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US 2015/0030985 A1Published application
Multiphoton Curing Methods Using Negative Contrast Compositions
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsRobert J. DeVoe, Tzu-Chen Lee, Brian J. Gates
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to multiphoton absorption methods for curing a photocurable composition under conditions wherein negative contrast occurs. The photocurable composition includes a free-radically polymerizable compound. The method is applicable to fabrication of structures with micron-scale dimensions or less.
Claims29
1-28. (canceled)
A method comprising the steps:
- a) providing a beam of light, wherein the beam of light has a cross-sectional beam profile comprising an inner region having a relatively lower intensity of the light bounded by an outer region having a relatively higher intensity of the light, and wherein the inner region and the outer region have the same temporal profile;
- b) providing a photocurable composition, wherein the photocurable composition comprises a free-radically polymerizable compound, a free-radical polymerization inhibitor, and a multiphoton photoinitiator system;
- c) exposing at least a portion of the photocurable composition to the beam of light such that multiphoton absorption of a portion of the light by the multiphoton photoinitiator system initiates free-radical polymerization of at least a portion of the free-radically polymerizable compound, wherein irradiating the photocurable composition with at least a portion of the inner region of the beam of light causes curing of a portion of the photocurable composition to at least a threshold level for developing, and wherein irradiating the photocurable composition with at least a portion of the outer region of the beam of light adjacent to the inner region does not cause curing of the photocurable composition to at least the threshold level for developing.
A method comprising the steps:
- a) providing at least one beam of light;
- b) providing a photocurable composition, wherein the photocurable composition comprises a free-radically polymerizable compound, a free-radical polymerization inhibitor other than molecular oxygen, and a multiphoton photoinitiator system, wherein the free-radical polymerization inhibitor is effective in the absence of oxygen;
- c) at least partially curing at least a portion of the photocurable composition by exposing it to the at least one beam of light such that multiphoton absorption of a portion of the light by the multiphoton photoinitiator system initiates free-radical polymerization of the free-radically polymerizable compound, and such that incrementally increasing exposure to the beam of light causes less curing of at least a portion of the photocurable composition exposed to the beam of light, wherein the photocurable composition is substantially free of molecular oxygen prior to said exposing the photocurable composition to the beam of light.
A method comprising the steps:
- a) providing a beam of light;
- b) providing a photocurable composition, wherein the photocurable composition comprises:
- a free-radically polymerizable compound,
- a Type I photoinitiator, and
- a free-radical polymerization inhibitor;
- c) at least partially curing at least a portion of the photocurable composition by exposing it to the beam of light such that multiphoton absorption of a portion of the light by the Type I photoinitiator initiates free-radical polymerization of the free-radically polymerizable compound, and such that incrementally increasing exposure to the beam of light causes less curing of at least a portion of the photocurable composition exposed to the beam of light.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.