Solvent transfer printing method

1. A solvent transfer printing method for applying a pattern made of a non-soluble and non-dispersible material on the surface of an object, the method comprising the following steps:

m1/forming a pattern made of a non-soluble and non-dispersible material, which is not a liquefiable or dispersible ink, on a surface of a solvent-soluble substrate,

m2/depositing the solvent-soluble substrate on the surface of a solvent bath, on the side of the substrate opposed to the side on which the pattern is applied, in order to dissolve partially the substrate,

m3/dipping the object in the bath, so that the surface of the object comes into contact with the pattern,

m4/getting the object, on which the pattern is applied, out of the bath,

m5/drying the object,

the non-soluble and non-dispersible material being selected from the group consisting of a metal, a semiconductor, a cross-linked polymer, and a mixture thereof.

2. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , comprising an additional step m3′/of dissolving the substrate left, said step m3′/being performed just before step m3/or just after step m3/.

3. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is water.

4. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 2 , wherein in step m3′) the solvent bath is heated up.

5. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 2 , wherein in step m3′) the solvent bath is stirred.

6. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step m1) of forming the pattern on the solvent soluble substrate is selected in the group consisting of a combination of a lithography process with a lift off process; an etching process; a solvent free inkjet printing process, or a combination thereof.

7. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern is composed by a plurality of sub-patterns, which are maintained together with a mesh layer deposited in contact with the pattern.

8. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 7 , wherein the mesh layer is deposited in a central part of the pattern.

9. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , further comprising an alignment step wherein the pattern and the object are positioned relative to one another using a camera.

10. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 1 , wherein the step m1 combines a lithography process with a lift off process, according to the following steps:

a1/coating a photo-sensitive resist stack layer on the solvent soluble substrate,

a2/irradiating the resist stack layer through a mask,

a3/developing the resist stack layer, with a first product which is solvent free,

a4/depositing the pattern material on the resist stack layer,

a5/removing the resist stack-layer with a second product which is also solvent free, in order to obtain the pattern formed.

11. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 10 , wherein the stack layer is a single photosensitive resist layer selected among photosensitive resists which are associated with a solvent free developer and a solvent free remover, the solvent free developer being used as the first product and the solvent free remover being used as the second product.

12. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 10 , wherein the stack is formed by a resist bi-layer comprising a resist top layer on top of a resist bottom layer, which is removable by the solvent free developer associated to the resist top layer, the first and the second product being a unique product which is the top layer developer.

13. The solvent transfer printing method according to claim 12 , wherein the resist top layer is an epoxy based photo-sensitive resist and/or the resist bottom layer is a Microposit® photo-sensitive resist.