Masking of and material constraint for depositing battery layers on flexible substrates
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to masking techniques and apparatuses, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for masking a flexible substrate to be coated with one or more material layers. The method involves flexing a substrate to provide a curved surface and providing a flexible sheet on the curved surface to properly apply a coating on the surface of the substrate. The apparatus includes a substrate and a flexible sheet. An elastic material, such as a spring pin, or an off-axis roll-down bar may be used to create the tension used to flex the substrate and or flexible sheet.
1. A method for masking a substrate, comprising:
flexing at least one substrate to provide a curved substrate surface; and
providing at least one flexible sheet on said curved surface;
fixing said at least one flexible sheet to place said at least one flexible sheet in tension; and
applying a force to said at least one flexible sheet in a direction substantially tangential to said curved surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a foil or a strip.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing said curved surface in the form of an arc.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flexible sheet comprises a foil or strip.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing said at least one substrate in tension.
6. The method of claim 1 , further wherein applying comprises using a mechanism selected from the group consisting of a spring pin and an off-axis roll-down bar.
7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising applying a force to said at least one substrate in a direction substantially tangential to the curved surface.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising using a mechanism selected from the group consisting of a spring pin and an off-axis roll-down bar.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising creating tension by applying torque to said at least one substrate.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a torque to said at least one sheet.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one flexible sheet comprises a mask.
12. A method for masking a substrate, comprising:
providing at least one substrate;
providing at least one flexible sheet on said at least one substrate; and
creating tension in said at least one flexible sheet or said at least one substrate to form a surface of said flexible sheet or said substrate into a curved shape; and
applying force to said at least one flexible sheet or said at least one substrate in a direction substantially tangential to said surface of said at least one flexible sheet or said substrate.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said substrate comprises a foil or a strip.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing said curved shape in the form of an arc.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein said flexible sheet comprises a foil or a strip.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising applying a torque to the at least one substrate.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein applying comprises further using a mechanism selected from the group consisting of a spring pin and an off-axis roll-down bar.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein said at least one flexible sheet comprises a mask.