TWI594080B - Photoimaging - Google Patents

Description

Photoimaging

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for performing photoimaging. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for photoimaging a substrate coated with a wet curable photopolymer, wherein the photoimageable substrate is used to form an image, such as the photochemical processing industry (PCMI). Circuitry or other features used in, for example, lines, squares, spirals, circles, or other geometric and non-geometric shapes.

While there are prior art techniques in the art for fabricating thin lines and features suitable for forming structures in a PCB or PCMI, many of these techniques suffer from a number of significant disadvantages. For example, many prior techniques suffer from poor resolution. In addition, technologies that do provide high resolution often require complex devices such as precision laser equipment. Another problem is that prior art requires the use of partially cured dry photopolymer films that are typically supported on a polyester (e.g., Mylar) film. The thickness of the dry film adversely affects the resolution and/or sharpness of the photoimaged surface, as this allows for undesirable undercutting (i.e., light and shadow) during the photoimaging process. There are also problems in adhering a partially cured dry film to a substrate and contamination problems, which can cause problems again in the photoimaging process. Partially cured dry films are also extremely expensive when used in large quantities. Such systems are described in U.S. Patent No. 4,888,270, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

At least one aspect of the present invention is directed to avoiding or alleviating at least one Or multiple of the above questions.

Another object of at least one aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved method for photo imaging of a surface.

Yet another object of at least one aspect of the present invention is to provide a cost effective method for fabricating circuits having high resolution and small trace width (i.e., thin lines) or shapes for use in PCMI.

Another object of at least one aspect of the present invention is to provide a cost effective method for fabricating high density circuits suitable for use in PCBs.

Another object of at least one aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved method for photo imaging of a surface with high resolution and small trace width over a large area.

Another object of at least one aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for imaging an inkjet deposit of a conductive material.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for photo imaging a substrate is provided, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a cladding layer; depositing a liquid UV curable photopolymer on at least a portion of the cladding layer To form a UV curable photopolymer film having a thickness of less than about 178 μm (0.007 Å); positioning a light tool onto the liquid UV curable photopolymer; and applying radiation to the liquid UV curable photopolymer for transmission The optical tool cures the photopolymer layer in the exposed regions.

Importantly, the present invention does not pre-dry prior to imaging.

The present invention is therefore directed to a method of photoimaging a substrate covered by a wet liquid curable photopolymer, wherein the photoimageable substrate can be used, for example, to form circuits such as PCBs and flat panel displays, or to produce fine details, Geometric or non-geometric shapes such as those used in PCMI. The invention may also relate to the formation of a dielectric image on a dielectric. In contrast to many prior art, the present invention is therefore directed to the use of wet films rather than expensive dry films such as Riston (trademark, DuPont). Dry film is obviously more expensive than using a wet film. The use of a 100% solids wet film also overcomes the need for pre-drying compared to currently used solvent-based wet films, and thus results in an extremely controlled process.

In the present invention, the drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is not performed before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated with, for example, UV radiation. This is in sharp contrast to the prior art of drying the wet film prior to irradiation.

In the present invention, it is preferred that the photopolymer can be substantially completely solid, i.e., the amount of solvent that may be present is zero or very low. It has been unexpectedly found that imaging and resolution can be improved thereby. However, the invention also contemplates the presence of small amounts of solvent. In the present invention, therefore, less than about 1% solvent, less than about 3% solvent, less than about 10% solvent, or less than about 15% solvent may be present.

In a particular embodiment, there is a three layer structure that is used in the present invention. The bottom layer is a substrate, the middle layer is a UV curable photopolymer, and the top layer is a transparent plastic or a plastic coated with a protective chemical layer.

The substrate coating layer can be made of any suitable material or composite or comprise any suitable material or composite, and can be, for example, metallic or non-metallic. In a specific embodiment, a metal coating layer may therefore be present, and in an alternative In the embodiment, a non-metallic coating layer may be present.

The cladding layer can extend at least partially around or completely around the substrate. Alternatively, the substrate can include a first side and a second side, and the cladding layer can extend over one or both of the first side and the second side of the substrate. Thus, the substrate can be laminated to have a coating on one or both of the first side and the second side of the substrate. The cladding layer can be in the form of a film or layer that is attached and/or adhered to the substrate.

