achieves precise substrate registration without needing complex mechanical registration mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If anchors are printed to secure the substrate, then substrate stability is improved, but printing time increases due to additional printing steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate stabilityVSAvoidprinting cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The anchor structures are combined with the alignment markers into a single printing operation. Both features are printed simultaneously in the same printing cycle, eliminating the need for separate anchoring steps and reducing overall printing time while maintaining substrate stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 improves the accuracy and repeatability of material deposition by maintaining substrate alignment, even under mechanical vibrations, enhancing the precision and reliability of the printing process.

Implementation Method 1

printing a support structure by printing a liquid precursor material and curing the liquid precursor material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring: Photopolymerisation

Data Source

PatentUS11798831B2Method for substrate registration and anchoring in inkjet printing

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

A method for printing on a substrate includes printing a support structure by printing a liquid precursor material and curing the liquid precursor material, positioning a substrate within the support structure, printing one or more anchors on the substrate and the support structure by printing and curing the liquid precursor material to secure the substrate to the support structure, and printing one or more device structures on the substrate while anchored by printing and curing the liquid precursor material.