TWI488010B - Printing plate and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

Printing plate and its manufacturing method

The present invention claims Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0068450, filed on July 15, 2010, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0068453, filed on July 15, 2010, and July 20, 2010 Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-006985, filed on Sep. 27, 2010, and Korean Patent Application No. 10, filed on Sep. 2010. The priority of 2010-0085734, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

The present invention relates to a printing plate for manufacturing an electronic substrate and a display device, and a method of manufacturing the printing plate.

The circuit or various patterns of the electronic component may be a direct printing method such as inkjet printing or an indirect printing method such as gravure printing or offset printing. For printing, gravure or offset printing is a common name called "clich". A printing plate having a pattern can be produced by etching on a substrate or by a lithography process on a plate coated with a photosensitive resin.

In the manufacture of a flat display device, such as a liquid crystal display, the process of the photoresist pattern is a key process that has a great influence on the device capability of driving the display device, such as a thin film transistor. A number of studies are currently underway with the goal of improving the capabilities of such devices, such as the formation of micro metal patterns. In the flow of the photoresist patterning, a photoresist (PR) as a photosensitive material is provided on the substrate, and after exposure through the mask, development is performed. However, in the process of photoresist patterning, the process is too complicated to be costly, especially when a plurality of patterns are to be formed to produce the devices because different photoresist processes need to be performed. Therefore, it is recommended to use a printing method for photoresist patterning.

Figure 1 depicts a conventional method of making a printing plate.

In the photoresist printing method shown in FIG. 1, a photoresist pattern a2 is not directly transferred from a first transparent insulating substrate 110 having a printing pattern a1 and used as a printing plate to a portion to be printed. The transparent insulating substrate 102 is reversely transferred to the blanket 100, and the surface of the cover layer 100 is formed with a silicon rubber as a medium and then transferred to the cover layer 100. The photoresist pattern a2 is retransferred to the second transparent insulating substrate 102.

However, the above method cannot achieve micro line width. In order to overcome this problem, a method has been proposed in which the patterning process is performed by patterning the photoresist first, followed by wet etching a metal film. However, due to the batch wet etching, this method adds a loss in the critical dimension, so it is difficult to manufacture a fine printing plate having a micro pattern.

As the width decreases and the depth increases, that is, the ratio of depth to width increases, the printed pattern etched on the printing plate can have better printing characteristics. In the conventional way of wet etching, as the depth increases, the width also increases relatively. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture a printing plate having a micro pattern by a conventional method while increasing high resolution and transfer characteristics.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a printing plate and a method of manufacturing the printing plate. According to an embodiment of the present invention, micro printing patterns can be effectively formed, and the steps of the process can be reduced to save manufacturing costs. In addition, the depth to width ratio of the pattern can be easily adjusted to improve uniformity and avoid collapse in the printed pattern area. Accordingly, the present invention provides a printing plate that enhances durability.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an indirect printing method can be employed to form a microprinted pattern using a printing plate, wherein the printing plate can be used to print various electronic circuits and patterns. Therefore, the micropattern with higher accuracy can be formed by a simple process, thereby saving manufacturing cost and improving reliability.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a printing plate can be formed by imprinting on a photosensitive resin and a thermosetting resin using a metal or glass mold. Therefore, it is possible to provide a micro pattern having different widths or different depths in a relatively simple procedure, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a functional layer may be formed of a photosensitive resin on a printed pattern. The active layer protects the printed pattern from contamination and improves the matching characteristics between the printing ink and the printed pattern to improve the printing quality. In addition, the active layer allows the printing plate to be printed on a large size micropattern.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a printing plate. The printing plate includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a resin layer having a plurality of printed patterns on the first surface of the substrate.

By using a photosensitive resin as a lighting pattern of the resin layer or a laser writing method, a printed pattern of a different structure and high precision can be formed.

Thus, the present invention can form printed patterns having a uniform shape or containing different depths and widths. Further, an adhesive layer interposed between the resin layer and the substrate enhances adhesion, and an active layer for protection can be formed on the printed pattern, thereby enhancing reliability.

The above described features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description.

The invention and various features and structures are described with reference to the following and additional drawings. The same features will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used to describe various elements, but do not limit the terms of the present invention, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the description of the elements.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a printing plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface of the printing plate includes a resin layer having a plurality of printed patterns on its surface. The various structures of the printing plate will be detailed below.

2 and 3 illustrate the structure of a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, a printing plate includes a first printing pattern 123 and a second printing pattern 132 formed by patterning a first photosensitive resin layer 120 on a substrate 110. The first printed pattern 123 and the second printed pattern 132 have different depths and widths from each other. The first printed pattern 123 is a reference pattern and the second printed pattern 132 is a minimum pattern. According to an embodiment, more printed patterns can be formed as shown in FIG. 2 with different depths and widths from each other.

According to an embodiment, a ratio of a line width to a depth of a printed pattern is 1: (0.5 to 4).

Although the depth of the first printed pattern 123 has been described to be the same as the thickness of the first photosensitive resin layer 120, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. And according to an embodiment, the depth of the first printed pattern 123 may be smaller than the thickness of the first photosensitive resin layer 120. According to an embodiment, the depth of the second printed pattern 132 may be less than the thickness of the first photosensitive resin layer 120. According to an embodiment, the depth d1 and the width W1 of the first printed pattern 123 may be greater than the depth d2 and the width W2 of the second printed pattern 132.

