Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

Abstract: Methods of dispensing fluid are disclosed. A first applicator is positioned above a first dispense site at a first dispense region of a first electronic substrate by moving the first applicator using a primary positioner. A second applicator is simultaneously positioned above a first dispense site at a second dispense region of the first electronic substrate by moving the second applicator together with the first applicator using the primary positioner and moving the second applicator relative to the first applicator using a secondary positioner. It is then determined that the first or the second dispense region is misaligned relative to the other of the first or the second dispense region.

Abstract: A method of producing a transparent conductive electrode is provided. The method comprises spraying a suspension of electrically conductive nanowires on a polymer substrate to form droplets thereon, wherein each of the droplets has a periphery which is in contact with one or more peripheries of another droplet, wherein the suspension comprises a polar solvent, wherein the polymer substrate and the polar solvent produce a surface tension which directs the electrically conductive nanowires to accumulate at the periphery of each of the droplets to form a network of connected ring structures, and removing the polar solvent from the polymer substrate to form a micromesh comprising the electrically conductive nanowires which are retained in the form of the network of connected ring structures. The transparent conductive electrode and its uses are also provided.

Abstract: Cookware surfaces of metal, such as aluminum, may include a nonstick coating and embedded hard metal mesh. The mesh protects the nonstick coating between interior regions within the mesh from being cut or abraded by knives and other tools.

Abstract: A method of coating a superstrate using a vacuum chuck containing ridges can comprise attaching the superstrate on the vacuum chuck; applying on the superstrate a liquid layer of a coating composition, the coating composition comprising a coating agent and a non-fluorinated solvent, wherein the non-fluorinated solvent has a boiling point of at least 165° C.; and solidifying the coating composition to form a solid coating layer. The material of the superstrate can have a thermal conductivity of not greater than 10 W/mK and the solid coating layer obtained after solidifying may comprise a smoothness value (SM) of not greater than 1%, the smoothness value being defined as SM=(CRD/CT)×100%, with CRD being a maximum roughness depth of the coating layer and CT an average thickness of the coating layer over a length of 10 mm of the solid coating layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a window includes preparing a base material layer, forming a first hard coating layer on the base material layer, and forming a second hard coating layer on the first hard coating layer. The forming of the second hard coating layer is performed in an environment having an oxygen concentration of about 0.01% to about 0.1%.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for providing a printed article, comprising printing an aqueous ink composition onto a fibrous substrate and curing the ink, wherein the ink composition comprises a polyurethane dispersion having the properties of (a) ketone or aldehyde groups present at one or more polymer chain ends; (b) a number average molecular weight ?50,000 and; (c) the content of ketone and aldehyde groups is in the range 0.02 to 4.0 mmol g-1, based on the dry polymer weight. The present invention also provides use of said ink composition for printing onto a fibrous substrate.

Abstract: An alignment nozzle jig for centering a coater photoresist arm that includes an alignment nozzle block. The alignment nozzle jig also includes an endoscope holder removably secured to a bottom of the alignment nozzle block, an endoscope, and an alignment mark removably coupled to the endoscope holder opposite the alignment nozzle block. The alignment nozzle jig is retrieved from a nozzle bath by the coater arm and transferred to a center of a chuck in an associated process chamber. Via the endoscope, the coater photoresist arm is aligned with the center of the chuck using the alignment mark.

Abstract: Methods for forming a function-infused feed material for a three-dimensional printing technique, methods for manufacturing an additive-infused three-dimensional printed object, and vehicles including additive manufactured components are provided. An exemplary method for forming a function-infused feed material for a three-dimensional printing technique includes solubilizing a functional additive into a medium. Further, the method includes contacting a three-dimensional printing feed material with the medium to infuse the functional additive into the three-dimensional printing feed material to form the function-infused feed material.

Abstract: A resist material dispensing system includes a resist supply and a resist filter connected to the resist supply downstream from the resist supply. The resist material dispensing system includes a resist tank structure connected to the resist filter downstream from the resist filter and a resist pump device connected to the resist tank structure downstream from the resist tank structure. The resist tank structure is vertically arranged so that a resist material flows in a continuous downward flow from where the resist material enters the resist tank structure until the resist material exits the resist tank structure.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of manufacturing surface materials for construction or manufacturing use and the surface materials produced by such methods. Substrate materials, such as synthetic or engineered stone or fiber-reinforced resinous panels, can be formed in conventional ways such as casting, molding, or pressing. Layers are printed onto substrate materials to form textures, which may include inks to selectively color the printed texture, thereby enabling a wide variety of high-resolution appearances. A clear, protective topcoat is then applied to the surface materials and cured to provide a finished material.

