BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a process for manufacturing a small stamper according to a first disclosed embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2
a is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a small stamper according to a first disclosed embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2
b is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a small stamper according to a second disclosed embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for manufacturing a broad stamper according to a third disclosed embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a broad stamper according to a third disclosed embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a broad stamper according to a fourth disclosed embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The method of manufacturing a stamper according to certain embodiments of the invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which those components are rendered the same reference numeral that are the same or are in correspondence, regardless of the figure number, and redundant explanations are omitted.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a process for manufacturing a small stamper according to a first disclosed embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 2a is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a small stamper according to the first disclosed embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 2a are illustrated a silicon wafer 20, a small master mold 21, an intaglio 21a, a small stamper 22, and a relievo 22a.
Operation S11 of FIG. 1 may be to form the intaglio 21a in the silicon wafer 20 to fabricate the small master mold 21, where drawings (a) and (b) of FIG. 2 represent the corresponding processes. The method of forming the intaglio 21a may be in the same manner as for a semiconductor etching process. This is to facilitate the forming of an ultrafine-sized intaglio 21a. Thus, other processes may just as well be used, as long as they provide the same results. Also, silicon dioxide (SiO2), quartz, etc., may be used for the material of the small master mold 21, within a range that allows an easy implementation of the ultrafine size intaglio 21a.
Operation S12 of FIG. 1 may be to manufacture the small stamper 22 by nickel electroforming, where drawings (c) and (d) of FIG. 2 represent the corresponding processes. Nickel electroforming may be performed in the inside of the intaglio 21a of the small master mold 21. Afterwards, when the small master mold 21 is separated, as in (d) of FIG. 2, the small stamper 22 may be manufactured. This small stamper 22 may have a form that is in correspondence with the intaglio 21a of the small master mold 21. Thus, when imprinting the small stamper 22, the imprinted form may be identical to the form of the intaglio 21a.
A reason for using nickel as the material for the small stamper 22 is because it is easier to handle than are other metals, and because it has superb ductility, so that it is not easily fractured when undergoing repeated imprinting. Thus, other materials, such as polymers, may just as well be used, as long as they provide the same properties.
FIG. 2
b is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a small stamper 22 according to a second disclosed embodiment of the invention, which represents a process in which a silicon wafer 20 is etched to manufacture a small stamper 22 having the relievo 22a formed. This may be a more direct method of manufacturing the small stamper 22 than is the method described with reference to the first disclosed embodiment in FIG. 2a, but since the material used is silicon, there may be low durability when proceeding with the subsequent process of repeated imprinting. However, in cases where high durability is not required in proceeding with the imprinting process, this may be an effective method of manufacturing the small stamper 22, because of its simplicity.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a process for manufacturing a broad stamper according to a third disclosed embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a broad stamper according to the third disclosed embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 4 are illustrated a large master mold 41, resin 41a, a substrate 41b, a small stamper 42, a first relievo 42a, a first intaglio 43, a broad stamper 44, and a second relievo 44a.
Operation S31 of FIG. 3 may be to manufacture the small stamper 42 in which the first relievo 42a is formed, which has already been sufficiently described with reference to the first and second disclosed embodiments.
Operation S32 of FIG. 3 may be to form the first intaglio 43 by moving the small stamper 42 across the broad master mold 41 and repeatedly imprinting, where drawings (a), (b), and (c) of FIG. 4 represent the corresponding processes. The broad master mold 41 may have the form of resin 41a stacked on the substrate 41b. The substrate 41b may serve as a reinforcing material that supports the resin 41a. The material for such a substrate 41b may be silicon (Si), silicon dioxide (SiO2), glass, or quartz, etc. The resin 41a may be the portion where the relievo 42a of the small stamper 42 is imprinted to form the first intaglio 43. The resin 41a resin may be PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) with a stiffening agent added in, or may be a film of a transparent material that can be cured by UV rays.
When this large master mold 41 is prepared as in (a) of FIG. 4, the small stamper 42 provided beforehand may move and repeatedly imprint in the large master mold 41, as in (b) of FIG. 4. As a result, the large master mold 41 may be completed with the first intaglio 43 formed, which has repeating patterns, as is shown in (c) of FIG. 4.
Operation S33 of FIG. 3 may be of molding such that the second relievo 44a which corresponds with the first intaglio 43, where (d) and (e) of FIG. 4 are the corresponding drawings. As in (d) of FIG. 4, plating may be performed, by nickel electroforming, to fill the insides of the large master mold 41. Of course, other metals besides nickel may just as well be used. Also, other materials besides metals may be used, such as polymers, as long as they provide the same properties.
When the large master mold 41 is separated, a broad stamper 44 may be obtained, such as that shown in (e) of FIG. 4. In the broad stamper 44 may be formed a second relievo 44a, which may have a form that is identical to several of the first relievo 42a of the small stamper 42 coupled together.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a broad stamper according to a fourth disclosed embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 5 are illustrated a broad stamper 64, and pattern units 65. As FIG. 5 is a plan view, only the top of the broad stamper 64 is illustrated. At the bottom, there may be formed a second relievo 44a such as that shown in FIG. 4. Since this second relievo 44a may be made by repeatedly imprinting the same small stamper 42, identical patterns may be repeated with the dotted lines as boundaries. Such a pattern in the repeated form will be referred to as the pattern unit 65. While FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of twenty pattern units 65, the number may be varied as necessary.
According to a certain aspect of the claimed invention as set forth above, a small stamper made by nickel electroforming on a silicon wafer can be repeatedly imprinted to manufacture a broad stamper, so that ultrafine patterns can be formed. By using such a broad stamper, a printed circuit board having identical patterns can be formed at once, when forming circuit patterns by imprinting processes, so that the printed circuit board may be manufactured easily.
While the spirit of the invention has been described in detail with reference to particular embodiments, the embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the invention. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Patent Application
20080054518