According to an embodiment, a functional layer 140 may be made of a metal material selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), and nickel (Ni); an organic material selected from the group consisting of Parylene and Telfon; or an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of yttrium oxide (SiOx), tantalum nitride (SiNx), and diamond-like carbon. The active layer 140 is on the substrate 110 and the printed patterns 123, 132.

The structure shown in Fig. 3 is the same as the structure shown in Fig. 2 except that the structure of the first printed pattern 123 is different, and the other materials are the same as the printed pattern. The differences in the characteristics of this structure are derived from different processes, as shown in Figure 5.

First, a lower portion of the first pattern is formed, and then a second pattern. The width W1 of the upper portion of the first printed pattern 123 is greater than the width W1' of the lower portion to maximize alignment efficiency. According to an embodiment, the difference between the width W1 and the width W1' may be in a range between 5 μm and 20 μm.

4 and 5 illustrate the steps of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the process of manufacturing a printing plate will be explained.

It may be implemented in a different manner in the manufacturing process depending on a method of forming a photosensitive resin layer on a substrate and forming a printed pattern on the resin layer.

Referring to FIG. 4, the manufacturing process includes: providing a first photosensitive resin on a substrate and exposing to form a lower portion of a first pattern; providing a second photosensitive resin on the first photosensitive resin and exposing the lens An upper portion of the first pattern and a second pattern; and then the first photosensitive resin and the second photosensitive resin are simultaneously developed to form the first pattern and the second pattern.

For example, the printed pattern can be simultaneously performed by performing application and exposure of the photosensitive resin and performing batch development after forming the second pattern. However, embodiments of the invention are not limited thereto. According to the embodiment, the exposure and development steps may be performed separately according to the respective photosensitive resin layers to form a printed pattern.

In step S1, a photosensitive resin is provided on a substrate 110 to form a first photosensitive resin layer 120.

The substrate 110 may use any type of material as long as it allows surface flatness, large size, and similar coefficient of thermal expansion even after transfer. For example, according to an embodiment, the substrate 110 can be glass, a polymer such as PC, PMMA or PET or metal.

According to the embodiment, the photosensitive resin can be formed using a general spin coating or a slit coating. Various materials such as photoresist, dry film resists or UV cured resins can also be used as the photosensitive resin. Further, any photosensitive material such as an epoxy-based, polyimide-based, and Novolak-based resin can also be used as the photosensitive resin.

Thereafter, in step S2, after the first photosensitive resin layer 120 is exposed, a lower portion of the first pattern is formed. A laser writer L can be used for patterning. According to an embodiment, the lower portion of the first pattern can be completed by performing development immediately after patterning by exposure. However, in the present embodiment, the exposure step can also be performed. Although this embodiment describes the use of a negative photosensitive material, a pattern is formed in a portion where no laser light is irradiated. According to this embodiment, it is also possible to form a pattern using a positive photosensitive material in the patterning process in the opposite manner to the negative photosensitive material.

In step S3, a photosensitive material is provided on the patterned first photosensitive resin layer to form a second photosensitive resin layer 130.

Thereafter, in step S4, a second exposure is performed on the second photosensitive resin layer 130 to form the second pattern 131 and the upper portion 122 of the first pattern.

At step S5, the portion which is not exposed is removed after development, that is, the printing plate having the first pattern 123 and the second pattern 132 is completed. As shown in FIG. 4, the first pattern 123 has a larger width and depth than the second pattern 132. According to an embodiment, the ratio of the width to the depth of each of the first pattern and the second pattern is 1: (0.5 to 1.4).

In step S6, an active layer 140 is formed on the first pattern and the second pattern. The active layer 140 is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), and nickel (Ni); and an organic material selected from the group consisting of parylene and Polytetrafluoroethylene (Telfon); or an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of cerium oxide (SiOx), cerium nitride (SiNx), and diamond-like carbon, and the active layer 140 is permeable to spin coating, It is formed by spray coating, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or the like. The active layer 140 can increase the durability and printing characteristics of the printed pattern. According to an embodiment, the active layer 140 may be a material such as amorphous germanium (a-Si), tantalum nitride (SiNx) or germanium oxide (SiOx).

The pattern formed by the manufacturing process as described above can be subjected to a lithography process on the photosensitive resin, which has the advantage that micro patterns can be easily formed while being compared with the conventional wet/dry etching method. The process of reducing the process can therefore produce a low cost printing plate. In addition, with the current method of adjusting the depth of the pattern by random non-developing, the method according to the embodiment of the present invention can relatively easily adjust the ratio of the depth to the width of the pattern, can improve the uniformity of the depth, and can prevent the printing plate from being miniature. The pattern area collapses, thereby increasing durability.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 performs the patterning process by exposing the photosensitive resin layer, and the mode of FIG. 5 is patterning using the photomask.