Typically, the metal cladding layer may comprise or consist of a conductive material. The substrate, which may be, for example, a dielectric material, may be encapsulated completely or at least substantially by a metal coating. The metal cladding layer may comprise or consist of a conductive material, such as any suitable metal material. Suitable metals can be, for example, copper, silver, gold, and the like.

Alternatively, the cladding layer may be made of or comprise the following: a conductive polymer (PEDOTT), graphene or a conductive oxide such as Indium Tin Oxide (ITO).

In embodiments where the cladding layer is non-metallic, the cladding layer may comprise or consist of a dielectric material.

The substrate having the cladding layer can be substantially planar and can range in size up to about 1 m by 1 m. An advantage of the present invention is that there is virtually no size limitation on the substrate other than the device that actually performs the photoimaging process.

The liquid photopolymer is in a wet form (i.e., in a flowable form). The physical properties of the liquid photopolymer match the desired curing properties.

Typically, it can be less than or equal to about 150 μm, 125 μm, 100 μm, 75 μm, 50 μm, 25 μm, 10 μm, 5 μm, 1 μm, 0.5 μm or A liquid photopolymer is deposited with a thickness of 0.1 μm. Alternatively, it may be from about 177 μm to about 0.1 μm, from about 125 μm to about 0.1 μm, from about 100 μm to about 0.1 μm, from about 75 μm to about 0.1 μm, from about 50 μm to about 0.1 μm, from about 25 μm to about 0.1 μm. The liquid photopolymer is deposited at a thickness ranging from about 10 μm to about 0.1 μm. Preferably, the liquid photopolymer can have a thickness of about 5 μm.

The use of a thin liquid photopolymer film allows the use of low intensity radiation (e.g., UV light) in a photoimaging process.

The liquid photopolymer can be applied to only one or both of the first side and the second side of the substrate, wherein both the first side and the second side of the substrate comprise a coating. Thus, the invention may be directed to single side or double side exposure, for example in front-to-back alignment.

The liquid photopolymer can be deposited using any suitable technique in a substantially uniform and continuous manner. For example, a liquid photopolymer layer can be deposited using a spray, brush, roll, and/or dip coating system.

Prior to application of the liquid photopolymer, a contact cleaning process can be used to clean the substrate comprising the cladding layer to remove debris and/or contamination from the surface of the cladding layer.

Once the liquid photopolymer has been applied to the substrate having the cladding layer, the optical tool can be positioned onto the substrate. Pressure can then be applied to the deposited liquid photopolymer. The liquid photopolymer can be unrolled and/or extruded by application of pressure to obtain a substantially uniform continuous photopolymer film having a substantially uniform thickness. In a particular embodiment, a roll-based system can be used to apply the helium pressure and thus can be used to spread liquid photopolymers. Usually, oak The rubber cylindrical roller can be rolled on the optical tool, thereby applying pressure to the liquid photopolymer. Unfolding and/or squeezing can be performed on both sides of the substrate at substantially the same time. A particular function of unfolding and/or squeezing is that this helps to ensure that there is substantially no air and therefore substantially no oxygen trapped underneath the liquid photopolymer. Preferably, there is no air and no oxygen is trapped under the liquid photopolymer. Because the trapped oxygen slows down the photoimaging (ie, curing) process, this approach overcomes the need for complex optical systems and provides significant improvements in process speed.

Use light tools in photoimaging processes. The light tool can be a negative or positive image of the desired circuit and can allow light to pass through portions of the light tool without passing through other portions. The light tool can be made of a flexible plastic material and can be attached to a mechanism that accurately positions the light tool on the substrate on at least one side or both sides of the substrate. The light tool can be in tension and wrapped around a roll (such as a solid steel roll). In a particular embodiment, the light tool can also include a protective layer that can help to strip the light tool from the substrate after imaging has been performed. The protective layer can be any suitable non-stick material. Another advantage of a protective coating is that it provides protection against chemical attack and humidity changes along the entire length of the photoimageable region during the photoimaging process. This means that there is no need to maintain a constant level of humidity, providing a more controllable process environment.

In other embodiments, the optical tool can be an imaged material, a clear plastic, or a protective chemical layer or any other specialized material capable of acting as a release coating to prevent plastic from being attacked by chemicals or moisture. .

