STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR CREATING SURFACE TEXTURE OF COMPLIANT COATINGS ON PIEZO INK JET IMAGING DRUMS

• US 20100279078A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: FREEMAN, T. Edwin, PAN, David H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,377,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/28 for wrinkle, crackle, orange-peel, or similar decorative effects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0046 with perfluoro compounds, e.g. for dry lithography G03F7/0048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0233 characterised by the polymeric binders or the macromolecular additives other than the macromolecular quinonediazides
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0236 Condensation products of carbonyl compounds and phenolic compounds, e.g. novolak resins
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0752 in non photosensitive layers or as additives, e.g. for dry lithography
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/11 having cover layers or intermediate layers, e.g. subbing layers G03F7/091 - G03F7/093, B41N3/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

This is structure and method for providing a textured surfaced that can be used in a plurality of systems including ink jet printing. In ink jet printing, the textured surface of this invention controls ink drawback and significantly improves image quality. The textured surface has an average roughness, R_a, of about 0.2 to 1.5 microns, a texture density of about 10⁴-10⁷ pits per cm², a texture size of about 0.5-5 microns, and a texture depth of about 0.5-10 microns.

Claims

1. Method of producing an imaging surface for an imaging system, comprising:

providing a metallic substrate;

coating said metallic substrate with an elastomer layer having a chemically-reactive filler or base mixed therewith, thereby obtaining a coating on said metallic substrate;

etching said coating with an effective concentration of an acid reactive with the filler or base exposed at the surface of the coating, thereby providing reaction products including water-soluble salt at the surface of the coating; and

removing said reaction products by washing the coating surface with an aqueous liquid, thereby producing a plurality of pits at the surface of the coating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the metallic substrate is a rigid material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, anodized aluminum, iron phosphate, nickel, copper, zinc, stainless steel, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a fluoroelastomer, poly (tetrafluorethylene), silicone rubber, nitrile butyl rubber, polyurethane elastomer, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said base is selected from the group consisting of MgO, Ca(OH)₂, CaCO₃, K₂CO₃, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said acid is acetic acid.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating surface has a texture having a density of about 10⁴ to about 10⁷ pits per cm², each such pit having an opening of from about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and a depth of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said coating surface has an average roughness, R_a, of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 microns.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein an aluminum drum is provided as said metallic substrate,

coating said drum with a material selected from the group consisting of a mixture comprising a fluoroelastomer and a base filler of MgO, Ca(OH)₂, or CaCO₃;

etching said coating with acetic acid to form thereby a water soluble salt of said MgO, Ca(OH)₂, or CaCO₃, removing said salt by washing the coating surface with water to provide thereby a textured drum having a surface with an average roughness, R_a, of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 microns, a texture density of about 10⁴ to about 10⁷ pits per cm², each such pit having an opening of from about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and a depth of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

10. Method of producing an imaging surface for an imaging system, comprising:

providing a metallic substrate or elastomer layered substrate with a relatively smooth surface,

coating such substrate with a photoresist layer,

Interposing a UV mask between a UV source and said photoresist layer, said mask having a plurality of openings of a predetermined size range, said mask comprising a material impervious to UV rays, said UV rays passing through said mask openings,

exposing said mask to UV rays, thereby causing said UV rays to pass through said mask openings and thereafter causing portions of the photoresist layer to break down,

removing those portions of the photoresist layer that were broken down by said UV rays,

etching the resulting surface of such substrate to provide thereby a plurality of pits at the surface thereof,

removing the remainder of the photoresist layer to provide thereby the surface of such substrate with said plurality of pits.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the metallic substrate is a rigid material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, anodized aluminum, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, stainless steel, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said elastomer is selected from the group consisting of a fluoroelastomer, poly (tetrafluorethylene), silicone rubber, nitrile butyl rubber, polyurethane elastomer, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said photoresist layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polymethylmethacrylate, polymethylglutarimide diazonaphthoquinone/Novolac resin, and combinations and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein said metallic substrate is etched with an effective concentration of an acid reactive with said metal.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said elastomer substrate is etched with a reactive gas comprising reactive ions.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein said resulting imaging surface has a texture having a density of about 10⁴ to about 10⁷ pits per cm², each such pit having a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and a depth of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein said resulting imaging surface has an average roughness, R_a, of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 microns.

18. The method of claim 10 wherein an anodized aluminum drum is provided as said metallic substrate having a surface with an average roughness, R_a, of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 microns, a texture having a density of about 10⁴ to about 10⁷ pits per cm², each such pit having a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and a depth of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

19. A fusing surface structure that is configured to receive an application of a thin film of a release fluid, said surface being a pitted surface comprising the following characteristics:

an average roughness, R_a, of from about 0.2 to about 1.5 microns,

a texture density of from about 10⁴ to about 10⁷ pits per cm²,

each said pit having an opening of a size from about 0.5 to about 5 microns, and

a depth of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

20. The structure of claim 19 comprising a drum substrate useful in imaging technology, said surface configured to improve release fluid application.