Laser addressable thermal transfer imaging element with an interlayer
View Patent ↗A thermal transfer donor element is provided which comprises a support, a light-to-heat conversion layer, an interlayer, and a thermal transfer layer. When the above donor element is brought into contact with a receptor and imagewise irradiated, an image is obtained which is free from contamination by the light-to-heat conversion layer. The construction and process of this invention is useful in making colored images including applications such as color proofs and color filter elements.
1. A thermal transfer element comprising:
a thermal transfer layer;
a light-to-heat conversion layer including a material that absorbs imaging radiation to convert the radiation into heat to produce an imaging temperature sufficient to enable transfer of the thermal transfer Layer to a receptor; and
a temperature modulation interlayer coated between the light-to-heat conversion layer and the thermal transfer layer to modulate a temperature attained in the thermal transfer layer without transferring portions of the temperature modulation interlayer to the receptor as heat is transferred from the light-to-heat conversion layer to the thermal transfer layer,
wherein the temperature modulation interlayer comprises a crosslinked organic polymer, and
wherein the transfer layer comprises electrically conducting or insulating particles.
2. A process for transferring an image onto a receptor comprising the steps of:
a) providing a thermal transfer element, formed on a substrate having deposited thereon in the following order,
(i) a light-to-heat conversion layer,
(ii) an interlayer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of metals, inorganic compounds, crosslinked organic polymers, thermoplastic organic polymers with a T(g) greater than 150 deg. C., and mixtures thereof, and
(iii) a thermal transfer layer comprising electrically conducting or insulating particles;
b) placing the thermal transfer layer in contact with a surface of the receptor;
c) exposing the thermal transfer element in an imagewise pattern with a radiation source; and
d) transferring portions of the thermal transfer layer corresponding to the imagewise pattern to the receptor to form a transferred image on the receptor with substantially no transfer of the interlayer.