The radiation used can be any suitable radiation that cures the liquid photopolymer. In particular embodiments, UV radiation can be used to polymerize and/or harden and/or solidify the exposed liquid (eg, wet) photopolymer. The UV radiation can have a wavelength of from about 200 to 400 nm and can have a strength that matches the photopolymer used for curing. A particularly preferred UV source can be a UV LED because it produces a very small amount of heat, has a long lamp life, is immediately activated, has substantially no power output reduction, is low maintenance, and produces a high level of light intensity. Thus, in an inexpensive photoimaging process in accordance with the present invention, LEDs can be used to print thin lines. The alternative light source can be a laser source or a Digital Mirror Device (DMD) for imaging the photopolymer directly.

In a particular embodiment of the invention, the radiation can be calibrated to improve the quality and/or resolution and/or sharpness of the photoimaging process.

At least one or two light tools can be accurately positioned on one or both sides of the substrate using an alignment system. The substrate can be positioned substantially vertically when at least one or two light tools are applied.

The light imaging device of the present invention can be used to process about one substrate per about ten seconds.

After application of the radiation from the photoimaging process, a standard wash or development process can be used to remove the liquid photopolymer that is not exposed to radiation.

The method of the present invention can also be self-contained in a small clean room, and therefore, since a large industrial clean room is not required, the cost of the photo-imaging process can be significantly saved.

High definition fine lines suitable for use in circuits can be obtained using the method as described in the present invention. The thin line may have any of the following widths: less than or equal to about 200 μm; less than or equal to about 150 μm; less than or equal to about 140 μm; less than Or equal to about 130 μm; less than or equal to about 120 μm; less than or equal to about 110 μm; less than or equal to about 100 μm; less than or equal to about 90 μm; less than or equal to about 80 μm; less than or equal to about 75 μm; less than or Equal to about 70 μm; less than or equal to about 60 μm; less than or equal to about 50 μm; less than or equal to about 40 μm; less than or equal to about 30 μm; less than or equal to about 20 μm; less than or equal to about 10 μm; or less than or Equal to about 5 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines can have any of the following widths: greater than about 200 μm; greater than about 150 μm; greater than about 75 μm; greater than about 75 μm; greater than about 50 μm; greater than about 20 μm; or greater than about 10 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines may have any of the following widths: about 0.1 to 200 μm; about 1 to 150 μm; about 1 to 100 μm; about 20 to 100 μm; or about 5 to 75 μm. Thin wires can be used in PCBs and other electrical components, such as flat screen displays.

The method of the invention may have the additional advantage that all steps, such as depositing a liquid photopolymer and removing the light tool, can be carried out in a single pass via the apparatus of the present invention. For example, depositing a liquid photopolymer on at least one or both sides of the substrate, positioning the optical tool on a liquid polymer on at least one or both sides of the substrate, applying pressure to the deposited liquid photopolymer The formation of the photopolymer film and the application of radiation to the liquid photopolymer to cure the photopolymer layer can be carried out in a single pass via the photoimageable device of the present invention. Therefore, this one-step process increases the throughput of the photoimageable substrate through the device and also provides a device that is easy to control and monitor.

The present invention has a number of advantages which are obtained by photoimaging by a much smaller depth than in the prior art. For example, a photopolymer film and optionally a light tool protective layer may be formed through it. The depth of the row light imaging may be any of: about 0.1 to 50 μm; about 1 to 50 μm; about 1 to 25 μm; about 1 to 10 μm; about 1 to 8 μm; or about 1 to 5 μm. Typically, the photopolymer film and optionally the optical tool protective layer may be formed to a depth of about 8 μm. Wire growth can be reduced by having a relatively small depth through which photo imaging is performed, and thus allows a very small line width to be formed. Using, for example, the illumination angle θ relative to the vertical (see Figures 8a and 8b), the amount of line growth occurring in the present invention can be any of: less than about 10 μm; less than about 5 μm; less than about 2 μm; less than About 1 μm; less than about 0.84 μm; less than about 0.8 μm; less than about 0.5 μm; or less than about 0.25 μm.

The invention can also be used in the photochemical processing industry (PCMI) as well as in the electronics industry.

The light imaging can be by means of a positioning device capable of accurately positioning the first carrier element and the second carrier element, wherein the positioning ball on the first carrier element is received in the ring element on the second element. This allows extremely accurate positioning of the light tool.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for photo imaging a substrate is provided, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a cladding layer; depositing a liquid photopolymer on at least a portion of the cladding layer to form light a polymeric film; positioning a light tool onto the liquid photopolymer; and applying a radiation to the liquid photopolymer to cure the exposed photopolymer layer in the region exposed by the light tool.

