Roll-to-roll method and system for micro-replication of a pattern of large relief three-dimensional microstructures

• Main Authors: LEE, KANG, ARIK, ENGIN, JANNSON, TOMASZ, FORRESTER, THOMAS, NATHAN, NANDA, YU, KEVIN H, KAISER, EDWARD M
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 01.03.2009
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING

A method and system referred to as PALM (Patterning by Adhesive of Large Relief Three-Dimensional Microstructures) with large reliefs exceeding 1 m and being as large as 100 m. The microstructures can be either deterministic (such as microprisms), or random (such as diffusers), the first obtained by copying an original supermaster, and latter obtained by copying a laser speckle pattern. The master process entails copying a supermaster into the form of the microstructure constituting a pattern on the patterning cylinder (called a drum), to be then continuously multiplied in the PALM system, in a continuous roll-to-roll web process. The latter method, together with the related system, is the subject of this invention, The rolls continuously repeat the master pattern, copying by adhesive with large viscosity on acrylic (hybrid) as well as by a monolithic process. The monolithic process can be accomplished using temperature and pressure, or by UV-cured polymerization. Therefore, the invention comprises three alte