System and Method for Coating Substrates

A method for coating of a donor material onto a laser radiation transparent substrate having a straight surface portion, said method comprising:

• providing a layer thickness uniformizing blade pivotably mounted onto a linearly displaceable blade support about a pivot axis, said blade having a straight edge;
• initially positioning said linearly displaceable blade support relative to said laser radiation transparent substrate such that said straight edge lies coplanar with said straight surface portion of said laser radiation transparent substrate, wherein said straight surface portion lies along a blade engagement axis which is perpendicular to said pivot axis;
• thereafter locking said layer thickness uniformizing blade against pivotable movement relative to said linearly displaceable blade support about said pivot axis;
• thereafter repositioning said linearly displaceable blade support and said layer thickness uniformizing blade about a linear displacement axis which is perpendicular to said blade engagement axis and perpendicular to said pivot axis to a position at which said straight edge is separated from said straight surface portion of said laser radiation transparent substrate by a separation distance, which is uniform along said straight edge of said layer thickness uniformizing blade;
• applying said donor material to said laser radiation transparent substrate;
• providing mutual displacement between said layer thickness uniformizing blade and said laser radiation transparent substrate along an axis parallel to said pivot axis, thereby to reduce the thickness of said initial layer of said donor material;
• and
• maintaining said separation distance.