Patent Publication Number: US-2007120931-A1

Title: Method for manufacturing substrate having thin film pattern layer

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer thereon.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Currently, thin film patterns are generally manufactured by photolithography technique or an ink jet process.  
      When the lithography method is adopted, a photo-resist layer is applied on a substrate. A mask is formed in accordance with a shape of partition walls and the photo-resist layer is exposed and developed by using the mask. However, a series of huge machines are necessary to use, a cost of the method is accordingly increased.  
      Furthermore, referring to  FIG. 7 , an inkjet process generally includes the steps of: depositing ink into spaces bounded by partition walls  304  on a substrate  300 ; solidifying the ink to form thin film pattern layer  314 .  
      However, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the obtained thin film pattern layer  314  have concave surfaces because a contact angle between the ink and the partition walls is small and the ink climb to a higher position in their surrounding parts than in their core parts. As a result, the thin film pattern layer  314  gets a poor evenness in their surfaces, and further treatments are needed to make the surfaces evenness. A manufacturing time is accordingly increased.  
      What is needed, therefore is to provide a method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer that has high surface evenness.  
     SUMMARY  
      A method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer thereon provided herein generally includes the steps of:  
      providing a preformed substrate including a plurality of partition walls with ink repellent characteristic and a plurality of receiving spaces bounded by the corresponding partition walls;  
      filling the receiving spaces with an ink containing a solidifiable content, wherein the ink received in each of the receiving spaces has a volume greater than that of the corresponding receiving space; and  
      solidifying the ink so that the solidifiable content in the ink is formed into the thin film pattern layer in the corresponding receiving space.  
      A method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer thereon provided herein generally includes the steps of:  
      providing a preformed substrate including a plurality of partition walls with ink repellent characteristic and a plurality of receiving spaces bounded by the corresponding partition walls;  
      filling the receiving spaces with an ink containing a solidifiable content therein in a manner such that the solidifiable content is sufficient to have a volume substantially equal to a volume of the corresponding receiving space, wherein the ink received in each of the receiving spaces has a volume greater than that of the corresponding receiving space; and  
      solidifying the ink so that the solidifiable content in the ink is formed into the thin film pattern layer in the corresponding receiving space.  
      A method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer thereon provided herein generally includes the steps of:  
      providing a preformed substrate including a plurality of partition walls and a plurality of receiving spaces bounded by the corresponding partition walls;  
      filling the receiving spaces with an ink containing a solidifiable content therein in a manner such that the solidifiable content is sufficient to have a volume substantially equal to a volume of the corresponding receiving space, wherein the ink received in each of the receiving spaces has a volume greater than that of the corresponding receiving space; and  
      solidifying the ink so that the solidifiable content in the ink is formed into the thin film pattern layer in the corresponding receiving space.  
      These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present method will become more apparent from the following detailed description and claims, and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      Many aspects of the present method for manufacturing a substrate having a thin film pattern layer thereon can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present method. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic, sectional view of a preformed substrate having partition walls thereon;  
       FIG. 2  to  FIG. 3  are schematically showing a method for manufacturing the preformed substrate shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6  are schematically showing a method for manufacturing a substrate having thin film pattern layer by using the preformed substrate shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
       FIG. 7  is a schematic, sectional view of a conventional substrate having thin film pattern layer thereon. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to FIGS.  1  to  6 , a method for manufacturing a substrate  10  having a thin film pattern layer  114  (e.g. colorant layers) thereon is hereby provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a preformed substrate  11  including a plurality of partition walls  104  with ink repellent characteristic and receiving spaces  106  bounded by the corresponding partition walls  104 ; filling the receiving spaces  106  with ink  112  (e.g. a colorant solution) containing a solidifiable content and the ink received in each of the receiving spaces has a volume greater than that of the corresponding receiving space.; and soildifying the ink  112  so that the solidifiable content in the ink  112  forming the thin film pattern layer  114  in the receiving space  106 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , a provided preformed substrate  11  includes a substrate  100 , a plurality of partition walls  104  with ink repellent characteristic formed thereon, and receiving spaces  106  bounded by the partition walls  104 . The partition walls  104  are arranged in a predetermined pattern, and advantageously have substantially flat top surfaces  1042 . The receiving spaces  106  are defined by the partition walls  104 . The neighboring partition walls  104  are separated by one of the receiving spaces  106 . The substrate is generally made of glass, quartz glass, silicon, metal, or polymer resin. Further, the partition walls  104  are generally made of polymer resin. Otherwise, the partition walls  104  may be made of black resin or the like to function as black matrixes.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a method for manufacturing the preformed substrate  11  generally includes the following steps: providing the substrate  100 ; applying a photo-resist layer  202  on the substrate  100 ; exposing the photo-resist layer by using a photo mask  200 ; and developing the photo-resist layer  202  to form the plurality of partition walls  104 .  
