# US 2014/0193649 A1 · Methods and Systems for Thermal Printing of Photonic Crystal Materials, and Thermally Printable Photonic Crystal Materials and Assemblies > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193649 A1 - Document ID: US20140193649A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/122,211 - Filed: 2012-05-28 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-27 - Assignees: Opalux Incorporated - Inventors: Romain Perrier-Cornet; Andre Arsenault - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193649A1 ## CPC - G02B 1/02: made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors (G02B1/08 takes precedence) - B41J 2/32: using thermal heads - B41J 3/407: for marking on special material - B41M 5/26: Thermography (B41M5/20, B41M5/24 take precedence); {Marking by high energetic means, e.g. laser otherwise than by burning, and characterised by the material used (B23K takes precedence; thermographic or photothermographic systems using noble metal compounds G03C1/494)} - B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals - G02B 1/005: {made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials (photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295)} - B41M 3/14: Security printing {(securities B42D25/29)} - B41M 5/267: {Marking of plastic artifacts, e.g. with laser} - B41M 5/34: Multicolour thermography - B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures - Y10T 428/31667: Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers, or aldehyde or ketone condensation product - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B41M: PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; COLOUR PRINTING, (correction of typographical errors B41J; processes for applying transfer pictures or the like B44C1/16; fluid media for correction of typographical errors by coating C09D10/00; printing textiles D06P) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Methods and systems for thermal printing of thermally printable photonic crystal materials and assemblies. The photonic crystal materials and assemblies are responsive to thermal stimuli, wherein temperatures above a thermal threshold results in an optically detectable change in the appearance of the materials and assemblies. Heat is selectively applied to one or more portions of the materials and assemblies, in order to thermally print a graphic onto the materials and assemblies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for thermal printing of a thermally printable photonic crystal material or assembly, the method comprising: providing the photonic crystal material or assembly, the material or assembly having an optically detectable change in its reflection peak when exposed to a temperature equal to or about a thermal threshold; and exposing the photonic crystal material or assembly to a heat source, the heat source being controllable to selectively apply heat to one or more portions of the photonic crystal material or assembly and not the remainder of the photonic crystal material or assembly; wherein the heat being applied is equal to or greater than the thermal threshold of the photonic crystal material or assembly, in order to cause an optically detectable change in the one or more heated portions of the material or assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat source is one of: a thermal printer, a hot embossing cylinder, a laser-writing system, a photothermal source in conjunction with a patterned mask, and a microheater array. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: controlling at least one setting of the heat source in order to selectively apply heat to one or more desired portions of the photonic crystal material or assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the heat source is a thermal printer and the at least one setting is at least one of: a print head type, a print head pressure, a print head writing speed, a print head temperature, a print head profile or shape, a print head material, and a print head surface coating. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the heat source includes a controller and controlling the at least one setting includes providing signals representing computer executable instructions to the controller. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the heat applied to the one or more portions is variable among the one or more portions, in order to cause different optically detectable changes in the one or more portions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein different temperatures above the thermal threshold is applied to the one or more portions, in order to cause multi-colored printing of the photonic crystal material or assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: applying a fixing coating to external and internal surfaces of the photonic crystal material or assembly, the fixing coating including a crosslinkable monomer, prepolymer or polymer, a crosslinking agent and a crosslinking initiator; and after exposing the photonic crystal material or assembly to the heat source, activating the crosslinking initiator of the fixing coating, in order to cause polymerization of the fixing coating and fix the structure of the photonic crystal material or assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the photonic crystal material or assembly includes a crosslinkable monomer, prepolymer or polymer, a crosslinking agent and a crosslinking initiator, the method further comprising activating the crosslinking initiator, in order to fix the structure of the photonic crystal material or assembly. ### Claim 10 A thermally printable photonic crystal assembly comprising: a thermally printable photonic crystal material, the material having an optically detectable change in its reflection peak when exposed to a temperature equal to or about a thermal threshold; and at least one of: a base substrate, a protective or insulating top-coat, and a fixing coating; wherein the assembly is responsive to selective application of heat equal to or above the thermal threshold, the heating being applied to one or more portions of the photonic crystal assembly and not the remainder of the photonic crystal assembly, to result in an optically detectable change in the one or more heated portions of the assembly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10 further comprising at least one of: an adhesive layer, a top substrate, and a protective cover-sheet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10 wherein the top-coat is a thermally insulating top-coat for modulating transfer of heat tot he photonic crystal material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10 wherein the fixing coating is coated on external and internal surfaces of the photonic crystal material, and the fixing coating comprises a crosslinkable monomer, prepolymer or polymer, a crosslinking agent and a crosslinking initiator. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10 wherein the assembly is responsive to the selective application of heat to exhibit monochrome, high-contrast graphics. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The assembly of claim 10 wherein the assembly is responsive to the selective application of heat to exhibit multi-color graphics. ### Claim 16 A thermal printing system for thermal printing of a thermally printable photonic crystal material or assembly, the system comprising: a heat source for applying spatially inhomogeneous heat to the photonic crystal material or assembly; and a controller for controlling at least one setting of the heat source, in order to control the heat applied by the heat source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the heat source is one of: a thermal printer, a hot embossing cylinder, a laser-writing system, a photothermal source in conjunction with a patterned mask, and a microheater array. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the at least one setting is at least one of: a print head type, a print head pressure, a print head writing speed, a print head temperature, a print head profile or shape, a print head material, and a print head surface coating. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the controller is configured to execute computer executable instructions for adjusting the at least one setting.