Stacked large-format imprinting method

Abstract

A method of making a filled large-format imprinted structure includes providing a substrate, locating a first curable layer over the substrate, imprinting the first curable layer, and curing the first curable layer to form a first cured layer imprinted with a first micro-cavity. A first curable material of a first color is located in the first micro-cavity and cured to form first cured material in the first micro-cavity. A second curable layer is located on the first cured layer and the first cured material, imprinted, and cured to form a second cured layer imprinted with a second micro-cavity. A second curable material of a second color different from the first color is located in the second micro-cavity and cured to form second cured material, thereby defining a large-format imprinted structure.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]Reference is made to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001725) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Filled Large-Format Imprinted Structure by Cok; to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001727) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Filled Large-Format Imprinting Method by Cok; to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001728) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Ribbed Large-Format Imprinted Structure by Cok; to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001729) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Ribbed Large-Format Imprinting Method by Cok; to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001730) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Multi-Layer Large-Format Imprinted Structure by Cok; to commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Docket K001731) filed concurrently herewith, entitled Multi-Layer Large-Format Imprinting Met...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes better methods and materials for making color filters and other large-format imprinted structures. These methods and materials increase uniformity and size, decrease material requirements, increase manufacturing speed, and require less material and equipment.

Problems solved by technology

This process is expensive and time consuming because it is a subtractive process that is wasteful of etched materials, uses additional, expensive materials such as photoresists and masks, and requires expensive optical alignment equipment.

However, as with the imprinting process itself, it is difficult to uniformly fill a large, imprinted area with a liquid that is subsequently cured.

For example, the coffee-ring effect is widely known to compromise the uniformity of a dried coating because of capillary flow induced by differential evaporation rates over the extent of the coating.

Therefore, because of such imprinting and drying problems, it is difficult to form large fill-factor substrates, such as color filter substrates, using imprint-and-fill processes.

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