Light-absorbing mask layer for high-purity functional material deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for selectively depositing functional materials on substrates, such as printing, often result in impurities interfering with the material's properties, and existing techniques like Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) suffer from low resolution, serial processing, significant waste, and limited suitability for various materials due to stringent dynamic requirements.
Innovation Solution
An optically transparent plate with wells coated in a thin light-absorbing material is used, where the functional material is filled in the wells and heated by pulsed light to generate gas and release the material onto a substrate, allowing for high material utilization and flexibility in substrate shape, without the need for scanning or waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If printing methods are used to selectively deposit functional material, then the material can be deposited on substrate, but additives in the formulation interfere with the properties of the functional material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential functional material from the formulation by using a mask layer that blocks light in non-target areas. The functional material is deposited in its active form without requiring additives, as the masking approach allows direct deposition of the material itself rather than relying on formulated inks or pastes that contain interfering additives.
Solution Approach 2:
The mask layer creates local quality differences by being transparent in some areas and opaque in others. This allows the functional material to be deposited with high purity in specific locations while preventing deposition in areas where it is not needed, eliminating the need for additives that would be present in conventional printed formulations.
2Manufacturing precision
If Laser Induced Forward Transfer is used, then functional material can be transferred, but the process suffers from low resolution and serial processing limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light source into multiple independent laser beams that can be focused simultaneously on different locations of the substrate. This parallel processing approach maintains high resolution for each beam while dramatically increasing overall productivity by depositing multiple features at the same time rather than processing serially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from serial one-dimensional processing to parallel multi-dimensional processing by using an array of laser beams that can be positioned at different locations and angles. This allows simultaneous deposition across the substrate surface, resolving the contradiction between resolution and processing speed.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional printing is used, then material can be deposited, but significant waste is generated and material utilization is low
Solution Approach 1:
The functional material serves its own purpose of defining the deposited pattern through the mask layer approach. The material is deposited only where needed based on the mask transparency, eliminating waste associated with conventional printing methods that require over-deposition and subsequent trimming or chemical removal of excess material.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the deposition parameter from area-based deposition (conventional printing) to point-based selective deposition. By controlling the laser beam focus and mask pattern, material is deposited only at precise locations where required, dramatically reducing material waste while maintaining ease of manufacture through a straightforward physical deposition 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 method achieves efficient, high-resolution deposition of nearly pure functional material with minimal waste and flexibility in substrate shape, suitable for a wide range of materials, while maintaining the material's properties and reducing thermal stress.
Implementation Method 1
the plate is then irradiated with a pulsed light to heat the layer of light-absorbing material
Implementation Method 2
heat the layer of light-absorbing material in order to generate a gas
Implementation Method 3
heat the layer of light-absorbing material in order to generate a gas at an interface between the layer of light-absorbing material and the functional material
Data Source
AI summary
A method for depositing a functional material on a substrate is disclosed. An optically transparent plate having a first surface and a second surface with one or more wells is provided. After coating the second surface with a thin layer of light-absorbing material, the wells are filled with a functional material. The plate is then irradiated with a pulsed light to heat the layer of light-absorbing material in order to generate gas at an interface between the layer of light-absorbing material and the functional material to release the functional material from the wells onto a receiving substrate located adjacent to the plate.