Soft Mold Patterning for Flat Panel Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high manufacturing costs of flat panel display devices are attributed to the complexity and expense of photolithography processes, which require photoresist materials and expensive equipment.

Innovation Solution

A method using a soft mold with grooves and projections to pattern thin films on substrates by contacting a hydrophilic polymer resin, eliminating the need for photoresist and exposure processes, and utilizing heat treatment to enhance hydrophobicity for patterning.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If photolithography process is used to pattern thin films, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatterning precisionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the photolithography process (which uses light and chemical photoresist) with a direct mechanical patterning method using a relief mold. The mold physically contacts and presses the thin film to transfer the pattern, eliminating the need for photoresist materials, exposure equipment, and chemical development processes. This mechanical substitution significantly reduces manufacturing cost and device complexity while maintaining patterning precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a relief mold that contains a copy of the desired pattern to transfer the design onto the thin film. Instead of using complex photolithography equipment to create patterns, a simplified mold copy of the pattern is pressed directly onto the material, achieving the same patterning result with much simpler and cheaper equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Manufacturing precision

If photolithography process is used to pattern thin films, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but fabrication time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatterning precisionVSAvoidfabrication time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The pattern is pre-formed on the relief mold before the actual patterning process. This allows the pattern to be transferred directly to the thin film in a single pressing action, eliminating the multiple sequential steps of photolithography (photoresist coating, alignment, exposure, development, etching). The preliminary preparation of the mold enables faster production while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By replacing the multi-step photolithography process with a single mechanical pressing operation using the relief mold, the fabrication time is dramatically reduced. The direct contact method transfers the pattern instantly without requiring exposure time, chemical development time, or multiple alignment steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Manufacturing precision

If photolithography process is used to pattern thin films, then manufacturing precision is achieved, but material waste increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatterning precisionVSAvoidmaterial waste

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical pressing method using the relief mold eliminates the need for photoresist materials that are applied in large amounts and then discarded after development. The pattern is transferred directly through physical contact, using only the thin film material itself, thereby eliminating chemical waste and reducing material consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The relief mold can be reused multiple times to transfer the same pattern, making the patterning process economically sustainable. Unlike photoresist which is discarded after a single use, the durable mold serves repeatedly, reducing overall material waste and improving the environmental sustainability of the manufacturing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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 reduces fabrication time and costs by eliminating the need for photoresist materials and expensive equipment, while improving patterning efficiency and reducing waste.

Implementation Method 1

contacting the projection of the soft mold to the thin film to make a contacted area hydrophobic; spreading a hydrophilic polymer resin on the thin film to pattern the thin film

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrophobic effect: Hydrophobe

Data Source

PatentUS7491560B2Fabricating method of flat panel display device

Publication Date: 2009.02.17 LG DISPLAY CO LTD

AI summary

A fabricating method of a flat panel display device according to the present invention includes providing a thin film on a substrate; providing a soft mold having a groove and a projection on the thin film; contacting the projection of the soft mold and the thin film; and spreading a hydrophilic polymer resin on the thin film to pattern the thin film.