Colored mask combined with selective area deposition
The invention relates to a process for forming a structure comprising (a) providing a transparent support; (b) forming a color mask on a first side of the transparent support; (c) applying a first layer comprising a deposition inhibitor material that is sensitive to visible light; (d) patterning the first layer by exposing the first layer through the color mask with visible light to form a first pattern and developing the deposition inhibitor material to provide selected areas of the first layer effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material; and (e) depositing a second layer of functional material over the transparent support; wherein the second layer of functional material is substantially deposited only in selected areas over the transparent support not having the deposition inhibitor material.
1. A process for forming a structure comprising:
a) providing a transparent support;
b) forming a color mask, having a color pattern, on a first side of the transparent support;
c) applying a first layer comprising a deposition inhibitor material that is sensitive to visible light either on the first side or a side opposite the first side of the transparent support after forming the color mask;
d) patterning the first layer comprising the deposition inhibitor material by exposing the first layer through the color mask with visible light to form a first pattern, wherein the first pattern is composed of deposition inhibitor material in a second exposed state that is different from a first as-coated state, and developing the deposition inhibitor material to provide selected areas of the first layer effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material; and
e) depositing a second layer of functional material over the transparent support;
wherein the second layer of functional material is substantially deposited only in selected areas over the transparent support not having the deposition inhibitor material.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the selected areas effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material correspond to the portion of the first pattern composed of the first as-coated state.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing the functional material comprises depositing an inorganic thin film over the transparent support by atomic layer deposition.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein the step of depositing the inorganic thin film comprises simultaneously directing a series of gas flows, wherein the series of gas flows comprises, in order, at least a first reactive gaseous material, an inert purge gas, and a second reactive gaseous material, optionally repeated a plurality of times, wherein the first reactive gaseous material is capable of reacting with a substrate surface treated with the second reactive gaseous material to form the inorganic thin film, wherein the first reactive gaseous material is a volatile organo-metallic precursor compound, wherein the process is carried out substantially at or above atmospheric pressure while the temperature of the substrate during deposition is under 300° C., and wherein the inorganic thin film is substantially deposited only in selected areas of the substrate surface effectively not having the deposition inhibitor material.
5. The process of claim 1 where in the deposition inhibitor material is applied to the first side of the transparent support, and wherein the color mask, support and the functional material in the selected areas remain in the structure.
6. The process of claim 1 further comprising removing the deposition inhibitor material after depositing the functional material.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the color mask comprises at least two different color patterns and step (d) uses one of the colored patterns.
8. The process of claim 1 wherein the visible light used for exposing has a spectrum substantially contained within the absorbance spectrum of the color mask.
9. The process of claim 1 wherein the visible light used for exposing is white light and the deposition inhibitor material is sensitized to the light spectrum filtered by the color mask.
10. The process of claim 1 wherein the functional material is applied by additive printing process including gravure or inkjet.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein the deposition inhibitor comprises a photoinitiator and a polymeric material.
12. The process of claim 1 wherein the deposition inhibitor material comprises a multifunctional acrylate resin.
13. The process of claim 1 wherein the deposition inhibitor material has an inhibition power of at least 50 Å.
14. The process of claim 1 wherein the color mask having the color pattern is formed on the same side of the transparent support as that on which is applied the first layer comprising a deposition inhibitor and on which is deposited the second layer of functional material, wherein the layer of deposition inhibitor material is positive working or negative working.
15. The process of claim 1 wherein the color mask having the color pattern is formed on the opposite side of the transparent support from that on which is applied the first layer comprising a deposition inhibitor and from that on which is deposited the second layer of functional material, wherein the layer of deposition inhibitor material is positive working.