Systems and methods for additive deposition of materials onto a substrate

• US 20070068404A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company (Weyerhauser)
• Original Assignee: Weyerhaeuser Company (Weyerhauser)
• Inventors: Lee, David, Hirahara, Edwin
• Application Number:
  US11/238,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068404A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 101/141
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/0057 where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/00 Manufacture or treatment specially adapted for the organic devices covered by this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 71/13 using printing techniques, e.g. ink-jet printing or screen printing

Abstract

A two stage printing process that includes a digital first stage in the form of a non-contact material metering device, such as one or more digital inkjet heads, for selectively discharging a metered quantity of material, and an analog second stage, such as flexographic print and impression cylinders, for transferring the material deposited thereon by the non-contact material metering device onto a substrate.

Claims

1. A method of printing an electronic device onto a substrate, comprising:

obtaining a substrate;

routing the substrate through a sequential series of printing nips, said nips formed between at least a portion of one substrate support structure and a plurality of plate structures, each plate structure defining a print image;

sequentially depositing one of a plurality of materials onto the print images of the plate structures, the sequential depositing of material being carried out by a plurality of non-contact metering devices, wherein the print image of each plate structure represents the final image layers to be printed on the substrate; and

sequentially transferring the material deposited on the print images of the plate structures onto the substrate layer-by-layer as the substrate is routed through the sequential series of printing nips, thereby forming, in an additive manner, a printed electronic device comprised of a plurality of printed image layers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the printed image layers has a substantial uniform thickness.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thickness of the at least one printed image layer is in the range of approximately 50-200 nanometers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the print image is selected from the group consisting of a recessed print image, a relief print image, and a planographic print image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-contact metering device is an inkjet head.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of materials is selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, semiconductive materials, and insulative materials.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of uncoated paper, coated paper, laminated paper, corrugated board, dimension lumber, plywood, glass, plastic film, and cellulosic film.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate support structure is an impression cylinder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plate structure is a plate cylinder.

10. The product formed by the process of claim 1.

11. A method of printing a plurality of print layers, comprising:

(a) routing a substrate to a first printing station, whereby the first printing station comprises a non-contact material metering device, a print cylinder defining a first print image, and at least a portion of an impression cylinder;

(b) depositing a first material onto the print image of the print cylinder by a non-contact material metering device;

(c) transferring the first material deposited on the print image onto the substrate, thereby forming a discrete first printed image layer;

(d) routing the substrate to a second printing station, whereby the second printing station comprises a second non-contact material metering device, a second print cylinder defining a second print image, and a portion of an impression cylinder;

(e) depositing a second material onto the second print image of the second print cylinder by the second non-contact material metering device; and

(f) transferring the second material from the second print image onto at least a portion of the first printed layer, thereby forming a discrete second printed image layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first or second printed image layer has a substantially uniform thickness.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the thickness of the first or second printed image layer is in the range of approximately 50-200 nanometers.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first or second non-contact material metering device is an inkjet head.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of uncoated paper, coated paper, laminated paper, corrugated board, dimension lumber, plywood, glass, plastic film, and cellulosic film.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the material is selected from a group consisting of conductive materials, semiconductive materials, and insulative materials, metallic inks, non-metallic inks, varnish, adhesive, polymeric coatings, organic dyes, inorganic dyes, paint, and barrier material.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(g) routing the substrate to a third printing station, whereby the third printing station comprises a third non-contact material metering device, a third print cylinder defining a third print image, and a portion of an impression cylinder;

(h) depositing a third material onto the third print image of the third print cylinder by the third non-contact material metering device; and

(i) transferring the third material from the third print image onto at least a portion of the first or second printed image layer, thereby forming a discrete third printed image layer.

18. The product formed by the process of claim 11.