Methods of forming molds and methods of forming articles using said molds
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsGuoping Mao, Moses M. David, Olester Benson, Jr., Robert J. DeVoe, Jennifer J. Sahlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a working mold including placing a substrate near an electrode in a chamber, the substrate (610) having at least a first structured surface (620); providing power to the electrode to create a plasma, —introducing vapor of liquid silicone molecules into the plasma; and depositing a release layer (630), the release layer (630) including a silicone containing polymer, the release layer (630) being deposited on at least a portion of the first structured surface of the substrate to form the working mold.
Claims16
A method of forming a working mold comprising:
- placing a substrate near an electrode in a chamber, the substrate having at least a first structured surface;
- providing power to the electrode to create a plasma;
- introducing vapor of liquid silicone molecules of Formula (I) into the plasma
- wherein
- X is —Si(Ra)3;
- Y is —OSi(Ra)3;
- each Ra is independently H, OH, alkyl, aryl, or alkoxy;
- and
- n is an integer from 10 to 100;
- depositing a release layer attached to the substrate via covalent bonds, the release layer comprising a silicone containing polymer, the release layer being deposited on at least a portion of the first structured surface of the substrate to form the working mold.
A method of forming a molded article comprising:
- placing an untreated working mold near an electrode in a chamber, the untreated working mold having at least a first structured surface;
- providing power to the electrode to create a plasma;
- introducing vapor of liquid silicone molecules of Formula (I) into the plasma
- wherein
- X is —Si(Ra)3;
- Y is —OSi(Ra)3;
- each Ra is independently H, OH, alkyl, aryl, or alkoxy;
- and
- n is an integer from 10 to 100;
- depositing a release layer attached to the substrate via covalent bonds, the release layer comprising a silicone containing polymer, the release layer being deposited on at least a portion of the first structured surface to form the working mold;
- and
- contacting a third generation precursor with at least a portion of the first surface of the working mold to form a molded article that is the inverse of the first structured surface of the working mold.
A method of continuously forming a molded article comprising:
- placing an untreated working mold near an electrode in a chamber, the untreated working mold having at least a first structured surface;
- providing power to the electrode to create a plasma;
- introducing vapor of liquid silicone molecules of Formula (I) into the plasma
- wherein
- X is —Si(Ra)3;
- Y is —OSi(Ra)3;
- each Ra is independently H, OH, alkyl, aryl, or alkoxy;
- and
- n is an integer from 10 to 100;
- depositing a release layer attached to the substrate via covalent bonds, the release layer comprising a silicone containing polymer, the release layer being deposited on at least a portion of the first structured surface to form the working mold;
- forming a continuous tool comprising the working mold mounted on a rotating drum;
- and
- continuously contacting a third generation precursor with at least a portion of the first surface of the working mold to form a molded article that is the inverse of the first structured surface of the working mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.