A flexographic printing plate precursor is disclosed in which the size and the number of pinholes in a heat-sensitive mask layer are reduced in a simple manner, and to provide a flexographic printing plate almost free from disadvantages caused by the pinholes, based on the flexographic printing plate precursor. A flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B), a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) and a cover film (D) which are laminated in this order, characterized in that the surface energy and the surface roughness (Ra) of a surface of the cover film (D) which contacts with the heat-sensitive mask layer (C) are 25.0 to 40.0 mN/m and 0.01 to 0.2 μm, respectively, and that a protection layer (E) formed from a polymer compound dispersible in a developing solution is provided between the photosensitive resin layer (B) and the heat-sensitive mask layer (C).

Disclosed are a separator for lipid bilayer membrane formation capable of forming a lipid bilayer membrane with excellent properties, wherein the separator for lipid bilayer membrane formation has sufficient mechanical strength and can be easily manufactured in a large scale by using a general-purpose machine without need of using an expensive machine, and a method of producing the separator. The separator for lipid bilayer membrane formation includes a thin film having one or more through holes and made of a resin capable of being wet-etched, and reinforcing layers covering both surfaces of the thin film and made of a resin capable of being wet-etched. The reinforcing layers cover the whole area of the thin film, except for the through holes and the peripheries thereof, and each through hole has a tapered cross-sectional shape.

The present disclosure provides a method for defining multiple resist patterns. In the present disclosure, by using a double-exposing process in combination with a dual-developing process (i.e., a PTD process followed by an NTD process), different resist patterns (e.g., a groove pattern and a through hole pattern) can be formed on a same resist layer. Problems encountered in the prior art, such as insufficient DOF, formation of abnormal patterns, self-alignment issue, overlying problem, and so on, can be successfully addressed.

Methods for making a B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film are provided. At least a urethane acrylate oligomer, a multifunctional thiol, and a base catalyst are combined to form a thiol terminated B-stage elastomer. The thiol terminated B-stage elastomer is exposed to an ultraviolet photoinitiator in the presence of an allyl ether terminated urethane to form the B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film. In some embodiments the B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film is used for a soft actuator application such as a fluidic elastomer actuator application or an electrostatic zipping actuator application.

Methods for making a B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film are provided. At least a urethane acrylate oligomer, a multifunctional thiol, and a base catalyst are combined to form a thiol terminated B-stage elastomer. The thiol terminated B-stage elastomer is exposed to an ultraviolet photoinitiator in the presence of an allyl ether terminated urethane to form the B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film. In some embodiments the B-stage thiol-cured urethane acrylate elastomeric film is used for a soft actuator application such as a fluidic elastomer actuator application or an electrostatic zipping actuator application.

Techniques herein include methods for forming a direct write, tunable stress film and methods for correcting wafer bow using said stress film. The method can be executed on a coater-developer tool or track-based tool. The stress film can be based on a film that undergoes crosslinking/decrosslinking under external stimulus where direct write is achieved by, but is not limited to, 365 nm exposure and subsequent cure is used to “pattern-in” stress. No develop step may be required, which provides additional significant benefit in conserving film planarity. An amount of bow (or internal stress to create or affect a bow signature) can be tuned with exposure dose, bake temperature, bake time and number of bakes.

Embodiments disclosed herein include methods of depositing a metal oxo photoresist using dry deposition processes. In an embodiment, the method comprises forming a first metal oxo film on the substrate with a first vapor phase process including a first metal precursor vapor and a first oxidant vapor, and forming a second metal oxo film over the first metal oxo film with a second vapor phase process including a second metal precursor vapor and a second oxidant vapor.

A photopolymerizable resin composition includes a first layer and a second layer; and a barrier layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer, the barrier layer includes one or more of SiNx, SiOx, SiON, Mo, a Mo oxide, Cu, a Cu oxide, Al, an Al oxide, Ag, and a Ag oxide.

A photopolymerizable resin composition includes a first layer and a second layer; and a barrier layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer, the barrier layer includes one or more of SiNx, SiOx, SiON, Mo, a Mo oxide, Cu, a Cu oxide, Al, an Al oxide, Ag, and a Ag oxide.

Lithographic printing plates are provided by imagewise exposing negative-working lithographic printing plate precursors having one or more radiation-sensitive imageable layers, followed by contacting with a processing solution that contains up to 10 weight % of one or more compounds represented by Structure (I) shown as follows:
R.sup.1—C(═O)—N(R.sup.2)—R.sup.3   (I)
wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 independently represent hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, or two or three of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are combined to form one or more cyclic rings, and the total number of carbon atoms in the Structure (I) molecule is at least 7 and up to and including 33. Both negative-working and positive-working lithographic precursors can be imaged and processed using this processing solution using one or more successive applications of the same or different processing solution. The processing solution can be derived from a corresponding processing solution concentrate that can also be used for replenishment.