In the present invention, before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated with, for example, UV radiation The drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is also not performed.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a photoimageable circuit formed in accordance with a first aspect or a second aspect is provided.

Typically, the photoimageable circuitry can be circuitry that can be used to fabricate, for example, PCBs and flat panel displays.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a dielectric image on a dielectric formed in accordance with a first aspect or a second aspect is provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for photo imaging a substrate, the apparatus comprising: at least one optical tool capable of positioning onto a liquid photopolymer on at least one side of a substrate having a cladding layer A roll capable of applying pressure to a liquid photopolymer on a substrate having a coating to form a photopolymer film having a thickness of less than about 178 μm (0.007 Å); and a radiation source capable of curing the liquid photopolymer.

The cover layer can be made of any suitable material or composite or comprise any suitable material or composite, and can be, for example, metallic or non-metallic.

In the present invention, the drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is also not performed before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated with, for example, UV radiation. The device therefore does not comprise means for pre-drying the wet photopolymer film prior to applying the film to the radiation source.

The thin lines may have any of the following widths: less than or equal to about 200 μm; less than or equal to about 150 μm; less than or equal to about 140 μm; less than or equal to about 130 μm; less than or equal to about 120 μm; less than or equal to about 110 μm; And equal to about 100 μm; less than or equal to about 90 μm; less than or equal to about 80 μm; less than or equal to about 75 μm; less than or equal to about 70 μm; less than or equal to about 60 μm; less than or equal to about 50 μm; Or equal to about 40 μm; less than or equal to about 30 μm; less than or equal to about 20 μm; less than or equal to about 10 μm; or less than or equal to about 5 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines can have any of the following widths: greater than about 200 μm; greater than about 150 μm; greater than about 75 μm; greater than about 75 μm; greater than about 50 μm; greater than about 20 μm; or greater than about 10 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines may have any of the following widths: about 0.1 to 200 μm; about 1 to 150 μm; about 1 to 100 μm; about 20 to 100 μm; or about 5 to 75 μm. Thin wires can be used in PCBs and other electrical components, such as flat screen displays.

Typically, pressure can be applied to at least one or two of the optical tools, after which the optical tool applies pressure to the liquid photopolymer.

The device may also include a calibration member to calibrate the radiation emitted from the radiation source.

In a particular embodiment, the radiation source can comprise an LED and/or a laser source or a DMD digital imaging device. Preferably, the source of radiation may be capable of emitting UV radiation.

The device can also include a positioning member to position the at least one light tool on the substrate.

The device of the invention also has the advantage of having a small footprint. This makes the device extremely adaptable. For example, the device can have an footprint of about 6 m x 2 m or even less.

The apparatus of the present invention can also have low power consumption because no curing process is required for the wet film (i.e., without a pre-drying step). The device is therefore available at low power Lower operation, such as less than about 10 kW or preferably less than about 5 kW. In contrast, prior art operations operate in areas greater than about 100 kW. Thus, the apparatus of the present invention can provide about 50 times or even about 100 times the energy consumption improvement. Therefore the device can have a lower environmental impact.

The apparatus of the present invention can also be operated at high throughput, such as from about 100 to 500 sheets per hour, or typically about 360 sheets per hour.

The device can also be fully automated and therefore requires minimal processing. The device is also easy to maintain.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for photo imaging a substrate, the apparatus comprising: at least one optical tool capable of positioning onto a liquid photopolymer on at least one side of a substrate having a cladding layer a roll capable of applying pressure to a liquid photopolymer on a substrate having a coating to form a photopolymer film; and a radiation source capable of curing the liquid photopolymer.

The device does not include means for pre-drying the wet photopolymer film prior to applying the film to the radiation source.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a method for fabricating a trace and/or a circuit on a substrate, the method comprising: providing a substrate; providing inkjet deposits on at least one side of the substrate, the spray The ink deposit comprises conductive particles; depositing a liquid photopolymer on at least one side of the substrate comprising the inkjet deposit; Positioning the optical tool onto the liquid photopolymer on at least one side of the substrate; applying pressure to the deposited liquid photopolymer to form a photopolymer film having a thickness of less than about 178 μm (0.007 Å); The liquid photopolymer applies radiation to the photopolymer in the area exposed by the light tool.

