Back to results
US 2002/0177082 A1Published application
Self-aligned aperture masks having high definition apertures
AssigneeCorning Precision Lens
InventorsMichael D. Brady, Celine C. Guermeur, Yann P. M. Nedelec
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Self-aligned aperture masks are produced using a positive-acting photoresist (18) which is developed with a liquid developer. The apertures (30) of the mask have lower levels of inter-aperture variability than masks produced using mechanical transfer of toner particles (FIGS. 4-5 and 7-8), both for the apertures of a given mask and between masks.
Claims32
A method for making an aperture mask for a screen comprising:
- (a) providing a substrate having a first side and a second side, the first side having an array of lenses associated therewith;
- (b) applying a positive-acting photoresist to the second side of the substrate, said photoresist comprising at least one pigment dispersed in a photosensitive matrix which, upon exposure to actinic radiation, becomes soluble in a developer solution, said at least one pigment absorbing light in the visible range;
- (c) exposing the positive-acting photoresist by passing actinic radiation through the array of lenses to form an exposure pattern in the positive-acting photoresist, said exposure pattern being a function of the optical properties of the lenses;
- and
- (d) developing the positive-acting photoresist using the developer solution to remove photoresist which has been exposed to the actinic radiation and thus form apertures in the photoresist which will transmit visible light to a greater extent than regions of the photoresist that have not been exposed to the actinic radiation.
2 more elements
Apparatus comprising:
- (a) a substrate having a first side and a second side;
- (b) an array of lenses associated with the first side of the substrate;
- and
- (c) an aperture mask on the second side of the substrate comprising:
- (i) a pigmented polymer layer comprising at least one pigment dispersed substantially uniformly throughout the layer, said pigment absorbing visible light, said pigmented polymer layer being either an unexposed positive-acting photoresist or an exposed, but not developed, positive-acting photoresist;
- and
- (ii) a plurality of apertures which pass through the pigmented polymer layer, the locations of the apertures being based on the optical properties of the array of lenses;
- wherein the apertures transmit visible light to a greater extent than the pigmented polymer layer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.