Abstract: A method for decorating the surface of a mechanical part including structuring, on the surface to be decorated, a masking layer having a thickness that is at least equal to the thickness of the decoration element to be produced; making, in the masking layer, at least one opening that coincides with the location on the surface to be decorated where the decoration element is to be produced, the opening having a contour that is identical to the contour of the decoration element and defining a volume with the mechanical part; filling the volume delimited by the masking layer and the surface to be decorated of with a filling material wherein the decoration elements are sought to be produced; and removing the masking layer.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

Abstract: A method for applying base paint non-uniformly to a golf shaft includes: inserting a portion of a golf shaft lengthwise through an aperture in a paint applicator, the paint applicator having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, where one of (a) the aperture is non-circular and (b) the aperture includes a plurality of slits formed circumferentially around the aperture; actuating a painting apparatus, thereby causing the base paint to contact the golf shaft and the second surface of the paint applicator; and pulling the golf shaft lengthwise through the aperture in the paint applicator, thereby non-uniformly applying the base paint lengthwise along the portion of the golf shaft.

Abstract: In a laser-assisted deposition system, a uniform layer of material is coated onto a donor substrate at a coating system, and portions of the material are jetted from the donor substrate to a receiving substrate at a printing unit, leaving residual portions of the material on the donor substrate. In order to not waste the residual portions of the material, the donor substrate with the residual portions of the material is returned to the coating system where the residual portions of the material are aggregated into a blob and subsequently recoated onto the donor substrate. The blob may be formed by translating the residual portions of the material towards an interface formed by two coating rollers, a squeegee and the donor substrate, or a film and the donor substrate.

Abstract: Provided is an imprint method of performing an imprint process including a contacting step of bringing a mold into contact with an imprint material on a substrate, a curing step of curing the imprint material, and a separating step of separating the mold from the cured imprint material. The method includes acquiring global alignment information, performing a pre-alignment measurement including moving, based on the acquired global alignment information, a second shot region to a measurement position at which a measurement device performs measurement, and measuring a first relative positional shift between the second shot region and the mold using the measurement device, and moving, based on the global alignment information and the measured first relative positional shift, a first shot region to an imprint position at which the imprint process is performed, and starting the contacting step.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of manufacturing surface materials for construction or manufacturing use and the surface materials produced by such methods. Substrate materials, such as synthetic or engineered stone or fiber-reinforced resinous panels, can be formed in conventional ways such as casting, molding, or pressing. Layers are printed onto substrate materials to form textures, which may include inks to selectively color the printed texture, thereby enabling a wide variety of high-resolution appearances. A clear, protective topcoat is then applied to the surface materials and cured to provide a finished material.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for finishing a wood board with an upper face and a lower face, having the following steps: a) applying a undercoat made of a liquid melamine resin onto the upper face, the melamine resin at least partly penetrating into the upper edge layer of the wood board, b) drying the undercoat into an undercoat layer, c) applying a base color onto the undercoat layer, d) drying the base color into a base color layer, e) applying a base color onto the base color layer in order to produce a decorative element, f) drying the decorative element into a decorative layer, g) applying a liquid melamine resin onto the dried decorative layer, h) drying the melamine resin into a melamine resin layer, and i) applying a liquid medium with a proportion of isocyanate.

Abstract: In a method of coating a photoresist, the photoresist may be provided to an upper surface of a rotating wafer. A hovering solution may be injected to an edge portion of the photoresist under a condition that the hovering solution may be hovered with respect to the edge portion of the photoresist with an air layer being interposed between the hovering solution and the edge portion of the photoresist to limit and/or prevent a bead of the photoresist from being formed on an edge portion of the upper surface of the wafer. Thus, the photoresist having a uniform thickness may be coated on the upper surface of the wafer to improve a yield of a semiconductor device by increasing an effective area of the edge portion of the wafer.

Abstract: A coating technique and a priming material are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the coating technique includes receiving a substrate and identifying a material of the substrate upon which a layer is to be formed. A priming material is dispensed on the material of the substrate, and a film-forming material is applied to the priming material. The priming material includes a molecule containing a first group based on an attribute of the substrate material and a second group based on an attribute of the film-forming material. Suitable attributes of the substrate material and the film-forming material include water affinity and degree of polarity and the first and second groups may be selected to have a water affinity or degree of polarity that corresponds to that of the substrate material and the film-forming material, respectively.