Nanostructured thermal transfer donor element
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorsMark K. Debe, William V. Dower
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Laser-addressable thermal transfer donor elements for producing color proofs, printing plates, films, printed circuit boards, and other media are disclosed. The thermal transfer donor elements include a substrate with a gas-producing polymer layer thereon, and an array of discrete nanostructured elements embedded within the gas-producing polymer layer. The gas-producing polymer layer has a thermally available nitrogen content of greater than about 10 weight percent. Each of the nanostructured elements includes an elongated structure conformally coated with a radiation absorbing material. A thermal mass transfer material (e.g., a metal or colorant such as a dye or pigment) is included in or over the gas-producing polymer layer.
Claims38
A thermal transfer donor element, comprising:
- a) a substrate having an upper major surface and a lower major surface;
- b) a gas-producing polymer layer on the upper major surface of said substrate, said gas-producing polymer layer having a thermally available nitrogen content of greater than 10 weight percent;
- c) a plurality of discrete nanostructured elements having a chemical composition which is different from the chemical composition of the substrate, each of said discrete nanostructured elements comprising an elongated structure coated with a radiation absorbing material, wherein at least some of the discrete nanostructured elements extend into said gas-producing polymer layer, one end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements contacting the upper major surface of said substrate;
- and
- d) a thermal mass transfer material in or over said gas-producing polymer layer.
A thermal transfer donor element, consisting essentially of:
- a) a substrate having an upper major surface and a lower major surface;
- b) a thermal mass transfer material on the upper major surface of said substrate;
- and
- c) a plurality of discrete nanostructured elements having a chemical composition which is different from the chemical composition of the substrate, each of said discrete nanostructured elements comprising an elongated structure coated with a radiation absorbing material, wherein at least some of the discrete nanostructured element extend into said thermal mass transfer material, one end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements contacting the upper major surface of said substrate.
A thermal transfer donor element, comprising:
- a) a substrate having an upper major surface and a lower major surface;
- b) a gas-producing polymer layer on the upper major surface of said substrate, said gas-producing polymer layer having a thermally available nitrogen content of greater than 10 weight percent;
- c) a plurality of discrete nanostructured elements, each of said discrete nanostructured elements comprising an elongated structure coated with a radiation absorbing material, wherein at least some of the discrete nanostructured elements extend into said gas-producing polymer layer, one end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements contacting the upper surface of said gas-producing polymer layer and the other end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements do not contact the substrate;
- and
- d) a thermal mass transfer material in or over said gas-producing polymer layer.
A thermal transfer donor element, consisting essentially of:
- a) a substrate having an upper major surface and a lower major surface;
- b) a thermal mass transfer material on the upper major surface of said substrate;
- and
- c) a plurality of discrete nanostructured elements, each of said discrete nanostructured elements comprising an elongated structure coated with a radiation absorbing material, wherein at least some of the discrete nanostructured elements extend into said thermal mass transfer material, one end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements contacting the upper surface of said thermal mass transfer material and the other end of said at least some discrete nanostructured elements do not contact the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.