DEVICES AND METHODS FOR PATTERN GENERATION BY INK LITHOGRAPHY
First Claim
1. A method of processing a surface of substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an elastomeric patterning device having a three-dimensional pattern of recessed features on an external side, wherein said external side has at least one contact surface disposed thereon;
b) providing a patterning agent on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate; and
c) contacting the elastomeric patterning device with the substrate in a manner establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of the contact surface of the elastomeric patterning device and the surface of the substrate having said patterning agent, wherein said conformal contact results in said patterning agent filling at least a portion of said recessed features of said elastomeric pattern device, thereby processing said surface of said substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides methods, devices and device components for fabricating patterns on substrate surfaces, particularly patterns comprising structures having microsized and/or nanosized features of selected lengths in one, two or three dimensions and including relief and recess features with variable height, depth or height and depth. Composite patterning devices comprising a plurality of polymer layers each having selected mechanical and thermal properties and physical dimensions provide high resolution patterning on a variety of substrate surfaces and surface morphologies. Gray-scale ink lithography photomasks for gray-scale pattern generation or molds for generating embossed relief features on a substrate surface are provided. The particular shape of the fabricated patterned can be manipulated by varying the three-dimensional recess pattern on an elastomeric patterning device which is brought into conformal contact with a substrate to localize patterning agent to the recess portion of the pattern.
277 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method of processing a surface of substrate, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) providing an elastomeric patterning device having a three-dimensional pattern of recessed features on an external side, wherein said external side has at least one contact surface disposed thereon;
b) providing a patterning agent on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate; and
c) contacting the elastomeric patterning device with the substrate in a manner establishing conformal contact between at least a portion of the contact surface of the elastomeric patterning device and the surface of the substrate having said patterning agent, wherein said conformal contact results in said patterning agent filling at least a portion of said recessed features of said elastomeric pattern device, thereby processing said surface of said substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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40. A method of generating a pattern on a photosensitive surface of a substrate, said method comprising:
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a) providing a patterning agent on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate, wherein said patterning agent is applied in a pattern to at least partially coat said surface with said patterning agent;
b) applying electromagnetic radiation to said coated surface to generate a two-dimensional spatial distribution of electromagnetic radiation on said surface of the substrate; and
c) processing said substrate to obtain the pattern. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A patterning device for generating three-dimensional patterns on a substrate surface, said device comprising:
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a) an elastomeric layer comprising an external surface and an internal surface, said external surface having a three-dimensional relief pattern;
b) means of providing patterning agent to said substrate surface or said relief pattern; and
c) means for establishing conformal contact between said relief pattern and said substrate surface. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50)
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Specification