In detail, in step P1, a first photosensitive resin layer 120 is formed on a substrate 110. In step P2, the lower portion 121 of a first pattern is formed through an exposure system (e.g., a UV exposure system) using a mask as an interposer. In step P3, a second photosensitive resin layer 130 is formed on the lower portion 121 and the first photosensitive resin layer 120. Then, the reticle M is used to pattern the upper portion 122 and the second pattern 131 of the first pattern. It is important that the pattern is aligned when performing the exposure procedure. Thus, according to an embodiment, the lower portion 121 of the first pattern can be designed to be smaller than the upper portion 122 of the first pattern to increase the margin of the process.

Then, at step P5, the first and second photosensitive material layers are simultaneously exposed, and the first pattern 123 and the second pattern 132 are simultaneously completed. As shown in FIG. 5, when the lower portion of the first pattern is designed to be narrower than the upper portion of the first pattern (step P4) for improving the alignment efficiency, when the predetermined step portions Q are formed at the A pattern on 123g. In this case, there is a difference in width between the upper and lower portions of the first pattern. For example, the lower portion is narrower than the upper portion. The difference in width ranges from 5 μm to 20 μm.

Thereafter, in step P6, an active layer 140 is formed, thus completing a printing plate. In the present embodiment, the first pattern 123 has a larger width and depth than the second pattern 132. According to an embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the ratio of the width to the depth of each pattern is 1: (0.5 - 1.4). According to the present embodiment, the steps of forming the active layer, the material, and the photosensitive material may be the same as those of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, and therefore, the repeated description will omit the description.

Figure 6 is an image of a printed plate actually completed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

According to the method of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention can configure a micro pattern which is more efficient than a conventional wet etching method for producing a printing plate, and can realize a high aspect ratio (A/R, Aspect ratio). ). The method according to an embodiment of the present invention can solve the problem of occurrence of a minimum width loss when performing conventional wet etching, and thus the micro pattern can be easily realized, and the ratio of the width and the depth of each micro pattern can be increased to improve the transfer characteristics ( Transfer characters).

Further, according to the method of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention, the embodiment of the present invention can be simplified in comparison with the method of manufacturing a printing plate which performs dry etching on a material film, and the manufacturing cost can be saved. Further, the method according to an embodiment of the present invention forms a printed pattern using lithography, and thus high pattern accuracy can be achieved.

In detail, since the printed pattern is formed by patterning a photosensitive resin, the micro pattern can be efficiently formed, and the process steps are reduced, thereby saving manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the ratio of the depth to the width of each pattern can be easily adjusted, so that the uniformity of the depth can be improved. Therefore, the collapse of the printing plate in the micro pattern area can be prevented, thereby improving durability.

Figure 7 illustrates the structure of a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, a printing plate includes photosensitive resin layers 221, 231 formed on a substrate 210, and a plurality of printed patterns 223, 233 which are transmitted through the patterned photosensitive resin layer, and which have different widths and depths from each other.

The substrate 210 may use any type of material as long as it allows the surface to have flatness, large size, and a similar coefficient of thermal expansion after transfer. For example, according to an embodiment, the substrate 210 may be glass, a polymer such as PC, PMMA or PET or metal. In order to maintain the precision of the patterning, the substrate may have a coefficient of thermal expansion within a range of twice the coefficient of thermal expansion of the transfer substrate.

Although the formation of the two photosensitive resin layers 221, 231 has been described, the present invention is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, two or more photosensitive resin layers may be formed which include a printed pattern having at least two different depths. In the present embodiment, the photosensitive resin layer on the substrate is referred to as "first photosensitive resin layer 221", and other photosensitive resin layers formed on the first photosensitive resin layer 221 are referred to as "second photosensitive resin layer 231". . According to an embodiment, the first and second photosensitive resin layers may be generally spin-coated or slit-coated. Various materials such as photoresist, dry film resists or UV cured resins may also be used as the first and second photosensitive resin layers. Further, any property having a photosensitive material can also be employed as the first and second photosensitive resin layers.

At least two or more printed patterns, for example, printed patterns 223 and 233 having different widths and depths, may be formed by patterning of the photosensitive resin layers 221 and 231. According to an embodiment, it comprises at least one first pattern 223 having a reference width f and at least one second pattern 233 having a minimum micro pattern width e, wherein the reference width f refers to the width of the pattern formed on the substrate. According to an embodiment, the depth of the second pattern may be less than the depth of the first pattern.

The second pattern 233 may be formed in the second photosensitive resin layer 231. Although the thickness T1 of the second pattern 233 is shown to be the same as the thickness of the second photosensitive resin layer 231, the thickness T1 may be smaller than the thickness of the second photosensitive resin layer 231.

The width e of the second pattern 233 and the width d of the second photosensitive resin layer 231 may satisfy the following formula 1:

[Formula 1]

According to an embodiment, the thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer may be more than 50% greater than the width e of the second pattern 233. In other words, the second photosensitive resin layer may have a thickness twice as large as the width e of the second pattern 233.

The first pattern 223 may be formed in the first and second photosensitive resin layers. The depth of the first pattern 223 is deeper than the second pattern 233. Although the depth T2 of the second pattern 233 illustrated in FIG. 7 is the same as the sum of the thicknesses of the first and second photosensitive resin layers, the depth T2 of the second pattern 233 may be smaller than the thicknesses of the first and second photosensitive resin layers. The sum of the.

