METHOD OF ROLL TO ROLL PRINTING OF FINE LINES AND FEATURES WITH AN INVERSE PATTERNING PROCESS
A method of inverse image flexographic printing includes transferring an insulating ink to a plurality of inverse printing patterns disposed on a flexo master. The insulating ink is transferred from the plurality of inverse printing patterns to a substrate. The insulating ink disposed on the substrate is cured. A catalytic ink is deposited on a plurality of exposed portions of the substrate. The catalytic ink deposited on the substrate is electroless plated.
1 . A method of inverse image flexographic printing comprising:
transferring an insulating ink to a plurality of inverse printing patterns disposed on an flexo master;
transferring the insulating ink from the plurality of inverse printing patterns to a substrate;
curing the insulating ink disposed on the substrate;
depositing a catalytic ink on a plurality of exposed portions of the substrate; and
electroless plating the deposited catalytic ink on the substrate.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cured insulating ink disposed on the substrate comprise a plurality of lateral barriers on the substrate.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of exposed portions of the substrate comprise an inverse image of the plurality of lateral barriers.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposited catalytic ink disposed on the plurality of exposed portions of the substrate comprise a plurality of plating seed layers.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electroless plated substrate comprises electroless metallization of the plurality of plating seed layers.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the metallized plurality of plating seed layers comprise a plurality of conductors.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conductors are transparent.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conductors have a width of less than 10 microns.
9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conductors have a width variation of less than 1 micron.
10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of conductors have a spacing of less than 5 microns.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating ink is an oleo-phobic ink.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating ink is a hydrophobic ink.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposited catalytic ink has a thickness of less than 10 nanometers.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the deposited catalytic ink is suitable for electroless plating.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transferring ink from an ink pan to an ink roll;
transferring ink from the ink roll to an anilox roll; and
removing excess ink from the anilox roll.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
removing excess catalytic ink from the substrate prior to electroless plating.
17 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
removing impurities from the plurality of plating seed layers after electroless plating.
18 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
removing the plurality of lateral barriers during electroless plating.
19 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
removing the plurality of lateral barriers after electroless plating.
20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is polyethylene terephthalate.