Typically, the inkjet deposits may comprise conductive particles such as silver, gold and/or copper, or seed materials for the initial electroless plating of copper or nickel, such as a mixture of palladium and tin.

In the present invention, the drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is also not performed before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated with, for example, UV radiation.

The inkjet deposits can have a width of from about 50 μm to 500 μm, from 50 μm to 250 μm, from 75 μm to 150 μm, or typically from about 100 μm. Thus, the optical imaging concept described in the present invention can be used to modify inkjet deposits. For example, an inkjet deposit can be formed on, for example, a plastic sheet substrate. The inkjet deposits can form approximately the desired traces on the plastic sheet. Typically, at least one or more traces are subsequently formed within the inkjet deposit using the photoimaging concept described in this disclosure.

According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided apparatus for photo imaging a substrate, the apparatus comprising: at least one optical tool capable of positioning onto a liquid photopolymer on at least one side of a substrate having a cladding layer a roll capable of applying pressure to a liquid photopolymer on a substrate having a coating to form a photopolymer film; A source of radiation that is capable of curing a liquid photopolymer.

In the present invention, the drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is also not performed before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated with, for example, UV radiation.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a cross-sectional side view of a three layer structure 10 of the present invention capable of being imaged, wherein a bottom layer 12 (which is a substrate), an intermediate layer 14 (which is a wet UV curable photopolymer), and a top layer 16 are present. (It is a transparent plastic or optical tool, or preferably a light tool or plastic that has been coated with a protective layer that acts as a release coating and also provides chemical and moisture resistance).

As shown in Figure 2, the present invention allows for the formation of a sealed bladder 20. The sealed bladder 20 contains a sealing edge 24 formed around the liquid UV photopolymer bladder 22.

3 is a cross-sectional side view of a laminate structure (generally designated 100) in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The laminate structure 100 includes a substrate 110 (such as a dielectric layer) and a metal cladding layer 112 on both sides. (Although the following description is for metal cladding layers, it should be noted that a similar process can be used for non-metallic cladding layers). A liquid photopolymer layer 114 is present on top of the laminate structure 100. The photopolymer layer 114 is therefore wet. The liquid photopolymer layer 114 has a thickness of about 5 μm. Although not shown in FIG. 3, photopolymer layer 114 can be applied to both sides of laminate structure 100.

The photopolymer layer 114 is first deposited onto the laminate structure 100 in a substantially uniform and continuous or at least substantially continuous manner using any suitable technique. For example, the photopolymer layer 114 is applied using a spray, brush, roll, and/or dip coating system. In the present invention, for example, using UV radiation The drying step (i.e., the pre-drying step) is not performed before the wet photopolymer film is irradiated.

Once the photopolymer layer 114 has been applied to the laminate structure 100, the optical tool 116 is applied to the photopolymer layer 114. The light tool 116 is a negative (or positive) image of the desired circuit and allows light to pass through portions of the light tool 116 without passing through other portions. Optical tools are made of flexible plastic materials or possibly glass or even plexiglass.

FIG. 4 shows the optical tool 116 being applied to the laminate structure 100. Once the light tool 116 has been applied to the laminate structure 100 comprising the liquid photopolymer 114, a compression system is used to unroll and/or extrude the photopolymer 114 so that between the light tool 116 and the substrate cladding layer 112 The photopolymer 114 is uniformly spread over a substantially uniform thickness of about 5 μm. The compression system also ensures that there is no air and therefore no oxygen is trapped underneath the photopolymer 114. For example, a roll based system applies pressure and is used to spread photopolymer 114. Therefore, a rubber cylindrical roller can be used to spread the photopolymer 114. This can be done on both sides of the laminate structure 100. This overcomes the need for a complex optical system including a parabolic mirror because all air and oxygen are eliminated.

As shown in Figure 4, the exposed liquid photopolymer 114 is polymerized and/or hardened and/or solidified using UV radiation. The UV radiation has a wavelength of about 200 to 400 nm and has a strength that matches the cured exposed photopolymer 114. Any suitable UV source can be used, but UV LEDs are particularly suitable because they generate a very small amount of heat, have a long lamp life, are immediately activated, have substantially no power output reduction, are low maintenance, and can produce high levels of light intensity. Therefore, LEDs can be used to print fine prints in inexpensive photoimaging processes. Line, square, spiral, circular or other geometric and non-geometric shapes. Alternatively, use a laser source or a DMD digital imaging unit. A significant advantage that should be noted is that a partially cured dry photopolymer film (e.g., Riston, trademark, DuPont) is not required, so it significantly reduces any line growth during the imaging process, resulting in significantly improved resolution. Thus, the resolution of the process of the invention is increased by overcoming this need without the presence of a partially cured dry film or a pre-dried solvent-based wet resist.