The thickness c of the first photosensitive resin layer with respect to the thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer and the width e of the second pattern satisfy the following formula 2:

[Formula 2]

According to an embodiment, the thickness c of the formed first photosensitive resin layer 221 is larger than a difference value between the thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer and the width e of the half of the second pattern.

According to an embodiment, the width e of the second pattern may be between 1 μm and 50 μm, for example between 5 μm and 25 μm.

According to an embodiment, the thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer ranges from 2.5 μm to 12.5 μm, and the thickness c of the first photosensitive resin layer may be equal to or greater than 1.25 μm.

A first pattern having a width f may be formed as a reference pattern in the first and second photosensitive resin layers, and a second pattern having a width e may be formed in the second photosensitive resin layer, wherein the second pattern is smaller than the first a pattern. The width f of the first pattern and the width e of the second pattern satisfy the following formula 3:

f 1.5×e

8 and 9 illustrate a flow of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Refer to Figures 8 and 9 for the steps to make a printing plate.

Referring to FIG. 8, at least one or more photosensitive resin layers are formed on a substrate, and the photosensitive resin layer is patterned to form a printed pattern.

In detail, the first step (Q1) performs a cleaning process to remove contaminants from the substrate 210. Then, a first photosensitive resin layer 220 (Q2) is formed on the substrate 210. For example, a composition for the first photosensitive resin layer 220 may be coated on the substrate 220 using spin coating or slit coating, and then semi-cured by a heat treatment.

Next, a second photosensitive resin layer 230 is formed on the first photosensitive resin layer 220, and subjected to a heat treatment (Q3).

In step Q4, the second photosensitive resin layer 230 is exposed using a mask M to form a second pattern 233. According to an embodiment, the upper portion 223a and the second pattern 233 of a first pattern may be formed simultaneously.

In step Q5, after the second photosensitive resin layer 230 is exposed using a mask, a first pattern 223 is formed having a width exceeding a width f of the reference pattern.

Through the above process, a printing plate having printing patterns of different widths and depths can be formed.

Figure 9 is a flow chart showing the manufacture of a printing plate different from that of Figure 8.

Referring to FIG. 9, a substrate cleaning step T1 and a first photosensitive resin layer forming process T2 are the same as or substantially the same as steps Q1 and Q2 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the photosensitive resin layer 220 is patterned by replacing the second photosensitive resin layer 230 with a photomask to form a lower portion 223b of a first pattern (step T3).

Thereafter, a second photosensitive resin layer 230 is formed on the first photosensitive resin layer 221, and then exposure development is performed using a photomask to form a second pattern 233 while the first pattern 223 is completed (steps T4 and T5).

Although the above embodiment is an illustration of patterning by exposure and development using a photomask, the step of patterning can also be performed using a laser writer.

Figure 10 illustrates the structure of a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, a printing plate includes a resin layer 320 having at least one or more printed patterns of different depths. For example, the resin layer 320 may include a plurality of printed patterns of different depths T1, T2, wherein the depth T1 is the depth of the deepest pattern P1. The depth T1 of the formed pattern P1 is smaller than the thickness of the resin layer 320, and thus the underlying resin layer 320A having no printed pattern is formed on the lower portion of the resin layer 320. The base resin layer 320A can increase the adhesion between the substrate and the resin layer. According to an embodiment, the base resin layer may have a thickness T3 of between 1 μm and 30 μm.

According to an embodiment, the resin layer 320 may be formed of one of an epoxy resin, a photosensitive resin, an ultraviolet curable resin, and a thermosetting resin. According to an embodiment, an active layer (not shown) is formed of a material such as chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au). An organic material selected from the group consisting of Parylene and Telfoon; or an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of yttrium oxide (SiOx), tantalum nitride (SiNx), and diamond-like carbon (diamond-like carbon) ). The active layer on the printed pattern 320 can increase the durability of the printed pattern.

11 and 12 illustrate the steps of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment focuses on a printing plate for manufacturing an electronic substrate and a liquid crystal display device. In particular, embodiments provide a method of making a printing plate having at least one or more pattern prints, and patterning a resin layer on the substrate by imprinting, and the structure produced by the method.

11 and FIG. 12, a process for manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: forming a resin layer on a substrate, and performing imprinting on the resin layer by a mold having mold patterns To form a printed pattern in which the depths of the model patterns are different from each other.

In detail, as shown in Figure 11. A resin layer 320 is formed on the substrate 310 (step U1).

The substrate 310 can use any type of material as long as it allows the surface to have a flatness, a large size, and a similar coefficient of thermal expansion after transfer. For example, according to an embodiment, the substrate 310 can be glass, a polymer such as PC, PMMA or PET or metal.

The resin layer 320 may be formed of one of an epoxy photosensitive resin, a polyimide-based photosensitive resin, an ultraviolet curing resin, and a thermosetting resin, wherein the ultraviolet curing resin includes a urethane. Urethane acrylate, epoxy acrylate, silicon acrylate and polyester acrylate, epoxy vinyl ether. FIG. 13 illustrates an example of using a thermosetting resin, and FIG. 12 illustrates a flow of forming the resin layer by coating using a UV-cured resin or a photosensitive resin liquid. The resin layer can be formed by a liquid material such as a liquid photosensitive resin by spin coating or slit coating, and various materials such as photoresist, dry film photoresist can be used. Dry film resists) or UV cured resins. In addition, materials having photosensitive properties such as epoxy-based, polyimide-based, and Novolak-based resin layers may also be used, or may be applied by coating. form. The subsequent steps can be the same, see step 11 for the steps.

