US 2020/0393753 A1Published application

Process and equipment for texturing discrete substrates

AssigneeMorphotonics Holding B.V.

InventorsJan Matthijs TER MEULEN, Bram Johannes TITULAER, Adrianus VAN ERVEN, Ludovicus VUGTS

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Abstract

A process and equipment texture substrates. A discrete substrate and a resilient stamp with a patterned outer surface having openings and elevations are coated with a formable imprint lacquer and the stamp is bent around an axis of an imaginary cylinder parallel to the plane of the substrate and perpendicular to the imprint direction to obtain a bent resilient stamp having a particular imprint-curvature. The bent stamp contacts formable imprint lacquer to apply imprint pressure onto a substrate contact area. The imprint pressure is generated by a resilience force of the stamp. The substrate and/or stamp move relative to one another while pressing the outer surface openings/elevations with the imprint pressure into the lacquer to attain an imprint texture while maintaining constant imprint-curvature. The formable imprint lacquer with the imprint texture solidifies on the substrate, and the stamp is separated from the textured substrate.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Process for texturing a discrete substrate with an imprint texture, wherein the process comprises the steps of:

a) providing a resilient stamp comprising a patterned outer surface comprising openings and elevations,
b) providing a discrete substrate,
c) coating the resilient stamp and/or the discrete substrate with a formable imprint lacquer,
d) bending the resilient stamp around one imaginary bending axis formed by an imaginary cylinder, the imaginary bending axis being parallel to a plane of the discrete substrate and perpendicular to an imprint direction to obtain a bent resilient stamp having a first leg and a second leg, whereby the bending is performed so that the second leg is bent in at least a fraction of the direction of the first leg,
e) contacting the bent resilient stamp with formable imprint lacquer between the bent resilient stamp and discrete substrate so that the bent resilient stamp applies an imprint pressure onto the discrete substrate onto a contact area, wherein the imprint pressure is substantially generated by a resilience force of the bent resilient stamp, wherein the bent resilient stamp exhibits an imprint-curvature, wherein the imprint-curvature is defined by a radius of an imaginary cylinder which is drawn around the bent resilient stamp bent around the imaginary bending axis,
f) moving the discrete substrate and/or the resilient stamp relative to one another and during said moving pressing the openings and elevations of the patterned outer surface with the imprint pressure into the formable imprint lacquer to provide the formable imprint lacquer with the imprint texture, and during said moving keeping the imprint-curvature of the bent resilient stamp constant,
g) solidifying the formable imprint lacquer provided with the imprint texture on the substrate, and
h) separating the resilient stamp from the textured discrete substrate.

5 more elements

Equipment for texturing a discrete substrate comprising

i. a discrete substrate defining a substrate plane,
ii. a resilient stamp comprising a patterned outer surface comprising openings and elevations, wherein:
a. the resilient stamp is mounted in a front clamp which is positioned at an onset of the resilient stamp and in a back clamp which is positioned at an end of the resilient stamp,
b. the resilient stamp comprises a second leg which is followed by a bent area which is followed by a first leg which is in contact with the substrate plane with formable imprint lacquer between the resilient stamp and the discrete substrate,
c. the resilient stamp is bent in the bent area around one imaginary bending axis formed by an imaginary cylinder having an axis parallel to a plane of the discrete substrate and perpendicular to an imprint direction to obtain a bent resilient stamp, so that the bent resilient stamp applies an imprint pressure onto the discrete substrate onto a contact area, wherein the imprint pressure is substantially generated by a resilience force of the bent resilient stamp, wherein the bent resilient stamp exhibits one imprint-curvature, wherein the imprint-curvature is defined by a radius of an imaginary cylinder which is drawn around the bent resilient stamp bent around the imaginary bending axis,
iii. first moving means coupled with the back clamp and moving the bent resilient stamp in contact with the discrete substrate with formable imprint lacquer between resilient stamp and discrete substrate, wherein the discrete substrate is in a fixed position, and/or second moving means coupled with the support platform and/or the front clamp and moving the support platform with the bent resilient stamp thereon and/or the front clamp with resilient stamp clamped therein at a same speed but in opposite direction as movement of the front clamp,
iv. a controller to control the imprint-curvature of the bent resilient stamp, whereby the imprint curvature is adjusted and/or kept constant, and
v. a device for solidification of the formable imprint lacquer provided with an imprint texture.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.