5 is an illustration of a light imaging device of the present invention showing the laminate structure 100 introduced into the device substantially vertically upwardly with the optical tool 116 applied to both sides of the laminate structure 100. The light tool 116 is in tension and extends around the rolls 118, 120. The light tool 116 preferably has a surface attractive force to the photopolymer 114, and thus can be "self-adhesive" to the photopolymer 114 via weak inter-forces such as van der Waals force and/or electrostatic forces. . The light tool 116 can also include a protective non-stick layer that facilitates removal (ie, stripping) of the light tool 116 from the laminate structure 100 once it has been imaged.

Although not shown, an alignment system is used to accurately align the light tool 116 on both sides of the laminate structure.

The light imaging device can be used to process about one sheet of laminate structure 100 every ten seconds. Once the photo-imaging has been performed, the optical tool 116 is removed from the laminate structure 100 using any suitable mechanical component. The photoimaging process is extremely fast because no air and oxygen are trapped under the liquid photopolymer 114. Thus, a drying time for the photopolymer 114 of less than about 5 seconds or preferably less than 1 second is provided.

After the photoimaging process, using a saline solution, for example, via a washing procedure Except for the liquid photopolymer 114 which is not exposed to UV radiation. A standard chemical etching process can then be used. For example, an acid or base can be used to create a dielectric substrate that is coated with a photopolymer of a desired metal (eg, copper) circuit. The polymerized photopolymer can then be removed to produce a substrate having the desired conductive circuitry.

The device described in the present invention can also be completely housed in a small clean room, thus providing significant cost savings in the photoimaging process.

Shapes used in high definition fine lines and PCMI suitable for circuits, such as square, spiral, circular or other geometric and non-geometric shapes, are obtained using the methods described herein. Thin lines, squares, spirals, circles, or other geometric and non-geometric shapes have any of the following widths: less than or equal to about 200 μm; less than or equal to about 150 μm; less than or equal to about 140 μm; less than or equal to about 130 μm; less than Or equal to about 120 μm; less than or equal to about 110 μm; less than or equal to about 100 μm; less than or equal to about 90 μm; less than or equal to about 80 μm; less than or equal to about 75 μm; less than or equal to about 70 μm; Equal to about 60 μm; less than or equal to about 50 μm; less than or equal to about 40 μm; less than or equal to about 30 μm; less than or equal to about 20 μm; less than or equal to about 10 μm; or less than or equal to about 5 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines have any of the following widths: greater than about 200 μm; greater than about 150 μm; greater than about 75 μm; greater than about 50 μm; greater than about 20 μm; greater than about 10 μm. Alternatively, the fine lines have any of the following widths: about 0.1 to 200 μm; about 1 to 150 μm; about 1 to 100 μm; about 20 to 100 μm; or about 5 to 75 μm.

Thin wires are used in PCBs and other electrical components, such as flat screen displays.

The invention can be used in the photochemical processing industry (PCMI) as well as in the electronics industry.

The light imaging can also be by means of a positioning device capable of accurately positioning the first carrier element and the second carrier element, wherein the positioning ball on the first carrier element is received in the ring element on the second element. This allows extremely accurate positioning of the light tool.

6a and 6b are diagrams of an alternative photoimaging process of the present invention. Figure 6a shows an ink deposit from an ink jet. The inkjet deposit is generally designated as 200. The inkjet deposit 200 comprises conductive particles such as silver, gold and/or copper, or a seed material for the initial electroless plating of copper or nickel, such as a mixture of palladium and tin. As shown in Figure 6a, since the ink is deposited as a series of small droplets, the inkjet deposit 200 does not have a straight side but a series of undulating outer edges 202. The inkjet deposit 200 has a width "d" of about 100 μm. The use of such inkjet deposits 200 makes it difficult to form fine traces for the circuit. However, the inkjet deposits 200 can be altered using the photoimaging concepts described in this disclosure. For example, an inkjet deposit 200 can be formed on a plastic sheet. The inkjet deposit 200 is used to form approximately the desired conductive traces on the plastic sheet. The above process is then used to improve the quality of the traces formed. The photopolymer described above is applied to a plastic sheet. The light tool is then applied to the plastic sheet, applying pressure and radiation in sequence. As shown in Figure 6b, the applied photoimaging can be used to create improved traces 210 within the inkjet deposits 200. For example, if the inkjet deposit 200 has a width "d" of about 100 [mu]m, a plurality of individual high resolution traces can be formed in a single trace previously formed from inkjet deposits. For example, four traces can be formed within a 100 μm ink deposit trace.