In step U2, the resin layer 320 is embossed using a pattern pattern having different depths. The mold 330 may include a glass mold or a metal mold. The metal mold can be formed of nickel, chromium or gold.

According to an embodiment, the depth of the model pattern is different in size, and thus a base layer 320A may be provided on the lower surface of the resin layer 320. For example, after the resin layer 320 is imprinted, the model patterns have different depths, and the deepest model pattern 331 does not penetrate the resin layer 320, so as to leave a lower layer of the resin layer (hereinafter referred to as: substrate) Resin layer). The presence of the base resin layer 320A can improve the adhesion to the substrate 310. According to an embodiment, the base resin layer 320A may be between 1 μm and 30 μm.

In step U3, the mold 330 is removed from the resin layer 320.

In step U4, an active layer 340 is formed on the resin layer 320. According to an embodiment, an active layer (not shown) may be formed of a material such as chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), nickel (Ni), and gold (Au). An organic material selected from the group consisting of Parylene and Telfoon; or an inorganic material selected from the group consisting of yttrium oxide (SiOx), tantalum nitride (SiNx), and diamond-like carbon (diamond-like carbon) The active layer may be formed on the resin layer 320 by spin coating, spray coating, sputtering, or chemical vapor deposition. This active layer can increase the durability and printing characteristics of the printed pattern. Therefore, depending on the printing process, the surface energy of the active layer and the surface energy of the substrate may be equal or substantially equal. For example, a tantalum substrate having good transfer characteristics such as amorphous germanium (a-Si), tantalum nitride (SiNx) or tantalum oxide (SiOx) can be used.

The above-described pattern forming process is performed by performing imprinting on the photosensitive resin, and therefore, it has an advantage that the micro pattern can be formed relatively easily, and the flow can be reduced as compared with the conventional wet/dry etching method, thereby Provide a lower cost printing version. In addition, with the current method of adjusting the depth of the pattern by random non-developing, the method according to the embodiment of the present invention can relatively easily adjust the ratio of the depth to the width of the pattern, can improve the uniformity of the depth, and can prevent the printing plate from being miniature. The pattern area collapses, thereby increasing durability. In addition, a single imprint process can produce patterns with different depths and widths. The base resin layer, which is a lower layer of the resin layer, improves the adhesion to the substrate.

Next, the structure of the printing plate and the steps of manufacturing the printing plate according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The focus of this embodiment is to provide a printing plate having a micro-printing pattern in which an active layer is coated on a printing pattern using a photosensitive resin layer to protect the printing pattern and increase the matching of the ink printing, thereby increasing the printing quality.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figure 13, a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention can be manufactured by the following method.

To produce a printing plate, a photosensitive resin layer is formed on a substrate, a printed pattern is formed on the photosensitive resin layer by an illumination pattern, and an active layer is formed on the substrate or the printed pattern.

In detail, in step W1, a substrate 410 for a printing plate is prepared, and the surface of the substrate is cleaned to remove contaminants. The substrate 410 can use any type of material as long as it allows the surface to have a flatness, a large size, and a similar coefficient of thermal expansion after transfer. For example, according to an embodiment, the substrate 410 can be glass, a polymer such as PC, PMMA or PET or metal. In order to maintain the accuracy of the pattern, the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate is within 4 times the thermal expansion coefficient of the transfer substrate.

Next, in step W2, a photosensitive resin layer 420 is formed on the substrate 410. In general, the photosensitive resin may be coated with a resin layer such as a photoresist resin, a dry film resist film or a UV cured resins film on the substrate 410. Semi-cured by heat treatment. The general coating method may be spin coating or slit coating.

In step W3, a printed pattern is formed by a lighting pattern.

The term "illumination patterning" as used herein means that a photosensitive resin layer is irradiated with light to form a printed pattern. For example, the process of illuminating the patterning includes a photolithography or a laser writer to form a patterned process. As shown in FIG. 13, after the photosensitive resin layer is exposed and developed by using the mask M, a printed pattern 421 is formed. According to the present embodiment, the minimum width of the printed pattern 421 is between 1 μm and 20 μm.

Thereafter, in step W4, an active layer 430 is coated on the printed pattern 421, and the surface of the substrate is exposed.

The active layer coating method may be wet coating, for example, spray coating or spin coating; or dry coating, for example, sputtering (sputtering) ) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). According to an embodiment, dry coating can avoid contamination and ensure uniformity of the film.

Depending on the characteristics of the photosensitive resin layer and the substrate, the active layer may be formed of at least one of a plurality of different materials, for example, different materials may be selected from the group consisting of a metal material, an organic material, an inorganic material, and an organic/inorganic material. One or a combination of two or more of hybrid materials. For example, the organic material may be one or a combination of two or more of Parylene, Telfon, or Polyimide. The inorganic material may be one or a combination of two or more of cerium oxide (SiOx), cerium nitride (SiNx), diamond-like carbon, titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ) or cerium oxide (CeO ₂ ). . The mixed material may be a composite material obtained by chemical bonding of silane with an alkyl-based resin or a compound obtained by a reaction of an alkoxy silane.

