METHOD OF FORMING A MICROSTRUCTURE

• US 20110111182A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Pekurovsky, Mikhail L., Frey, Matthew H., Moran, Cristin E., Stay, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,703,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/173
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 11/52 Electrically conductive inks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/06 Coating on selected surface areas, e.g. using masks
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/08 characterised by the deposition of metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1608 from pretreatment step, i.e. selective pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/30 Activating or accelerating or sensitising with palladium or other noble metal
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/155 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/22 Antistatic materials or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09036 Recesses or grooves in insulating substrate recess in metallic substrate H05K2201/09745
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09827 Tapered, e.g. tapered hole, via or groove bevelled, chamferred or tapered edge H05K2201/09154
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/107 by filling grooves in the support with conductive material H05K3/045, H05K3/101, H05K3/1258 and H05K3/465 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/1258 by using a substrate provided with a shape pattern, e.g. grooves, banks, resist pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/182 characterised by the patterning method
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0096 for television displays, e.g. plasma display panel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2462 with partial filling of valleys on outer surface

Abstract

The present disclosure describes an article and a method of forming a microstructure. The method includes providing a substrate having a structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features with recessed surfaces. The structured surface region is substantially free of plateaus. The method includes disposing a fluid composition comprising a functional material and a liquid onto the structured surface region. The method includes evaporating liquid from the fluid composition. The functional material collects on the recessed surfaces such that a remainder of the structured surface region is substantially free of the functional material.

Claims

1. A method of forming a microstructure comprising:

providing a substrate having a structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features with recessed surfaces, the structured surface region substantially free of plateaus;

disposing a fluid composition comprising a functional material and a liquid onto the structured surface region; and

evaporating liquid from the fluid composition, the functional material collecting on the recessed surfaces such that the remainder of the structured surface region is substantially free of the functional material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional material comprises a metal, a metal precursor, an electroless plating catalyst, an electroless plating catalyst precursor, a mask material, a biological material, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid composition comprises a conductive ink.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising curing the conductive ink after evaporating liquid from the fluid composition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising electrolessly plating the structured surface region.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising curing the functional material after evaporating liquid from the fluid composition.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising electrolessly plating the functional material.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising backfilling the recessed features with an adhesive or a refractive index matching material.

9. A method of forming a microstructure comprising:

providing a substrate comprising a metallized structured surface region comprising a metal layer disposed the structured surface region, the metallized structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features having recessed surfaces, the metallized structured surface region substantially free of plateaus;

disposing a fluid composition comprising a resist material and a liquid onto the metallized structured surface region; and

evaporating liquid from the fluid composition, the resist material collecting on the recessed surfaces such that a remainder of the metallized structured surface region is substantially free of the resist material.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising curing the resist material after evaporating liquid from the fluid composition.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising backfilling the recessed features with an adhesive or a refractive index matching material.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises a microreplicated substrate.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the structured surface region or the metallized structured surface region comprises linear prisms, pyramids, semi-ellipsoids, cones, nonlinear prisms, or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the structured surface region or the metallized structured surface region comprises linear prisms.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the structured surface region comprises triangular pyramids, square pyramids, pentagonal pyramids, hexagonal pyramids, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the liquid comprises a ketone, an alcohol, or combinations thereof.

17. An article comprising:

a transparent substrate comprising a major surface with a major surface contour and having a structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features having recessed surfaces, the structured surface region substantially free of plateaus;

an electrically conductive material adjacent to and in contact with the recessed surfaces; and

an adhesive or a refractive-index matching material comprising a first surface and a second surface, the first surface contacting the structured surface region and the second surface being parallel to the major surface contour of the transparent substrate, wherein the remainder of the structured surface region is substantially free of the electrically conductive material.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the electrically conductive material is a two-dimensional network of lines or a series of parallel lines, wherein the lines have a width is in a range of 10 nanometers to 500 micrometers.

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the electrically conductive material is in the form of a two-dimensional network of lines, wherein an area percentage of the structured surface region that is covered by electrically conductive material is in a range of 0.01 to 50 percent.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein a difference between the index of refraction of the adhesive or the refractive index-matching material and the index of refraction of the substrate is less than or equal to 0.2.

21. The article of claim 17, wherein the transparent substrate is a microreplicated polymer film.