      In this embodiment, the photo-resist layer  202  is made of a negative photo-resist material. Alternatively, a positive photo-resist material can be used but the design of the mask is difference. The photo-resist layer  202  is formed on the substrate  100  by a certain process, such as spin coating, spray coating, rolling coating, die coating, dip coating, bar coating, slit coating and the like. The photo mask  200  is formed corresponding to the predetermined pattern of the partition walls  104 . The photo-resist layer  202  is exposed by using the photo mask  200  and is developed. Accordingly, the partition walls  104  are formed on the substrate  100  in the predetermined pattern. The partition walls  104  may be composed by single layer or multiple layers. For example, a lower layer is made of inorganic material and an upper layer is made of organic material.  
      Alternatively, the preformed substrate  11  may be manufactured by deposition molding. Accordingly, the substrate  100  and the partition walls  104  are integrally formed.  
      The partition walls  104  should have appropriate ink repellent characteristic. For example, a contact angle between the ink  112  received in each of the receiving spaces  106  and the corresponding partition wall  104  should be larger than about 15 degrees and less than about 90 degrees, preferably, larger than 20 degrees and less than about 65 degrees. Accordingly, in this range the ink  112  can be more likely to be confined in the receiving spaces  106  without influence the wetting ability of the substrate  100 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 4 , the ink  112  is deposited in the receiving space  106  by using a dispenser  110 . In this embodiment, the dispenser is an ink jet apparatus, such as a thermal ink jet apparatus, a piezoelectric ink jet apparatus, and the like.  
      Referring to  FIG. 5 , the receiving space  106  is deposited with the sufficient ink  112  such that a solidifiable content of the ink  112  received in the receiving space  106  may have a volume roughly equal to a volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  to achieve a better uniformity. Then, the neighboring receiving space  106  is deposited with the ink  112 . Normally, the volume of solidifiable content of the ink  112  is roughly equal means that a proportion of a volume to the volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  is in the range from about 65% to about 135%, more preferably, in the range from about 80% to about 120%. One of ideal cases is that the solidifiable content is sufficient to have a volume substantially equal to a volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  from uniformity consideration.  
      The ink  112  deposited in the receiving space  106  has a convex top surface over the receiving space  106  due to surface tension of the ink  112 . Accordingly, the ink  112  deposited in the receiving space  106  has a greater volume than that of the receiving space  106 . The volume of the receiving space  106  is generally calculated by a surface area of the substrate  100  exposed in the receiving space  106  times a height h of the partition wall  104 . In fact, the volume of the ink  112  deposited in the receiving space  106  may be determined in accordance with a volume percent of the solidifiable content in the ink  112 . For example, if the volume percent of the solidifiable content in the ink  112  is about 33%, the volume of the ink  112  deposited in the receiving space  106  should be roughly three times greater than that of the receiving space  106 . The ink  112  has a height H roughly three times greater than the height h of the partition wall  104 .  
      The receiving spaces  106  can be deposited with the ink  112  one by one, or be deposited with the ink  112  at the same time by using a plurality of ink jet heads. Furthermore, the receiving spaces  106  can be deposited with different inks, for example, red, green, and blue inks, if desired.  
      Referring to  FIG. 6 , the ink  112  deposited in the receiving spaces  106  are solidified to form the thin film pattern layer  114  by a heating device, a vacuum pump, a light exposure device, or any of their combinations. Thereby, the thin film pattern layer  114  is substantially flush with the top surfaces  1042  of the partition walls  104 . Most solvent of the ink  112  is thereby evaporated, and the solidifiable content in the ink  112  is remained in the receiving space  106 .  
      Accordingly, a volume of the thin film pattern layer  114  in the receiving space  106  is equal to or less than that of the solidifiable content in the ink  112  in the same position after ink is solidified. The volume may be is less due to the density change in solidifying process. Since a proportion of a volume of solidifiable content of the ink  112  to the volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  is in the range from about 65% to about 135%, more preferably, in the range from about 80% to about 120%. Therefore, a proportion of the volume of the thin film pattern layer  114  in the receiving space  106  to the volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  is in the range from about 50% to about 135%. Preferably, a proportion of the volume of the thin film pattern layer  114  in the receiving space  106  to a volume of the corresponding receiving space  106  is in the range from 70% to 120%. Also, the thin film pattern layer  114  has a thickness roughly equal to a height of the partition walls  104 . The proportion of a thickness of the thin film pattern layer  114  to a height of the partition walls  104  is in the range from about 50% to about 135%, more preferably, in the range from about 70% to about 120%.  
      The thin film pattern layer  114  has even surfaces, and has a height roughly equal to the height h of the partition walls  104 . Generally, no more processes are needed to treat the surface of the thin film pattern layer  114  to obtain a high even degree of the surface. As a result, a manufacturing time is shortened.  
      The substrate  10  is used for a color filter, organic emission device. Moreover, if desired, the partition walls  104  can be partially removed from the substrate  100 .  
      Finally, while the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.