The active layer 430 protects the printed pattern formed from the photosensitive resin and allows the spreadability of the printing ink. Various types of chemicals can be used to clean the printing plate, although it is not possible to develop a chemical-resistant chemical that is resistant to all chemicals. Therefore, by coating a layer of the chemical resistant layer on the photosensitive resin layer, it is possible to prevent the chemical from damaging the printed pattern.

As described above, the active layer also improves the ductility of the printing ink. The surface energy of the printing plate needs to be controlled so that ink printing or paste spreads well in various solvents. Therefore, selecting the appropriate material from the active layer ensures matching characteristics.

FIG. 14 illustrates the structure of a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 14, a photosensitive resin film having a predetermined pattern is formed on a substrate. In detail, the printed pattern 531 is formed of a photosensitive resin layer on a transparent substrate 510. The printed pattern 531 includes a convex pattern and a concave pattern. The embossed pattern may be an epoxy-based, polyimide-based or Novolak-based material.

According to an embodiment, the ratio of the depth d to the width w of the printed patterns is in the range of (1 to 4):1. An adhesive material layer 520 intermediate the transparent substrate 510 and the printed pattern 531 can increase adhesion. According to an embodiment, the layer of adhesive material may be formed of a photosensitive resin or a metal.

In particular, the layer of adhesive material may be selected from the group consisting of gold, nickel, copper, aluminum, zinc, iron, cobalt, tungsten, tin, phosphorus, chromium, or bismuth, a metal oxide such as CrOx, CrCOx or SiOx, or a metal. A nitride, such as any of CrN, CrCON or SiNx, is formed.

According to an embodiment, an active layer may be formed on the top end of the printing plate. The active layer may be formed of one or more of chromium, nickel, gold, parylene, amorphous germanium (a-Si), tantalum oxide, and tantalum nitride. The active layer can increase the durability and printing characteristics of the printed pattern. According to an embodiment, the active layer may be a germanium substrate having good transfer characteristics such as amorphous germanium (a-Si), tantalum nitride (SiNx) or germanium oxide (SiOx).

15 and 16 illustrate a flow of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

A printing plate during the manufacturing process can include forming a layer of photosensitive material on a transparent substrate and forming a plurality of printed patterns on the layer of photosensitive material by illumination. The process can also include forming an active layer to improve durability and printability.

The manufacturing process will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In steps Z1 to Z3, an adhesive material layer 520 is formed on a substrate 510, and a photosensitive material layer 530 is formed on the adhesive material layer 520. The adhesive material layer 520 can increase the adhesion of the substrate 510 and the photosensitive material layer 530.

According to an embodiment, the substrate 510 may be a transparent material such as transparent glass.

According to an embodiment, the photosensitive material layer 530 can be formed by coating a resin such as an epoxy-based, a polyimide-based, and a phenolic R-based (Novolak-based). On the substrate. According to an embodiment, the adhesive material layer 520 may be formed of a photosensitive resin or a metal. For example, a low-viscosity photosensitive resin may be coated on the substrate, and the surface thereof may be exposed to form an adhesive material layer.

Thereafter, the photosensitive material layer 530 is formed into a printed pattern 531 by means of an illumination pattern. The term "illumination patterning" as used herein means that a photosensitive resin layer is irradiated with light to form a printed pattern. For example, the illuminating patterning includes photolithography using a reticle or a patterning process using a laser writer.

For example, the printed pattern 531 can be subjected to an exposure development process by using a photomask (Z41), or by using a laser exposure L2 (Z42). According to an embodiment, the convex pattern and the concave pattern of the printed pattern 531 are considered, and the ratio of the depth d to the width w of the printed pattern is (1 to 4): 1 (refer to FIG. 14).

Thereafter, an active layer 540 may be formed on the printed patterns 531 for improved durability and printability. According to an embodiment, the active layer may be formed of a material having a surface energy equal to the surface energy of the substrate having the printed material. For example, the active layer may be formed of one or more of chromium, nickel, gold, parylene, amorphous germanium (a-Si), cerium oxide, or tantalum nitride.

Figure 16 is an image of the printing plate shown in Figure 14.

The method of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention can form a finer micro-printing pattern and a high aspect ratio than conventional wet etching. For example, embodiments of the present invention address the problem of minimum width loss common in wet etching to allow for the implementation of microprinting patterns and to increase the width of a depth, and the width of the microprinting pattern to improve the transfer characteristics of the pattern.

The process of manufacturing a printing plate of the present invention can be simplified to reduce manufacturing costs compared to wet etching of conventionally manufactured printing plates. In addition, since the printing pattern is formed using a lithography process, a printing plate with higher precision can be realized.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a micro-printing pattern can be effectively formed, and the steps of the process can be reduced to save manufacturing costs. In addition, the depth to width ratio of the pattern can be easily adjusted to improve uniformity and avoid collapse in the printed pattern area. Accordingly, the present invention provides a printing plate that enhances durability.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, an indirect printing method can be employed to form a microprinted pattern using a printing plate, wherein the printing plate can be used to print various electronic circuits and patterns. Therefore, the micropattern with higher accuracy can be formed by a simple process, thereby saving manufacturing cost and improving reliability.

