Patent ID: 11905590
Assignee: EMAGIN CORPORATION
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  H | IPC C  H

Claim 0:
1. A method for forming a patterned layer of a first material on a substrate by depositing the first material onto the substrate through a shadow mask, wherein the method comprises:
providing the substrate such that it includes a first surface that defines a first plane;
providing the shadow mask such that it includes a plurality of apertures that extend through the shadow mask from a second surface that defines a second plane, wherein the plurality of apertures is arranged in an aperture pattern having;
(i) an array of fields, each field being standoff-free and including a two-dimensional array of apertures of the first plurality thereof; and
(ii) a plurality of lanes, each lane being aperture free;
wherein the plurality of lanes is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement such that each pair of adjacent fields of the plurality thereof is separated by a different lane of the plurality thereof and each lane resides between two fields of the array thereof;

providing a plurality of standoffs having a first height, the plurality of standoffs being affixed to the shadow mask such that each standoff is located only on the shadow mask and is capable of being removed from contact with the substrate, wherein the plurality of standoffs is arranged in a two-dimensional arrangement in which at least one standoff of the plurality thereof is located within each lane of the plurality thereof;
mounting the substrate in a first chuck;
mounting the shadow mask in a second chuck; and
establishing a first separation between the first plane and second plane based on the first height, wherein the first separation is established such that the first plane and second plane are substantially parallel.