Ablation enhancement layer

• US 6,689,544 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Sen, Radha, Nagarkar, Pradnya V., Ram, Jyothsna, Richard, James T., Heath, Linda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): ANGEBRANNDT, MARTIN J
• Application Number:
  US10/170,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20020195435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 430/320, 430/321, 430/200, 430/201, 430/394, 219/121.68, 219/121.69, 219/121.8, 219/121.61
• US Class Current: 430/321
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/24 Ablative recording, e.g. by burning marks; Spark recording marking by high energetic means, e.g. by laser otherwise than burning or ablative removal B41M5/26; materials or methods for recording or reproduction by optical means G11B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31692 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers

Abstract

An ablatable laminar imaging medium useful in the manufacture of a substantially transparent electrode assembly is disclosed. The laminar imaging medium comprises a substrate, a high-index metal oxide layer, an ablatable metallic conductive layer, a high-index conductive metal oxide layer, and an ablation enhancement layer. The ablation enhancement layer has an IR-absorption greater than the IR-absorption of said high-index conductive metal oxide layer and an IR-reflectivity less than the IR-reflectivity of said high-index conductive metal oxide layer. Presence in the laminar imaging medium of the ablation enhancement layer lowers the exposure threshold of the medium and improves ablation accuracy, both—when occasioned in the manufacture of LCD electrode patterns—resulting collectively and ultimately in a more reliably formed electrical architecture, less susceptible to unwanted “shorting”.

Claims

1. A process for forming a plurality of substantially transparent electrodes upon a substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a laminar imaging medium comprising, in order, a substrate, a high-index metal oxide layer, an ablatable metallic conductive layer, a high-index conductive metal oxide layer, and an ablation enhancement layer having an IR-absorption greater than the IR-absorption of said high-index conductive metal oxide layer and an IR-reflectivity less than the IR-reflectivity of said high-index conductive metal oxide layer; and

(b) exposing predetermined non-electrode areas of the laminar imaging medium to IR-irradiation at an intensity and duration sufficient to ablate in said non-electrode areas said ablatable metallic conductive layer, and thereby effecting removal in said non-electrode areas of said ablatable metallic conductive layer and any overlying layers; and

(c) exposing predetermined electrode areas of the laminar imaging medium to IR-irradiation at an intensity and duration sufficient to effect removal by ablation of any unremoved portions of said ablation enhancement layer without appreciably effecting removal of any underlying layers in said electrode area.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the IR-exposures in steps (b) and (c) are performed sequentially.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the IR-exposures in steps (b) and (c) are performed contemporaneously.