Method for forming a patterned mask
AssigneeMacDermid, Incorporated
InventorsJohn Grunwald, Gary Larson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A patterned mask is provided on a surface by formulating a liquid, 100% solids-type thermally curable mask composition, applying the composition as a film to the surface, selectively thermally exposing the film in the desired mask pattern using a focused beam of heat energy without use of an interposed patterned mask, and then developing away the film areas not thermally exposed so as to produce a patterned mask. The invention enables the elimination of potentially troublesome volatile solvent carriers or diluents from the composition, while at the same time still enabling production of finely-defined patterns without having to bring a patterned mask (cf. phototool) into contact with the composition. Similarly, the expense involved with use of dry film photo-sensitive masks is avoided.
Claims15
A method for forming a patterned mask on a surface, comprising:
- (a) providing a thermally-curable mask composition in the form of a liquid 100% solids composition;
- (b) applying said composition as a film to said surface;
- (c) thereafter, in a predetermined pattern and without use of an interposed patterned mask, directing to selected areas of said film, corresponding to the positive image of the desired mask pattern, a focused beam of heat energy effective to there bring about thermal cure of said composition to an extent sufficient to render such areas differentially less soluble in a developer than film areas to which said focused beam was not directed;
- and
- (d) thereafter contacting said film with a developer effective to remove from the surface those film areas to which said focused beam was not directed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.