Figures 7a and 7b show a comparison of the prior art process and the process of the present invention. Figure 7a relates to prior art processes, which are generally designated 300. Figure 7a shows the presence of a copper panel 310 and a dry film layer 312 having a thickness of about 35 μm on the copper panel 310, a protective Mylar layer 314 having a thickness of about 25 μm, and an emulsion having a thickness of about 9 μm for use with the optical tool 318. Protective film 316. The resulting thin line or trace image 320 is also displayed. Figure 7b relates to the process of the invention, which is generally designated 400. Figure 7b shows the presence of a copper panel 410, a wet photopolymer layer 412 having a thickness of about 5 [mu]m, and an ultra-thin protective film 414 having a thickness of about 3 [mu]m for use with the optical tool 416. The resulting thin line or trace image 418 is also displayed. Figures 7a and 7b clearly show that the process of the present invention provides a much smaller depth through which photoimaging must be performed. As shown, prior art process 300 is imaged by a total thickness of about 69 [mu]m, while process 400 of the present invention is imaged by a total thickness of about 8 [mu]m. There is no need for the Myra layer.

Figures 8a and 8b illustrate another advantage of the present invention in relation to wire growth. In Figure 8a, which is a prior art process 300, a large amount of line growth A of about 14.5 [mu]m is shown, while in the process 400 of the present invention, there is less line growth B of about 0.84 [mu]m. The less linear growth in the present invention is achieved by the depth through which photoimaging is performed is greatly reduced and thereby the shadow area is significantly reduced compared to the shaded area over a greater depth in Figure 8a. It should be noted that both Figures 8a and 8b are related to the comparison of the formation of 20 μm traces, where θ = 6°.

Figures 9a and 9b illustrate yet another advantage of the present invention in relation to the width of the cured line wherein light sources 350, 450 are used, respectively. Figures 9a and 9b are each related to the comparison of the formation of a 20 μm pitch, where θ = 6°. In prior art process 300, the resulting cured line width was 49 μm (indicating a line growth of 145%), In the process 400 of the present invention, the resulting cured line width is 21.7 μm (indicating that the line growth is only 8%).

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be appreciated that the embodiments described herein are still within the scope of the invention. For example, any suitable type of substrate can be used. The cladding layer can also be metallic or non-metallic. In addition, any suitable liquid photopolymer or combination thereof can be used. Any mechanical component can also be used to apply pressure to the deposited liquid photopolymer to form a film of material below that does not trap air and oxygen. The radiation used can have any suitable wavelength that is capable of curing the liquid photopolymer.