According to an embodiment of the invention, a functional layer may be formed of a photosensitive resin on a printed pattern. The active layer protects the printed pattern from contamination and improves the matching characteristics between the printing ink and the printed pattern to improve the printing quality. In addition, the active layer allows the printing plate to be printed on a large size micropattern.

In particular, the present invention can achieve a compact micropattern with a high aspect ratio compared to conventional wet etching. Moreover, the steps of the present invention are simpler than conventional dry etching, thereby saving manufacturing costs. In addition, the lithography process provides a pattern with high accuracy.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments of the embodiments of the invention .

100. . . Cover layer

110‧‧‧First transparent insulating substrate

110‧‧‧First transparent insulating substrate

120‧‧‧First photosensitive resin layer

121‧‧‧ lower

122‧‧‧ upper

123‧‧‧First print pattern

130‧‧‧Second photosensitive resin layer

131‧‧‧second pattern

132‧‧‧Second printed pattern

140‧‧‧Working layer

210‧‧‧Substrate

220‧‧‧First photosensitive resin layer

230‧‧‧Second photosensitive resin layer

221‧‧‧First photosensitive resin layer

231‧‧‧Second photosensitive resin layer

223‧‧‧ first print pattern

223a‧‧‧ upper

223b‧‧‧ lower

233‧‧‧Second printed pattern

310‧‧‧Substrate

320‧‧‧ resin layer

330‧‧‧Mold

320A‧‧‧ base resin layer

331‧‧‧Model pattern

340‧‧‧Working layer

410‧‧‧Substrate

420‧‧‧Photosensitive resin layer

421‧‧‧Printed pattern

430‧‧‧Working layer

510‧‧‧Transparent substrate

520‧‧‧Adhesive material layer

530‧‧‧Photosensitive material layer

531‧‧‧Printed pattern

540‧‧‧Working layer

A1‧‧‧Printing pattern

A2‧‧‧resist pattern

C‧‧‧thickness

D‧‧‧thickness

D1‧‧ depth

D2‧‧ depth

e‧‧‧Width

f‧‧‧Width

w‧‧‧Width

W1‧‧‧Width

W1’‧‧‧Width

W2‧‧‧Width

Q‧‧‧ Section

T1‧‧‧ thickness

T2‧‧‧ thickness

T3‧‧‧ thickness

M‧‧‧Photo Mask

P1‧‧‧ pattern

P2‧‧‧ pattern

L, L1, L2‧‧‧ laser exposure

S1~S6‧‧‧ process steps

P1~P6‧‧‧ Process steps

Q1~Q5‧‧‧ Process steps

T1~T5‧‧‧ process steps

U1~U4‧‧‧ process steps

V1~V4‧‧‧ process steps

W1~W4‧‧‧ Process Steps

Z1~Z6‧‧‧ process steps

1 illustrates a method of manufacturing a printing plate according to the prior art;

2 and 3 illustrate the structure of a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4 and 5 illustrate a process of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is an image of a printed plate actually completed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a structure of a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

8 and 9 illustrate a process of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a view showing the structure of a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

11 and 12 illustrate a process of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of manufacturing a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the structure of a printing plate according to an embodiment of the invention;

15 and 16 illustrate a flow of manufacturing a printing plate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

110‧‧‧First transparent insulating substrate

120‧‧‧Photosensitive resin layer

123‧‧‧First print pattern

132‧‧‧Second printed pattern

D1‧‧ depth

D2‧‧ depth

Q‧‧‧Parts

W1‧‧‧Width

W1’‧‧‧Width

W2‧‧‧Width

Claims (33)

