Flexible mold and method of manufacturing microstructure using the same

Abstract

To provide a flexible mold useful for manufacturing a PDP rib having a lattice pattern and other microstructures, and capable of highly precisely manufacturing the microstructures without involving defects such as occurrence of bubbles and pattern deformation. A flexible mold comprises a base layer made of a first curable material having a viscosity of 3,000 to 100,000 cps at 10 to 80° C. and a coating layer coating a surface of the base layer and made of a second curable material having a viscosity of 200 cps or below at 10 to 80° C.

1 . A flexible mold having a groove pattern having a predetermined shape and a predetermined size on a surface thereof, comprising:
 a flexible support film;   a base layer disposed on the flexible support film the base layer made of a first curable material having a viscosity of 3,000 to 100,000 cps at 10 to 80° C.;   a coating layer disposed on the base layer, the coating layer made of a second curable material having a viscosity of not greater than 200 cps at 10 to 80° C.   
   
   
       2 . The flexible mold as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said base layer and said coating layer are transparent. 
   
   
       3 . The flexible mold as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said first curable material and said second curable material are a photo-curable material. 
   
   
       4 . The flexible mold of  claim 3  wherein the first curable material contains a urethane acrylate oligomer, an epoxy acrylate oligomer, or a combination thereof. 
   
   
       5 . The flexible mold of  claim 3  wherein the second curable material contains an acrylic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, and acrylic acid ester. 
   
   
       6 . The flexible mold of  claim 1  wherein the support film is optically transparent such that rays of light irradiated for curing can transmit through the support film. 
   
   
       7 . The flexible mold of  claim 1  wherein the support film is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, and polycarbonate. 
   
   
       8 . The flexible mold of  claim 1  wherein the support film has a thickness ranging from 50 to 500 μm. 
   
   
       9 . The flexible mold of  claim 1 , wherein said groove pattern has a lattice-like pattern constituted by a plurality of groove portions so arranged as to be substantially parallel with one another while crossing one another with predetermined gaps. 
   
   
       10 . The flexible mold of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible mold is suitable for making microstructures of a back plate for a plasma display panel. 
   
   
       11 . A method of manufacturing a microstructure having a projection pattern having a predetermined shape and a predetermined size on a surface of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
 providing a flexible mold according to  claim 1 ;   arranging a curable molding material between said substrate and said coating layer of said mold and filling said molding material into said groove pattern of said mold;   curing said molding material and forming a microstructure having said substrate and said projection pattern integrally bonded to said substrate; and   releasing said microstructure from said mold.   
   
   
       12 . The manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein said molding material is a photo-curable material. 
   
   
       13 . The manufacturing method of  claim 11  wherein the molding material contains a ceramic component, a glass component, and a binder component. 
   
   
       14 . The manufacturing method of  claim 11 , wherein said microstructure is a back plate for a plasma display panel. 
   
   
       15 . The manufacturing method of  claim 9 , which further comprises a step of independently arranging a set of address electrodes substantially in parallel with each other while keeping a predetermined gap between them.