Photocopying – Contact printing – Exposing on sensitized printing press plate or cylinder
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-13
2001-02-27
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Contact printing
Exposing on sensitized printing press plate or cylinder
C355S027000, C355S040000, C430S270100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195156
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming device. The present invention also relates to a photosensitive material and an image forming process used for said image forming device. Further, the present invention relates to a pattern forming process utilizing said photosensitive material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The conventional image forming device based on dry electrophotography, which uses toner particles, requires that the size of the toner particles used should be as small as possible to generate high-quality images. However, the use of fine toner particles has a practical disadvantage: particles with diameters of 5 to 6 &mgr;m or less may cause diseases such as pneumoconiosis when inhaled by operators while suspending in air, as they are not easily disintegrated once sucked into the lung. A possible solution to this problem is to use a developer in which toner is dispersed in organic solvent to prevent the particles from scattering in air. However, this method also may be problematic as the organic solvent used may evaporate while the toner is fixed on an image recording medium.
Although many printers for commercial applications use organic solvents, it may be replaced with water to reduce the effect on the environment. For these printers, however, an image needs to be impressed on a plate before being printed, hampering their applications in on-demand printing, unlike electrophotographic printing.
On the other hand, in the semiconductor industry, to form a pattern of metal layer, the remaining area needs to be masked, which is why the additional masking process and a mask removal process are necessary before and after metallic pattern forming, respectively. These processes are quite cumbersome and often involve the use of a strongly acidic mask remover, posing problems regarding the safety of operators and effects on the environment.
From the above viewpoint, an image forming device which would have little effect on operators and environment while enabling on-demand printing has been awaited in the fields of electrophotographic image forming and printing.
Also, in the semiconductor industry, a simpler, safer and environmentally less offensive metal pattern forming process have been called for.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The first image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a photocatalytic layer comprising a photocatalyst and a hydrophobic layer applied on top of said photocatalytic layer, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light;
(2) An initializer for leveling the hydrophobic layer so as to level the angle of contact with water on the surface of said photosensitive material;
(3) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer; and
(4) A developing device for developing the formed latent image.
The second image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a photocatalytic layer comprising a photocatalyst and a hydrophobic layer applied on top of said photocatalytic layer, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light;
(2) An initializer for leveling the hydrophobic layer so as to level the angle of contact with water on the surface of said photosensitive material;
(3) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer, by exposing said photosensitive material to light capable of controlling the dose of light exposure; and
(4) A developing device the formed latent image by supplying ink to the surface of said photosensitive material so as to adhere ink to said latent image.
The third image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a photocatalytic layer comprising a photocatalyst and a hydrophobic layer applied on top of said photocatalytic layer, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light;
(2) An initializer for leveling the hydrophobic layer so as to level the angle of contact with water on the surface of said photosensitive material;
(3) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer;
(4) A curing device for curing the hydrophobic layer in the area where the latent image is not formed; and
(5) A developing device for developing the formed latent image.
The fourth image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a hydrophobic photosensitive layer comprising a photocatalyst and an organic compound, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light;
(2) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer; and
(3) A developing device for developing the formed latent image.
The fifth image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a hydrophobic photosensitive layer comprising a photocatalyst and an organic compound, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light;
(2) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer, by exposing said photosensitive material to light, capable of controlling the dose of light exposure; and
(3) A developing device the formed latent image by supplying ink to the surface of said photosensitive material so as to adhere ink to said latent image.
The sixth image forming device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:
(1) A photosensitive material comprising a hydrophobic photosensitive layer comprising a photocatalyst and an organic compound, wherein said photocatalyst, when exposed to light, changes the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface of the photosensitive material which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light;
(2) An exposer for forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, which has been initialized by the initializer;
(3) A curing device for curing the hydrophobic layer in the area where the latent image is not formed; and
(4) A developing device for developing the formed latent image.
The first photosensitive material according to the present invention is a photosensitive material comprising a photocatalytic layer comprising a photocatalyst and a hydrophobic layer applied on top of said photocatalytic layer, wherein the hydrophobic layer, when exposed to light, is degenerated so as to change the angle of contact with water in the area on the surface which is exposed to light, thereby differentiating from the angle of contact with water in the area which is not exposed to light.
The second photosensitive material according to the present invention is a photosensitive material wherein a photocatalyst for u
Hirahara Shuzo
Hosoya Masahiro
Miyamoto Hirohisa
Saito Mitsunaga
Shinjo Yasushi
Adams Russell
Brown Khaled
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
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