Structured lamination transfer films and methods

• US 9,780,335 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Wolk, Martin B., Mazurek, Mieczyslaw H., Lamansky, Sergey, Vogel-Martin, Margaret M., Jones, Vivian W., Benson, Jr., Olester, Free, Michael Benton, Schwartz, Evan L., Bay, Randy S., Clarke, Graham M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Whitney T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Scott R
• Application Number:
  US13/553,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2037/268 Release layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/12 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/14 Velocity, e.g. feed speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/12 Photovoltaic modules
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/20 Displays, e.g. liquid crystal displays, plasma displays
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/206 Organic displays, e.g. OLED
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/025 Transfer laminating
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/858 comprising refractive means, e.g. lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet

Abstract

Lamination transfer films and methods for transferring a structured layer to a receptor substrate. The transfer films include a carrier substrate having a releasable surface, a sacrificial template layer applied to the releasable surface of the carrier substrate and having a non-planar structured surface, and a thermally stable backfill layer applied to the non-planar structured surface of the sacrificial template layer. The sacrificial template layer is capable of being removed from the backfill layer, such as via pyrolysis, while leaving the structured surface of the backfill layer substantially intact.

Claims

1. A lamination transfer film for use in transferring an embedded structured layer, comprising:

a carrier substrate having a releasable surface;

a sacrificial releasable layer having a first surface applied to the releasable surface of the carrier substrate and having a second surface opposite the first surface;

a top layer applied to the second surface of the sacrificial releasable layer and having a non-planar structured surface on a side of the top layer opposite the sacrificial releasable layer; and

a backfill layer applied to the non-planar structured surface of the top layer, forming a structured interface between the top layer and the backfill layer,

wherein the sacrificial releasable layer is capable of being removed from the top layer while leaving the backfill layer and the top layer substantially intact.

2. The lamination transfer film of claim 1, wherein the carrier substrate is thermally stable.

3. The lamination transfer film of claim 1, wherein the backfill layer is a planarizing layer.

4. The lamination transfer film of claim 1, wherein the backfill layer comprises a bilayer of two different materials.

5. The lamination transfer film of claim 4, wherein one of the bilayers comprises an adhesion promoting layer.

6. The lamination transfer film of claim 1, wherein the top layer has a higher index of refraction than the backfill layer.

7. The lamination transfer film of claim 1, wherein the backfill layer includes a polymer resin and at least one of nanoparticles and metal oxide precursors.

8. The lamination transfer film of claim 7, wherein the polymer resin is a silsesquioxane of bridge or ladder-type.

9. The lamination transfer film of claim 7, wherein the polymer resin is at least one of a T-resin and a T-Q resin.

10. A method for transferring an embedded structured layer to a permanent receptor, comprising the steps of:

providing a lamination transfer film, comprising;

a carrier substrate having a releasable surface;

a sacrificial releasable layer having a first surface applied to the releasable surface of the carrier substrate and having a second surface opposite the first surface;

a top layer applied to the second surface of the sacrificial releasable layer and having a non-planar structured surface on a side of the top layer opposite the sacrificial releasable layer; and

a backfill layer applied to the non-planar structured surface of the top layer, forming a structured interface between the top layer and the backfill layer;

applying the lamination transfer film to a permanent receptor with the backfill layer applied to the permanent receptor;

removing the carrier substrate while leaving at least a portion of the sacrificial releasable layer on the top layer; and

removing the sacrificial releasable layer from the backfill layer while leaving the backfill layer and the top layer substantially intact.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the applying step comprises applying the lamination transfer film to a glass substrate.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the applying step comprises applying the lamination transfer film to a buffer layer on the permanent receptor.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the top layer has a higher index of refraction than the backfill layer.

14. A receptor substrate with lamination transfer films on opposite surfaces, comprising:

a receptor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;

a first lamination transfer film applied to the first surface of the receptor substrate, the first lamination transfer film comprising;

a first carrier substrate having a releasable surface;

a first sacrificial template layer having a first surface applied to the releasable surface of the first carrier substrate and having a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises a non-planar structured surface; and

a first thermally stable backfill layer applied to the first surface of the receptor substrate and the second surface of the first sacrificial template layer, wherein the first backfill layer has a structured surface corresponding with and applied to the non-planar structured surface of the first sacrificial template layer,

wherein the first sacrificial template layer is capable of being removed from the first backfill layer while leaving the structured surface of the first backfill layer substantially intact; and

a second lamination transfer film applied to the second surface of the receptor substrate, the second lamination transfer film comprising;

a second carrier substrate having a releasable surface;

a second sacrificial template layer having a first surface applied to the releasable surface of the second carrier substrate and having a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the second surface comprises a non-planar structured surface; and

a second thermally stable backfill layer applied to the second surface of the receptor substrate and the second surface of the second sacrificial template layer, wherein the second backfill layer has a structured surface corresponding with and applied to the non-planar structured surface of the second sacrificial template layer,

wherein the second sacrificial template layer is capable of being removed from the second backfill layer while leaving the structured surface of the second backfill layer substantially intact.

15. The receptor substrate of claim 14, wherein the receptor substrate is in roll form.