Inexpensive fabrication of large-area pixel arrays for displays and sensors
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsWilliam S. Wong, Robert A. Street, Stephen D. White, Robert Matusiak
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Abstract
A method and system for fabricating an array of electronic devices, typically a display or sensor is described. In the method, a droplet source ejects droplets of a masking material for deposit on a thin film or substrate surface to mask an element of the array of electronic devices. The temperature of the thin-film or substrate surface is controlled such that the droplets rapidly freeze upon contact with the thin-film or substrate surface. The thin-film or substrate is then etched. After etching the masking material is removed.
Claims30
A method of patterning an element for a two dimensional pixel circuit comprising the operations of:
- maintaining a surface to be patterned below the freezing temperature of a phase-change masking material;
- ejecting droplets of the phase change masking material onto the surface in a pattern matching the element for the two dimensional pixel circuit, the droplets changing from a liquid to a solid after contact with the surface;
- etching the surface to remove material from around the element for the two dimensional pixel circuit.
A method of masking a component in an array of electronic devices comprising the operations of:
- maintaining a temperature of a surface to be etched above the boiling point of a liquid carrier, said liquid carrier including a suspended masking material;
- ejecting in liquid form droplets of a solution including the liquid carrier and suspended masking material in a pattern matching the element for the array of electronic devices, the liquid carrier rapidly evaporating after contact with the surface leaving the masking material to form a first mask;
- etching the surface to remove material from around said the element for the two dimensional pixel circuit.
A method of patterning an element of an array of electronic devices comprising the operations of:
- maintaining a surface to be patterned below the freezing temperature of a phase-change masking material;
- ejecting droplets of the phase change masking material onto the surface in a pattern matching the element for the array of electronic devices, the droplets changing from a liquid to a solid after contact with the surface;
- etching the surface to remove material from around the element for the array of electronic devices;
- and,
- removing the masking material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.