Fabrication of arrays containing interlaid patterns of microcells

In a process comprising

• forming in a support having first and second major surfaces a planar array of microcells opening toward the first major surface and
• selectively altering the contents of a first set of the microcells in relation to a second, interlaid set of the microcells,
• the improvement comprising selectively altering the contents of the microcells by
• positioning to overlie the first major surface, means for closing both the first and second sets of microcells,
• selectively removing the closing means from the first set of microcells, and
• altering the contents of the first set of microcells by selectively introducing a radiation-sensitive material, dye, or dye precursor therein.

In a process comprising

• forming in a suppport having first and second major surfaces a planar array of microcells opening toward the first major surface and
• selectively altering the contents of a first set of the microcells in relation to a second, interlaid set of the microcells,
• the improvement comprising selectively altering the contents of the microcells by
• positioning to overlie the first major surface, means for closing both the first and second sets of microcells,
• selectively removing the closing means from the first set of microcells, and
• altering the contents of the first set of microcells by selectively removing a radiation-sensitive material, pigment, dye, or dye precursor therefrom while retaining the radiation-sensitive material, dye, or dye precursor in the second set of microcells.

In a process comprising

• forming a support having first and second major surfaces a planar array of microcells opening toward the first major surface and
• selectively altering the contents of a first set of the microcells in relation to a second, interlaid set of the microcells,
• the improvement comprising selectively altering the contents of the microcells by
• positioning to overlie the first major surface, means for closing both the first and second sets of microcells,
• selectively removing the closing means from the first set of microcells, and
• altering the contents of the first set of microcells by selectively introducing a radiation-sensitive material, dye, or dye precursor therein differing from a radiation-sensitive material, dye, or dye precursor in the second set of microcells.

In a process of forming a multicolor filter comprising

• forming in a support having first and second major surfaces a planar array of microcells opening toward the first major surface and
• introducing into an interlaid pattern of first, second, and third sets of microcells blue, green, and red filters, respectively,
• the improvement comprising
• positioning an organic film-forming membrane to close the microcells opening toward the first major surface, and
• laser addressing the membrane to open the first set of microcells, thereby permitting the contents of the first set of microcells to be altered without altering the contents of the second and third sets of microcells.

In a process comprising

• forming in a support having first and second major surfaces a planar array of microcells opening toward the first major surface and
• introducing into an interlaid pattern of first, second and third sets of microcells blue, green, and red filters, respectively,
• the improvemet comprising
• positioning an organic film-forming membrane to close the microcells opening toward the first major surface,
• laser addressing the membrane to open the first set of microcells, and
• aligning a radiation-sensitive imaging means adjacent the microcells containing the blue, green, and red filters.

A process comprising

• casting an organic polymeric membrane of from 0.2 to 1.0 micron in thickness on the surface of a liquid,
• positioning the organic polymeric membrane on a support to overlie and close an array of microcells separated by lateral walls and opening toward one major surface of the support, the thickness of the lateral walls being at least twice the thickness of the membrane,
• laser addressing the membrane in a pattern corresponding to one set of microcells of the array, sufficient energy being transferred to the membrane in addressed areas to thermally destroy the membrane thereby opening the one set of microcells while leaving the membrane intact overlying and closing second and third interlaid sets of microcells of the array,
• introducing into the first set of microcells a first composition comprised of at least one of blue responsive silver halide, a blue filter material, and a yellow dye or dye precursor capable of shifting in mobility in response to silver halide development,
• laser addressing the membrane in a pattern including the second set of microcells and excluding the third set of microcells of the array, sufficient energy being transferred from the laser to the membrane in addressed areas to thermally destroy the membrane thereby opening the second set of microcells while leaving the membrane intact overlying and closing the third interlaid set of microcells of the array,
• introducing a second composition into the second set of microcells comprised of at least one of green responsive silver halide, a green filter material, and a magenta dye or dye precursor capable of shifting in mobility in response to silver halide development,
• removing the membrane from the third set of microcells, and
• introducing into the third set of microcells a third composition comprised of at least one of red responsive silver halide, a red filter material, and a cyan dye or dye precursor capable of shifting in mobility in response to silver halide development.