Screen Printing Pattern Formation for Comb-Shaped Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for patterning electrodes or fluorescence substances on a support, such as injection and electrophoresis, are time-consuming, making it difficult to mass-produce patterns effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method involving screen printing to fill pattern materials into guide holes formed on a support, using a series of resist layers and exposure development steps to efficiently create multiple patterns of identical or different materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If injection or electrophoresis process is used to fill guide hole, then pattern material can be filled into guide hole, but it takes considerable time making it difficult to mass-produce patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrophoresis process (electrical field-based) and injection process (pressure-based) with a screen printing process (mechanical contact-based). The screen printing method uses a mesh screen and squeegee to mechanically transfer pattern material directly onto the guide hole, eliminating the time-consuming electrical or pressure-driven filling processes while achieving complete and uniform material deposition.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple patterns of identical or different materials are formed on support, then product versatility is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pattern formation process into discrete sequential steps where each pattern is formed independently through separate guide hole formation and material filling operations. This segmentation allows different pattern materials to be deposited in controlled sequences, enabling versatile multi-pattern structures while maintaining manageable process complexity through systematic repetition of standardized steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary actions by first forming guide holes through exposure and development before filling with pattern materials. This preliminary structuring of the substrate with defined guide holes enables subsequent material deposition to proceed efficiently and accurately, facilitating the formation of multiple patterns without increasing overall process complexity.
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 significantly reduces the time required to form patterns, enhancing the yield ratio and allowing for the mass production of patterns with desired shapes without short circuits, as demonstrated by the production of comb-shaped electrodes for secondary cells.
Implementation Method 1
forming a guide hole through a kth resist layer by exposure and development
Implementation Method 2
filling a kth pattern material into the guide hole by a screen printing process
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a pattern, a structural body, a method for producing a comb-shaped electrode, and a secondary cell. The pattern forming method, in which n patterns (n≥2) are formed on a support, includes forming a first resist layer on the support surface; and repeating: forming a guide hole through a kth resist layer by exposure and development, filling a kth pattern material into the guide hole by a screen printing process, removing the kth resist layer, and forming a (k+1)th resist layer on the support and all pattern materials, regarding kth (k=1 to n−1) pattern material and resist layer in order of k=1 to n−1; forming a guide hole and nth pattern material filling similarly, and removing the nth resist layer.