Method of manufacturing a photomask with flexography
View Patent ↗A method of manufacturing a flexographic printing plate includes designing a photomask patterned design. The photomask patterned designed is laser-ablated into a thermal imaging layer. The laser-ablated thermal imaging layer is laminated to a top side of a flexographic printing plate substrate. A bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate is exposed to UV-A radiation. The top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate is exposed to UV-A radiation. The thermal imaging layer is removed. The flexographic printing plate substrate is developed. A flexographic printing system for printing a photomask includes an ink roll, an anilox roll, a printing plate cylinder, a flexographic printing plate disposed on the printing plate cylinder, and an impression cylinder. The flexographic printing plate comprises embossing patterns corresponding to a photomask patterned design. The flexographic printing plate may be used in a flexographic printing system to manufacture a photomask with flexography.
1. A method of manufacturing a photomask with flexography comprising:
manufacturing a flexographic printing plate comprising a photomask patterned design;
transferring opaque ink from an ink pan to an ink roll;
transferring opaque ink from the ink roll to an anilox roll;
transferring opaque ink from the anilox roll to the flexographic printing plate comprising the photomask patterned design; and
transferring opaque ink from the flexographic printing plate to a photomask substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein manufacturing the flexographic printing plate comprising the photomask patterned design comprises:
designing the photomask patterned design;
laser-ablating the photomask patterned design into a thermal imaging layer;
laminating the laser-ablated thermal imaging layer to a top side of a flexographic printing plate substrate;
exposing a bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation;
exposing the top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to the UV-A radiation;
removing the thermal imaging layer; and
developing the flexographic printing plate substrate.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
soft-baking the flexographic printing plate substrate.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
exposing the top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation.
5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
exposing the top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-C radiation.
6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the photomask patterned design comprises one or more lines having a width in a range between 100 nanometers and 10,000 nanometers.
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the photomask patterned design comprises one or more lines having a width in a range between 10,000 nanometers and 50,000 nanometers.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the photomask patterned design comprises one or more lines having a width larger than 50,000 nanometers.
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate is exposed for a period of time in a range between 5 seconds and 60 seconds.
10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the top side is exposed for a period of time in a range between 300 seconds and 1200 seconds.