Method for performing delamination of a polymer film

{
  "publication_number": "US10011104B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Method for performing delamination of a polymer film",
  "abstract": "A method and apparatus for delaminating a polymer film from a carrier plate is disclosed. The carrier plate is at least partially transparent and has deposited on it a pixelated pattern layer of light-absorptive material, upon which is deposited a layer of light-reflective material. A polymer film, which is to be delaminated, is deposited on the light-reflecting material layer. Next, a pulsed light source is utilized to irradiate through the carrier plate from the side opposite the polymer film to heat the light-absorptive material layer. The heated areas of the light-absorptive material layer, in turn, heat the polymer film through conduction at the interface between the light-absorptive material layer and the polymer film, thereby generating gas from the polymer film by its thermal decomposition, which allows the polymer film to be released from the carrier plate.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for performing delamination of a polymer film, said method comprising: providing an optically transparent carrier plate; depositing a light-absorptive material layer onto said carrier plate in a pixelated pattern; depositing a light-reflective material layer onto said light-absorptive material layer, rendering portions of said carrier plate not covered by said light-absorptive material layer reflective; depositing a dynamic release layer on said light-reflective material layer; depositing a polymer film on said light-reflective material layer and said light-absorptive material layer; forming electronic structures on said polymer film; and irradiating said carrier plate with a pulsed light to heat said light-absorptive material layer in order to release said polymer film from said carrier plate.",
    "2. The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating further includes irradiating said carrier plate with a flashlamp.",
    "3. The method of claim 1, wherein said irradiating generates gas at an interface between said light-absorptive material layer and said, polymer film to release said polymer film from said carrier plate.",
    "4. The method of claim 3, wherein said gas generation level is controlled by changing a ratio between said light-absorptive material layer and said light-reflective material layer.",
    "5. The method of claim 1, wherein said dynamic release layer is made of metal.",
    "6. The method of claim 1, wherein said carrier plate is made of quartz.",
    "7. The method of claim 1, wherein said carrier plate is made of glass.",
    "8. The method of claim 1, wherein said light-absorptive material layer is patterned.",
    "9. The method of claim 1, wherein said light-absorptive material layer is not patterned.",
    "10. A method for performing delamination of a polymer film, said method comprising: providing an optically transparent carrier plate; depositing a first light-absorptive material layer onto said carrier plate in a pixelated pattern; depositing a thermal retardation layer onto said first light-absorptive material layer and said carrier plate to cover said first light-absorptive material layer and a portion of said carrier plate; depositing a second light-absorptive material layer onto said thermal retardation layer in a pixelated pattern; depositing a light-reflective material layer onto said second light-absorptive material layer; depositing a polymer film on said light-reflective material layer and said second light-absorptive material layer; forming electronic structures on said polymer film; and irradiating said carrier plate with a pulsed light to heat said light-absorptive material layers in order to release said polymer film from said carrier plate.",
    "11. The method of claim 10, wherein said irradiating further includes irradiating said carrier plate with a flashlamp.",
    "12. The method of claim 10, wherein said method further includes depositing a surface tension controlled release layer on said light-reflective material layer before said polymer film is deposited.",
    "13. The method of claim 12, wherein said surface tension controlled release layer is made of ceramic.",
    "14. The method of claim 12, wherein said method further includes depositing a dynamic release layer on said surface tension controlled release layer before said polymer film is deposited.",
    "15. The method of claim 14, wherein said dynamic release layer is made of metal.",
    "16. The method of claim 10, wherein one of said light-absorptive material layers is patterned.",
    "17. The method of claim 10, wherein said carrier plate is made of quartz.",
    "18. The method of claim 10, wherein said carrier plate is made of glass.",
    "19. The method of claim 10, wherein said thermal retardation layer is made of silicon oxide."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to thermal processes in general, and, in particular, to a method for performing delamination of a polymer film.\n\nMany types of printed electronic structures can be deposited on a polymer substrate. One method of printing high-resolution electronic structures with registered layers and/or having a well-defined thicknesses is to deposit various layers onto a very flat surface. This can be done by depositing a polymer film onto a rigid, flat carrier plate (substrate) such as glass, and then forming the subsequent layers on top of the polymer film. After the electronic structures have been formed, the polymer film must be removed from the carrier plate.\n\nIn accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pixelated pattern layer of light-absorptive material is initially deposited onto a carrier plate, and a light-reflective material layer is then deposited on the light-absorptive material layer. A polymer film, which is to be delaminated, is deposited on the light-reflecting material layer. Next, a pulsed light source is utilized to irradiate through the carrier plate from the side opposite the polymer film to heat the light-absorptive material layer. The heated areas of the light-absorptive material layer, in turn, heat the polymer film through conduction at the interface between the carrier plate stack and the polymer film, thereby generating gas from the polymer film by its thermal decomposition, which allows the polymer film to be released from the carrier plate.",
  "cpc": [
    "B32B 43/006",
    "B32B 2307/416",
    "B32B 2457/00",
    "H01L 2221/68381",
    "H01L 2221/68386",
    "H10P 72/744",
    "H10P 72/7442",
    "Y10S 156/93",
    "Y10S 156/941",
    "Y10T 156/1158"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B32B 43/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "NCC Nano LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Rob Jacob Hendriks",
    "Kurt A. Schroder"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-06-06",
  "publication_date": "2018-07-03",
  "grant_date": "2018-07-03",
  "priority_date": "2016-06-06",
  "application_number": "US-201615174696-A",
  "family_id": "60482062",
  "cited_by_count": 5,
  "citations": [
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    "US9308697B2",
    "US20150035554A1",
    "US9130194B2",
    "US20150202858A1"
  ]
}