10‧‧‧Three-layer structure of the invention

12‧‧‧ bottom layer

14‧‧‧Intermediate

16‧‧‧ top

20‧‧‧ sealed pouch

22‧‧‧ Liquid UV photopolymer capsule

24‧‧‧ Sealed edge

100‧‧‧Laminated structure

110‧‧‧Substrate

112‧‧‧Metal cladding/substrate coating

114‧‧‧Liquid photopolymer layer / liquid photopolymer

116‧‧‧Light Tools

118‧‧‧ Rolls

120‧‧‧roll

200‧‧‧Inkjet deposits

202‧‧‧ wavy outer edge

210‧‧‧ Traces

300‧‧‧Previous technical process

310‧‧‧copper panel

312‧‧‧ dry film

314‧‧‧Protective Myra

316‧‧‧ Emulsion protective film

318‧‧‧Light tools

320‧‧‧ Thin line or trace image

350‧‧‧Light source

400‧‧‧Process of the invention

410‧‧‧copper panel

412‧‧‧wet light polymer layer

414‧‧‧Ultra-thin protective film

416‧‧‧Light Tools

418‧‧‧ Thin line or trace image

450‧‧‧Light source

1 is a cross-sectional side view of a three-layer structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a view of a sealing capsule according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 3 is a wet photopolymer deposited thereon according to an embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional side view of a substrate of the layer; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the substrate having the wet photopolymer layer shown in FIG. 3, wherein a light tool is used in the photoimaging process of one embodiment of the present invention; A view of a processing step in a photoimaging process in which a light tool is applied to both sides of a substrate during a photoimaging process of one embodiment of the invention; FIGS. 6a and 6b are another embodiment of the present invention Figure 7a is a cross-sectional view of a prior art photoimaging process; Figure 7b is a cross-sectional view of a photoimaging process of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8a is a cross-sectional view of a prior art photoimaging process showing growth occurrence; Figure 8b is a cross-sectional view of a photoimaging process of one embodiment of the present invention showing growth occurrence; Figure 9a is a cross-sectional view of a prior art photoimaging process, It shows the width of the cured line; Figure 9b is a cross-sectional view of a photoimageable process of one embodiment of the invention showing the line width of the cure.

100‧‧‧Laminated structure

114‧‧‧Liquid photopolymer layer / liquid photopolymer

116‧‧‧Light tools

118‧‧‧ Rolls

120‧‧‧roll

Claims (28)

A method for photo imaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a cladding layer; depositing a liquid photopolymer on at least a portion of the cladding layer to form a thickness of less than 178 μm (0.007 吋) a photopolymer film; positioning a phototool onto the liquid photopolymer; and applying radiation to the liquid photopolymer to cure the photopolymer in the exposed region through the optical tool, wherein the exposed region Extending and forming a sealed bladder comprising a cured photopolymer extending around the periphery of the substrate, wherein the uncured liquid photopolymer is maintained in the sealed bladder region. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is photoimaged and a sealed capsule is formed, wherein pre-drying is not performed prior to curing the liquid photopolymer. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photopolymer comprises less than 15% solvent. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the photopolymer is substantially completely solid, meaning that the amount of solvent present is zero. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating layer is metallic or non-metallic, or deposited on the plastic to act as an initiator to allow copper or nickel A layer of seed material that is electrolessly plated. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 5, wherein the coating layer is coated on the first side and the second side of the substrate Containing a conductive material such as a conductive polymer (PEDOTT), graphene or a conductive oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO). A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate is a dielectric material. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the coating layer is metallic and comprises any one or combination of the following: copper, silver, and gold. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate having the cladding layer is substantially flat and has a size of at most 1 m × 1 m. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid photopolymer is deposited at a thickness of less than 150 μm. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid photopolymer is deposited in a thickness ranging from 177 μm to 0.1 μm. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid photopolymer is simultaneously applied to both sides of the substrate. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid photopolymer is deposited in a substantially uniform and/or continuous manner. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid photopolymer is sprayed using an inkjet deposition technique Fog, brush, roll and/or dip coating system deposition. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 1, wherein once the liquid photopolymer is applied to the substrate having the coating layer and the optical tool is positioned on the substrate, Pressure is applied to the deposited liquid photopolymer. The method of claim 15, wherein the liquid photopolymer is expanded and/or extruded by applying the pressure to obtain substantially uniform thickness having a substantially uniform thickness. Continuous light polymer film. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the pressure is a system based on the application of a helium pressure to the roll. A method for photo imaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the optical tool is a negative or positive image of a desired circuit. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the optical tool is coupled to the optical tool to accurately position the coating a mechanism on at least one side or both sides of the substrate. A method for photo imaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the optical tool does not comprise a protective layer. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the optical tool comprises a protective layer that facilitates self-imaging after imaging has been performed The substrate of the cladding layer strips the light tool. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the radiation used is UV radiation. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein a UV LED or laser is used as a source of the radiation. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the radiation is calibrated or partially calibrated to improve the quality of the photoimaging process. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein a series of wet processes including a cleaning process are performed to fabricate the circuit. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the method is carried out in a self-contained small clean room. A method for photoimaging a substrate and forming a sealed capsule according to any one of claims 1, 2, 15 and 16, wherein the photoimaging process produces thin lines and/or features used in PCMI, such as a line of less than 200 μm. , square, spiral, circular or other geometric and non-geometric shapes. A sealed bladder formed by the method of any one of claims 1 to 27.