Method of forming a microstructure

• US 8,703,232 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• 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: Stay, Matthew S., Pekurovsky, Mikhail L., Moran, Cristin E., Frey, Matthew H.
• Primary Examiner(s): BURKHART, ELIZABETH A
• Application Number:
  US13/001,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20110111182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 427/97.9, 427/99.5, 427/256, 427/304, 427/443.1, 427/97.3, 427/98.1, 427/99.1, 427/437, 427/162, 427/163.1, 427/164, 427/163.4, 427/259, 427/272, 427/108, 427/117, 427/118
• US Class Current: 427/164
• 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 transparent 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, wherein the functional material comprises a metal, a metal precursor, an electroless plating catalyst, an electroless plating catalyst precursor, a mask material, or a combination thereof;

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; and

backfilling the recessed features with a refractive index matching material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional material comprises the mask material;

and

wherein before backfilling the recessed features, the method further comprises;

depositing a metal layer on the mask material collected on the recessed surfaces of the recessed features and on the remainder of the structured surface region which is substantially free of the mask material;

removing the mask material and the metal layer deposited on the mask material from the structured surface region by dissolving, heating, degrading, or combinations thereof, such that the metal layer deposited on the remainder of the structured surface region remains.

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, wherein the functional material comprises a mask material in the form of a resist material, further comprising:

before disposing the fluid composition, disposing a metal layer on the structured surface region to give a metallized structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features having recessed surfaces and a remainder of the metallized structured surface region; and

after disposing the fluid composition and before backfilling, etching the metal layer of the remainder of the metallized structured surface region, wherein the resist material on the recessed surfaces of the recessed features protects the metal layer disposed beneath the resist material during etching.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the functional material comprises a mask material in the form of a resist material, further comprising:

before disposing the fluid composition, disposing a metal layer on the structured surface region to give a metallized structured surface region comprising one or more recessed features having recessed surfaces and a remainder of the metallized structured surface region; and

removing at least a portion of the metal layer of the remainder of the metallized structured surface region.