Substrates, such as printed circuit boards, are coated with an aqueous alkaline developable UV photosensitive material followed by applying an aqueous soluble UV transparent film to coat the UV photosensitive material. An aqueous alkaline soluble UV blocking composition is selectively applied to the surface of the UV blocking film to function as a mask. UV light is applied to portions of the UV photosensitive material not covered by the mask. The UV blocking composition, UV transparent film and selective sections of the UV photosensitive material are simultaneously removed with an aqueous alkaline developer solution to form an image on the substrate.

Substrates, such as printed circuit boards, are coated with an aqueous alkaline developable UV photosensitive material followed by applying an aqueous soluble UV transparent film to coat the UV photosensitive material. An aqueous alkaline strippable UV blocking composition is selectively applied to the surface of the UV transparent film to function as a mask. UV light is applied to portions of the UV photosensitive material not covered by the mask. The UV blocking composition, UV transparent film and selective sections of the UV photosensitive material are simultaneously removed with an aqueous alkaline developer solution to form an image on the substrate.

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a conductive pattern, comprising the steps of: a) forming a conductive film on a substrate; b) forming an etching resist pattern on the conductive film; and c) forming a conductive pattern having a smaller line width than a width of the etching resist pattern by over-etching the conductive film by using the etching resist pattern, and a conductive pattern manufactured by using the same. According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to effectively and economically provide a conductive pattern having a ultrafine line width.

Hot melt compositions include non-aromatic cyclic (alkyl)acrylates and low acid number waxes. Upon application of actinic radiation, the hot melt compositions cure to form resists. They may be stripped from substrates with high alkaline strippers. The hot melt compositions may be used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards and photovoltaic devices.

Hot melt compositions include non-aromatic cyclic (alkyl)acrylates and low acid number waxes. Upon application of actinic radiation, the hot melt compositions cure to form resists. They may be stripped from substrates with high alkaline strippers. The hot melt compositions may be used in the manufacture of printed circuit boards and photovoltaic devices.

A compound that increases the photocuring rate of a photocurable composition and reduces the force for releasing a cured product from a mold is provided. A compound is represented by general formula (1): where R.sub.f represents an alkyl group at least part of which is substituted with fluorine, R.sub.O represents an oxyalkylene group or a repeated structure of an oxyalkylene group, N represents a nitrogen atom, R.sub.A represents an alkyl group, and R.sub.B represents an alkyl group or a hydrogen atom. ##STR00001##

A printed circuit board comprises a support structure, a conductive layer operably coupled to the support structure, a mask structure formed on the conductive layer, and a cover layer. The conductive layer comprises first and second portions of conductive material separated by a gap that defines a spacing between the first and second portions that does not contain conductive material. The mask structure defines first and second regions on the conductive layer. The first region is enclosed by a first boundary defined by the mask structure and includes the gap. The second region lies outside of the first boundary. The cover layer is sized to fit within the first region and comprises a laminatible insulating material that flows within the first region during lamination. During lamination, the first boundary prevents the laminatible insulating material from flowing into the second region, and the laminatible insulating material flows to fill the gap.

A method of forming a metallic pattern on a substrate is provided. The method includes applying onto a metallic surface, a chemically surface-activating solution having an activating agent that chemically activates the metallic surface; non-impact printing an etch-resist ink on the activated surface to produce an etch resist mask according to a predetermined pattern, wherein at least one ink component within the etch-resist ink undergoes a chemical reaction with the activated metallic surface to immobilize droplets of the etch-resist ink when hitting the activated surface; performing an etching process to remove unmasked metallic portions that are not covered with the etch resist mask; and removing the etch-resist mask.

Provided are a composition for printing for use in a printing method which uses a silicon-based blanket, including: 1) a binder resin, 2) a low boiling point solvent having a boiling point of less than 100 C., 3) a medium boiling point solvent having a boiling point of 100 C. or more and less than 180 C., and 4) a high boiling point solvent having a boiling point of 180 C. or more, wherein the medium boiling point solvent and the high-boiling solvent have a difference in solubility parameter with the binder resin of 3 (cal.Math.cm).sup.1/2 or less, a difference in solubility parameter with the silicon-based blanket of 4 (cal.Math.cm).sup.1/2 or more, and a swelling parameter for the silicon-based blanket of 2 or less, and a printing method using the same.

A method of patterning a conductor on a substrate includes providing an inked elastomeric stamp inked with self-assembled monolayer-forming molecules and having a relief pattern with raised features. Then the raised features of the inked stamp contact a metal-coated visible light transparent substrate. Then the metal is etched to form an electrically conductive micropattem corresponding to the raised features of the inked stamp on the visible light transparent substrate.