Radiation imagery chemistry: process – composition – or product th – Transfer procedure between image and image layer – image... – Imagewise heating – element or image receiving layers...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-09-04
Schilling, Richard L. (Department: 1752)
Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th
Transfer procedure between image and image layer, image...
Imagewise heating, element or image receiving layers...
C430S200000, C430S271100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06284425
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to thermal mass transfer donor elements for transferring materials to a receptor.
BACKGROUND
The thermal transfer of layers from a thermal transfer element to a receptor has been suggested for the preparation of a variety of products. Such products include, for example, color filters, spacers, black matrix layers, polarizers, printed circuit boards, displays (for example, liquid crystal displays and emissive displays), polarizers, z-axis conductors, and other items that can be formed by thermal transfer including, for example, those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,156,938; 5,171,650; 5,244,770; 5,256,506; 5,387,496; 5,501,938; 5,521,035; 5,593,808; 5,605,780; 5,612,165; 5,622,795; 5,685,939; 5,691,114; 5,693,446; and 5,710,097; and International Publication Nos. WO 98/03346 and WO 97/15173; all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
For many of these products, resolution and edge sharpness can be important factors in the manufacture of the product. Another factor can be the size of the transferred portion of the thermal transfer element for a given amount of thermal energy. As an example, when lines or other shapes are transferred, the linewidth or diameter of the shape depends on the size of the resistive element or light beam used to pattern the thermal transfer element. The linewidth or diameter also depends on the ability of the thermal transfer element to transfer energy. Near the edges of the resistive element or light beam, the energy provided to the thermal transfer element may be reduced. Thermal transfer elements with better thermal conduction, less thermal loss, more sensitive transfer coatings, and/or better light-to-heat conversion typically produce larger linewidths or diameters. Thus, the linewidth or diameter can be a reflection of the efficiency of the thermal transfer element in performing the thermal transfer function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One manner in which thermal transfer properties can be improved is by improvements in the formulation of the transfer layer material. For example, co-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/392,386 discloses including a plasticizer in the transfer layer to improve transfer properties. Other ways to improve transfer fidelity during laser induced thermal transfer include increasing the laser power and/or fluence incident on the donor media. However, increased laser power or fluence can lead to imaging defects, presumably caused in part by overheating of one or more layers in the donor media.
The present invention recognizes that an underlayer can be included in a thermal transfer donor element between the donor substrate and the light-to-heat conversion layer, and that this underlayer can be used to control heat flow and/or manage thermal profiles in the donor element and/or reduce imaging defects during imaging.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a thermal transfer donor element that includes a substrate, a transfer layer, a light-to-heat conversion layer disposed between the transfer layer and the substrate, and an underlayer disposed between the substrate and the light-to-heat conversion layer, where the underlayer is included to manage heat flow between layers in the donor element (for example, between the light-to-heat conversion layer and the substrate, or between the light-to-heat conversion layer and transfer layer) and/or to reduce imaging defects during imaging.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for patterning materials using a thermal transfer donor element that includes a substrate, a transfer layer, a light-to-heat conversion layer disposed between the transfer layer and the substrate, and an underlayer disposed between the substrate and the light-to-heat conversion layer.
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Hoffend, Jr. Thomas R.
Staral John S.
3M Innovative Properties
Pechman Robert J.
Schilling Richard L.
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