A printing plate comprising: a substrate; and a resin layer having a plurality of printed patterns, and comprising a first photosensitive resin layer on the substrate and a second photosensitive resin layer on the first photosensitive resin layer, The printed patterns include a first pattern formed on the first photosensitive resin layer and the second photosensitive resin layer and a second pattern formed on the second photosensitive resin layer. The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer is composed of a photoresist, a dry film resist, a UV-cured resin, and a ring. An epoxy resin and a thermosetting resin are formed. The printing plate of claim 2, wherein the printed patterns have different depths or widths. The printing plate of claim 1, wherein the first pattern comprises at least one reference pattern, at least one minimum pattern, and a step portion. The printing plate of claim 4, wherein a depth and a width of the reference pattern are respectively greater than a depth and a width of the minimum pattern. The printing plate of claim 4, wherein the printed patterns are A ratio of one width to one depth is a range of 1: (0.5 to 4). The printing plate of claim 4, wherein a width W1 of an upper portion of the reference pattern is greater than a width W1' of a lower portion of the reference pattern. The printing plate of claim 4, wherein a width W1 of an upper portion of the reference pattern and a width W1' of a lower portion of the reference pattern are in a range of between 5 μm and 20 μm. The printing plate of claim 1 or 4, further comprising: an active layer on the substrate or an exposed surface of the printed patterns. The printing plate of claim 9, wherein the active layer is selected from the group consisting of metal materials including chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), tantalum (Ta), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al). Any one or a combination of two or more; selected from organic materials including any one or both of parylene, Telfoon, or polyimide (Polyimide) or both Formed by the above combination; selected from inorganic materials including yttrium oxide (SiOx), tantalum nitride (SiNx), diamond-like carbon, titanium oxide (TiO ₂ ) or cerium oxide (CeO ₂ ) One or a combination of two or more; selected from a composite material obtained by chemical bonding of silane with an alkyl-based resin; or a compound consisting of alkoxy silane The reaction is obtained. The printing plate of claim 10, wherein a depth of the minimum pattern is less than a depth of the reference pattern. The printing plate according to claim 11, wherein the minimum pattern is formed in the second photosensitive resin layer and wherein a thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer and a width e of the minimum pattern satisfy the following formula 1 :d 1⁄2 *e. The printing plate according to claim 11, wherein the reference pattern is formed in the first photosensitive resin layer and the second photosensitive resin layer and wherein a thickness c of the first photosensitive resin layer satisfies the following formula 2 :c D-1⁄2 * e (where d is the thickness of the second photosensitive resin layer and e is the width of the minimum pattern). The printing plate of claim 11, wherein a width f of the reference pattern satisfies the following formula 3: f 1.5 * e (where e is the width of the smallest pattern). The printing plate of claim 11, wherein a width e of the minimum pattern is in a range between 1 μm and 50 μm. The printing plate according to claim 11, wherein a thickness c of the first photosensitive resin layer is greater than 1.25 μm, and a thickness d of the second photosensitive resin layer is between 2.5 μm and 12.5 μm. . The printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the resin layer comprises a base resin layer formed at a non-printing pattern, wherein a thickness of the base resin layer is in a range of between 1 μm and 30 μm. The printing plate according to claim 17, further comprising: an active layer on the printed pattern, wherein the active layer is selected from the group consisting of metal materials including chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and tantalum (Ta). Any one or a combination of two or more of nickel (Ni) or aluminum (Al); selected from organic materials including Parylene, Telfon or Polyamide Any one or a combination of two or more of the amines; selected from inorganic materials including cerium oxide (SiOx), cerium nitride (SiNx), diamond-like carbon, titanium oxide ( Any one or a combination of two or more of TiO ₂ ) or cerium oxide (CeO ₂ ); selected from a composite material obtained by chemical bonding of silane to an alkyl-based resin. Or a compound obtained by the reaction of an alkoxy silane. The printing plate according to claim 1, further comprising: an adhesive material layer between the substrate and the resin layer, wherein the resin layer is a photosensitive material layer. The printing plate according to claim 19, wherein the adhesive material layer is made of a photosensitive resin; and the metal material is selected from the group consisting of gold, nickel, copper, aluminum, zinc, iron, cobalt, tungsten, tin, phosphorus, chromium. And 矽; one selected from the oxides of the metal materials; or one selected from the nitrides of the metal materials. The printing plate according to claim 19, wherein a depth d and a width W ratio of the printed pattern are in a range of (1 to 4):1. A printing plate manufacturing method comprising: forming a resin layer comprising a first photosensitive resin layer on a substrate and a second photosensitive resin layer on the first photosensitive resin layer; And forming a plurality of printed patterns on the resin layer, wherein the forming of the printed patterns comprises: forming a first pattern on the first photosensitive resin layer and the second photosensitive resin layer, and forming a second pattern on the On the second photosensitive resin layer. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 22, wherein the printed patterns are formed by the printed patterns having different depths and widths from each other. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 23, wherein the printing patterns are formed by exposing and developing at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 24, wherein the printing patterns are formed by forming a stepped portion in the first pattern. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 23, wherein the minimum pattern has a depth smaller than a depth of the reference pattern. The printing plate manufacturing method according to claim 22, wherein the printing patterns are formed by illuminating pattering, wherein the resin layer is a photosensitive resin layer. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 22, wherein the printing patterns are formed by using a mold having a plurality of module patterns The resin layer is formed, wherein the module patterns have different depths from each other. The printing plate manufacturing method according to claim 28, wherein the printing patterns comprise at least one or more patterns having different depths from each other, wherein a base resin layer is formed on a lower portion of the resin layer and has a The thickness is between 1 μm and 30 μm, and no other printed patterns are formed in the base resin layer. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 27 or claim 28, further comprising: forming an active layer on the substrate or the printing plate after forming the printed patterns. The printing plate manufacturing method according to claim 22, wherein the resin layer is formed on the substrate by forming an adhesive material layer on the substrate and forming the resin layer on the adhesive material layer. And formed. The printing plate manufacturing method according to claim 31, wherein the adhesive material layer is made of a photosensitive resin, and a metal material is selected from the group consisting of gold, nickel, copper, aluminum, zinc, iron, cobalt, tungsten, tin, and phosphorus. , chromium and bismuth, oxides of the metal materials, or a nitride of the metal materials. The printing plate manufacturing method of claim 32, further comprising: forming an active layer on the printing pattern, wherein the active layer is selected from the group consisting of metal materials including chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and Any one or a combination of two or more of Ta), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al); The machine material comprises any one or a combination of two or more of parylene, Telfoon or Polyimide; and is selected from inorganic materials including cerium oxide (SiOx). Any one or a combination of two or more of tantalum nitride (SiNx), diamond-like carbon, titanium oxide (TiO2) or cerium oxide (CeO2); selected from a composite material It is obtained by chemical bonding of silane with an alkyl-based resin; or a compound is obtained by reacting an alkoxy silane.