EP0397441A2 — Method of forming a pattern on a surface

Claim 1

Independent Claim 92 words

The method of forming a pattern on a substrate, characterised by the steps of: (a) applying a film of thermoplastic material under pressure to a substrate; (b) applying energy to heat said film at a surface thereof facing said substrate thereby to bond said film to said substrate; (c) selectively etching areas of said film to form a predetermined pattern on said substrate; (d) depositing on said substrate in the areas where said film has been etched a layer of patterning material; and (e) removing from said substrate said film remaining thereon.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 92 words

The method of forming a pattern on a substrate, characterised by the steps of: (a) applying a film of thermoplastic material under pressure to a substrate; (b) applying energy to heat said film at a surface thereof facing said substrate thereby to bond said film to said substrate; (c) selectively etching areas of said film to form a predetermined pattern on said substrate; (d) depositing on said substrate in the areas where said film has been etched a layer of patterning material; and (e) removing from said substrate said film remaining thereon.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by forming an undercut along edges of said etched area of said film so that said edges of said film remaining on said substrate overhang edges of said pattern on said substrate.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 63 words

The method claimed. in Claim 2, characterised by forming said undercut by providing said film on the side thereof remote from said substrate with a further film layer having a different etch rate than that of said film and of a thickness so related to the etch rate thereof that said undercut is formed during said selective etching of areas of said film.

Claim 5

Independent Claim 40 words

The method claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that said film has a first thermoplastic bondable layer in engagement with said substrate and a second film strengthening layer on the side of said first layer remote from said substrate.

Claim 6

Independent Claim 23 words

The method claimed in Claims 4, characterised by applying said film to said substrate by hot rolling action of a hot application roller.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by applying the energy to heat said film in the form of radiant energy directed through said film for dissipation as heat at the surface thereof facing said substrate.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the radiant energy is directed through said film by means of infra-red lamps.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by applying the energy to heat said film in the form of ultrasonic energy directed through said film for dissipation as heat energy at said surface of the film facing the substrate.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 17 words

The method claimed Claim 8, characterised by applying said ultrasonic energy at 20 to 100 KHz frequency.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by applying said energy to heat said film by way of said substrate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 19 words

The method claimed in Claim 10, characterised by applying said energy to heat said film by heating said substrate.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method claimed in Claim 10, characterised by applying said energy to said film by transmitting radiant energy through said substrate.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method claimed in Claim 10, characterised by applying said energy to said film by transmitting ultrasonic energy through said substrate.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method claimed in Claim 13, characterised by employing said ultrasonic energy at a frequency of 200 to 100 KHz.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 30 words

The method claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by etching by means of a high energy beam said areas of said film to form on said substrate said predetermined pattern.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method claimed in Claim 15, characterised in that said high energy beam is a laser beam directed at said film by way of a projection mask.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method claimed in Claim 15 or 16, characterised in that said high energy beam is a laser beam directed at said film by way of a projection or contact mask.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method claimed in Claim 16 or Claim 17, characterised by employing an excimer laser beam as said high energy beam.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by forming said predetermined pattern in said substrate by machining at least through said film.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 107 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised by forming said predetermined pattern by applying to said substrate a film having a first bondable layer, a second film strengthening layer and a third layer on the side of said second layer remote from said first layer formed of photo resist material, exposing in said photo resist material said predetermined pattern, developing said photo resist to provide said pattern therein over said second layer and forming said pattern on said substrate by removing areas of said second layers on which said pattern is formed and areas of said first layer contiguous with said removed areas of said second layer.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method claimed in Claim 20, characterised by providing between said second and third layers a metallised layer on which said pattern is formed by developing said third layer and removing said areas of said metallised layer on which said pattern is formed and said second and first layers immediately below said removed areas of said metallised layer, by ion beam milling.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method claimed in Claim 20, characterised by providing between said second and third layers a metallised layer on which said pattern is formed by developing said third layer and removing said areas of said metallised layer on which said pattern is formed and said second and first layers immediately below said removed areas of said metallised layer by reactive ion etching.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 39 words

The method claimed in Claim 20, characterised by removing said areas of said second layer on which said pattern is formed and areas of said first layer contiguous with said removed areas of said second layer by wet etching.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method claimed in Claim 20, characterised by removing said areas of said second layer on which said pattern is formed and areas of said first layer contiguous with said removed areas of said second layer by electroform etch-back processing.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 32 words

The method claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by depositing metal on said substrate as the patterning material in the areas where said film has been removed to form said predetermined pattern.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 19 words

The method claimed in any preceding claim, characterised by removing said film remaining on said substrate by wet etching.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that a plurality at least of said steps comprise dry process steps.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 16 words

The method claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that all said steps are dry process steps.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 99 words

The method of forming a high density multi-channel array printhead body of a drop-on-demand printhead, characterised by applying to a layer of piezo-electric material a film of thermoplastic material, applying energy to heat said film at a surface thereof facing said piezo-electric material layer thereby to bond said film to said piezo-electric material layer, selectively removing areas of said film to form a predetermined pattern on said piezo-electric material layer, depositing on said piezo-electric material layer in the areas where said film has been removed a metallised layer and removing from said piezo-electric material layer said film remaining thereon.

Claim 31

Independent Claim 99 words

The method of forming a high density multi-channel array printhead body of a drop-on-demand printhead, characterised by applying to a layer of piezo-electric material a film of thermoplastic material, applying energy to heat said film at a surface thereof facing said piezo-electric material layer thereby to bond said film to said piezo-electric material layer, selectively removing areas of said film to form a predetermined pattern on said piezo-electric material layer, depositing on said piezo-electric material layer in the areas where said film has been removed a metallised layer and removing from said piezo-electric material layer said film remaining thereon.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method claimed in Claim 29, characterised by forming a part of said predetermined pattern on said piezo-electric material layer by machining a multiplicity of parallel channels through said film and penetrating said piezo-electric material to provide in said piezo-electric material ink channels of said printhead.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 59 words

The method claimed in Claim 30, characterised by providing said film with a third resist layer on the side of said second layer remote from said first layer and forming in said film, prior to metal deposition an undercut at edges of areas of said film which were removed to form said predetermined pattern on said piezo-electric material layer.

Claim 34

Independent Claim 18 words

The method claimed in Claims 31, characterised by angled plating with metal facing side walls of said channels.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method claimed in Claim 32, characterised by providing said predetermined pattern in the part thereof adjoining said plated channels as metal connection tracks each connecting with the plated side walls of a corresponding channel.

Method of forming a pattern on a surface

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