# US 9,873,276 B2 · Microcontact printing stamps with functional features

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- Number: US 9,873,276 B2
- Document ID: US9873276B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/033,672
- Filed: 2014-10-30
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Granted: 2018-01-23
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-06
- Assignees: 3M Innovative Properties Company
- Applicants: 3M Innovative Properties Company
- Inventors: Catherine P. Tarnowski; David A. Johnson; Roger W. Barton; Larry L. Johnson; Jonathan J. O'Hare; Tyler J. Rattray; Daniel M. Lentz; Jeffrey H. Tokie; Matthew H. Frey; Mikhail L. Pekurovsky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873276B2

## CPC

- B41K 1/38: Inking devices; Stamping surfaces
- B41D 7/00: Shaping elastic or deformable material, e.g. rubber, plastics material, to form printing surfaces (making rubber printing blocks B41C3/04)
- B41K 3/44: Means for handling copy matter
- G03F 7/0002: {Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping}
- G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
- H05K 3/1275: {by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing}
- G06F 2203/04112: Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
- H05K 2203/0143: Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
- B41K: STAMPS; STAMPING OR NUMBERING APPARATUS OR DEVICES (marking meat A22C17/10; embossing combined with printing B41F19/00; selective printing mechanisms B41J; embossing decorations or marks B44B5/00; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26; ticket printing and issuing, fare registering, nonprinting aspects of franking apparatus G07B)
- B41D: APPARATUS FOR THE MECHANICAL REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES FOR STEREOTYPE PRINTING; SHAPING ELASTIC OR DEFORMABLE MATERIAL TO FORM PRINTING SURFACES ({engraving by spark erosion B23H;} marking or engraving metal by the action of a high concentration of electric current B23H9/06; type, machines or accessories for making, setting, or distributing type B41B; processes for the manufacture or reproduction of printing surfaces B41C; machines or apparatus for engraving in general, or for embossing B44B3/00, B44B5/00; chemical etching of metal C23F1/00; electrolytic etching C25F3/00; photomechanical reprodcution G03F)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

## Abstract

A method includes providing an elastomeric stamp including a stamping surface with a first pattern element having a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent and including a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region, the discontinuous region including at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities, and (2) one or more interior voids. A second pattern element of the stamping surface has a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, and includes traces with a width from 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers. The stamping surface is inked with an ink composition including a functionalizing molecule with a functional group selected to bind to a surface of the ink-receptive material. The inked stamping surface is contacted with an ink-receptive material selected from a sheet or a web for a contact time sufficient to bind the functional group with the surface of the ink-receptive material to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the functionalizing material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing an elastomeric stamp comprising a base surface and a stamping surface extending away from the base surface, the stamping surface comprising at least one first pattern element and at least one second pattern element, and wherein:
the first pattern element of the stamping surface has a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent, and the first pattern element of the stamping surface comprises a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region comprising at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities, and (2) one or more interior voids; and
the second pattern element of the stamping surface has a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, and the second pattern element of the stamping surface comprises traces with a width from 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers;
inking the stamping surface with an ink composition comprising a functionalizing molecule with a functional group selected to bind to a major surface of an ink-receptive material selected from a sheet or a web; and
contacting the inked stamping surface with the major surface of the ink-receptive material for a contact time sufficient to bind the functional group with the major surface of the ink-receptive material to form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the functionalizing material thereon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the interior voids in the first pattern element in the first stamping surface form a mesh.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the elongated concavities in the first pattern element are oriented at an angle with respect to a direction of movement of a contact front between the stamp and the major surface of the web of ink-receptive material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the angle is 30° to 60°.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the elongated concavities or the interior voids form an X-shaped pattern.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fill factor of the first pattern element is 22.5%-95%.

### Claim 7

An elastomeric microcontact printing stamp comprising a base surface and a stamping surface extending away from the base surface, the stamping surface comprising:
at least one first pattern element with a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent, wherein the first pattern element of the stamping surface comprises a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region comprising at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities, and (2) one or more interior voids; and
at least one second pattern element having a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, and wherein the second pattern element of the stamping surface comprises a plurality of traces, wherein each trace has a width from 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers;
wherein the stamping surface has disposed thereon an ink comprising a plurality of functionalizing molecules comprising at least one functional group selected to bind to a substrate and form a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the functionalizing molecules on the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The stamp of claim 7, wherein the stamping surface comprises one or more elongated concavities in the first pattern element, and wherein each elongated concavity has an aspect ratio of 2 to 100, optionally wherein each elongated concavity has an aspect ratio of 5 to 50.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The stamp of claim 7, wherein the stamping surface comprises one or more interior voids in the first pattern element, and wherein the interior voids are elongate or branched.

### Claim 10

An electrically conductive pattern disposed on a visible light transparent substrate, the pattern comprising:
at least one first pattern element comprising a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent, wherein the first pattern element comprises a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region, wherein the discontinuous region comprises at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities, and (2) one or more interior voids; and
at least one second pattern element electrically connected to the first pattern element, wherein the second pattern element has a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, and wherein the second pattern element further comprises traces, and wherein each trace has width from 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the stamping surface comprises one or more elongated concavities in the first pattern element, and wherein each elongated concavity has an aspect ratio of 2 to 100, optionally wherein each elongated concavity has an aspect ratio of 5 to 50.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the stamping surface comprises one or more interior voids in the first pattern element, and wherein the interior voids are elongate or branched.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the first pattern element in the stamping surface comprises both elongated concavities and interior voids.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the interior voids in the first pattern element in the first stamping surface form a mesh.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the fill factor of the first pattern element is 22.5%-95%, or the first pattern element has an area of 1 mm2 to 10 mm2.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the second pattern element has a fill factor of 0.5% to 5%, or the second pattern element has an area of 10 cm2 to 5000 cm2.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the second pattern element comprises a mesh, optionally wherein the mesh comprises a plurality of traces, and wherein each trace has a width of 0.5 micrometers to 10 micrometers.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The electrically conductive pattern of claim 10, wherein the conductive pattern is electrically connected to a second substrate at the first pattern element.

### Claim 19 (depends on 10)

A touch screen sensor comprising a visible light transparent substrate having disposed thereon the electrically conductive pattern of claim 10.

### Claim 20

A method comprising:
tensioning a web material between two support rollers at a tension up to about 10 pounds per lineal inch;
mounting a poly(dimethylsiloxane) stamp on a surface of a roller supported by an air bearing, wherein the stamp comprises a base surface and a stamping surface extending away from the base surface, the stamping surface comprising an arrangement of pattern elements, the pattern elements comprising:
at least one first pattern element with a fill factor of 20 to 99 percent, wherein the first pattern element comprises a continuous region and at least one discontinuous region, the discontinuous region comprising at least one of: (1) one or more elongated concavities; and (2) one or more interior voids; and
at least one second pattern element contiguous with the first pattern element, wherein the second pattern element has a fill factor of 0.25 to 10 percent, wherein the second pattern element comprises a plurality of elongated traces, and wherein each trace has a width of 0.1 micrometers to 50 micrometers;
inking the stamping surface with an ink composition comprising an organosulfur compound;
contacting the inked stamping surface with a major surface of the web material for a contact time sufficient for a thiol functional group on the organosulfur compound to bind to an ink-receptive surface of the web material to provide a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of the organosulfur compound thereon according to the arrangement of pattern elements on the stamping surface; and removing the stamping surface from the major surface of the web material.