STAMP AND METHOD FOR EMBOSSING

Abstract

A stamp comprised of a soft stamp and a carrier fixed to the soft stamp.

Claims

1. A stamp comprising: a soft stamp; and a bendable carrier fixed on the soft stamp, wherein the carrier comprises at least one heating element and the soft stamp is fixed detachably to the carrier.

2. (canceled)

3. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the stamp further comprises a temperature-controlled carrier holder.

4. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating element is constituted as a meandering, strip conductor.

5. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating element is constituted as a coil.

6. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the soft stamp comprises conductive nanoparticles.

7. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heating element is constituted as a conductive layer in and/or on the carrier.

8. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein there can be generated in the carrier a current density between 0.01 A/m.sup.2 and 1 MA/m.sup.2.

9. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is constituted as a plate, wherein the thickness of the plate is between 0.01 mm and 20 mm.

10. The stamp according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is constituted as a film.

11. A device comprising: a stamp comprising: a soft stamp, and a bendable carrier fixed on the soft stamp, wherein the carrier comprises at least one heating element and the soft stamp is fixed detachably to the carrier; and a control unit for controlling the at least one heating element.

12. Use of a stamp according to claim 1 for embossing an embossing compound.

13. A method for embossing an embossing compound with a stamp comprising a soft stamp and a bendable carrier fixed on the soft stamp, wherein the carrier comprises at least one heating element and the soft stamp is fixed detachably to the carrier, said method comprising: coating a substrate with the embossing compound, aligning the stamp relative to the substrate, embossing the embossing compound by use of the stamp, heating the embossing compound by use of the at least one heating element of the carrier, removing the stamp from the embossing compound.

14. The stamp according to claim 4, wherein said meandering, strip conductor is a metallic and/or n-doped region.

15. The stamp according to claim 5, wherein said coil is a flat coil.

16. The stamp according to claim 7, wherein the carrier is at least partially comprised of a conductive material.

17. The stamp according to claim 16, wherein the conductive material is metal.

18. The stamp according to claim 10, wherein said film is comprised of an organic semiconductor.

19. The stamp according to claim 10, wherein said film has a thickness between 0.01 mm and 5 mm.

20. The device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is a current and/or voltage source

Description

[0109] Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the following description of preferred examples of embodiment and with the aid of the drawings. In the figures:

[0110] FIG. 1a shows a first embodiment according to the invention in a side view,

[0111] FIG. 1b shows the first embodiment according to the invention in a plan view,

[0112] FIG. 2a shows a second embodiment according to the invention in a side view,

[0113] FIG. 2b shows the second embodiment according to the invention in a plan view,

[0114] FIG. 3a shows a third embodiment according to the invention in a side view,

[0115] FIG. 3b shows the third embodiment according to the invention in a plan view,

[0116] FIG. 4 shows a device according to the invention.

[0117] Identical components or components with the same function are denoted in the figures with the same reference numbers.

[0118] FIG. 1a shows a top view of a first embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2 (not visible in the top view). According to the invention, carrier 1 comprises heating elements 4. Heating elements 4 are represented in FIG. 1a as single, meandering strip conductors. A current flows through the strip conductors. The high current density generates sufficient Joule heat in order thus to carry out to the heating process according to the invention. If carrier 1 is a dielectric, heating elements 4 are preferably produced from a metal. If carrier 1 is a semiconductor material, heating elements 4 can for example be doped, in particular n-doped, regions.

[0119] FIG. 1b shows a side view of the first embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2. The parts of stamp 3 are not represented true to scale in order to improve the representation. In particular, soft stamp structures 2s are a multiple smaller in relation to the total size of soft stamp 2.

[0120] FIG. 2a shows a top view a second embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2. According to the invention, carrier 1 comprises heating elements 4′ in a coil form. A current flows through the strip conductors. The high current density generates sufficient Joule heat in order thus to carry out to the heating process according to the invention. According to the invention, however, it is preferable that a high-frequency alternating current flows through coil-shaped heating elements 4′ in order to produce a marked temporal change in the magnetic flux.

[0121] FIG. 2b shows a side view of the second embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2. Magnetic field lines 5 are represented by way of example for one of coil-shaped heating elements 4′. The representation of magnetic field lines 5 for the two other heating elements 4′ is dispensed with for the sake of clarity.

[0122] A temporally changing magnetic field induces a voltage in a dielectric through which magnetic field lines 5 run and thus generate a current in the dielectric. This current in turn generates Joule heat. Especially by the so-called skin effect, it is ensured that the currents thus induced are present only at the surface of the dielectric and heat the dielectric correspondingly intensely.

[0123] The heating of, in particular metallic, particles 6 which are present in soft stamp 2 is also conceivable. The heating is advantageously brought still closer to soft stamp 2, and therefore to the embossing compound. Heating elements 4′ are directly incorporated in carrier 1 and become deformed together with the carrier and adapt thereto.

[0124] FIG. 3a shows a top view of a third embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2. In this special embodiment, entire carrier 1 is conductive and a current flows through the entire area. The (in particular single) heating elements 4″ can again be a metal or a doped semiconductor.

[0125] FIG. 3b shows a side view of the third embodiment of a stamp 3 according to the invention, comprising a carrier 1 and a soft stamp 2. Heating element 4″ extends only over a particularly small thickness t. As a result of small thickness t, it is ensured that the current density and therefore the Joule heat are as high as possible.

[0126] FIG. 4 shows a side view of a device, comprising stamp 3, with carrier 1 and soft stamp 2, a carrier holder 10, with fixing elements 11, which fix carrier 1 on carrier holder 10, a deformation element 13 for the deformation of stamp 3, cooling elements 12 for cooling carrier holder 10 and therefore also stamp 3, as well as a substrate holder 9, which accommodates substrate 7 on which embossing compound 8 is deposited. Current source 15 can, depending on the embodiment according to the invention used in each case, either be a direct current source or an alternating current source. Heating elements 4 in carrier 1 are supplied with current by means of current circuit 14.

[0127] The inventive idea of incorporating heating elements 4 in carrier 1 is extended by the optional possibility of active and/or passive cooling of stamp 3 by means of carrier holder 10. Especially by the use of active cooling by means of cooling elements 12, preferably ribs, around which a fluid flows, carrier 1 can be cooled again very quickly.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0128] 1 carrier [0129] 2 soft stamp [0130] 2s soft stamp structures [0131] 3 stamp [0132] 4, 4′, 4″ heating elements [0133] 5 magnetic field lines [0134] 6 particles, in particular nanoparticle [0135] 7 substrate [0136] 8 embossing compound [0137] 9 substrate holder [0138] 10 carrier holder [0139] 11 fixing element [0140] 12 cooling element [0141] 13 curvature element [0142] 14 current circuit [0143] 15 current source [0144] t thickness of heating elements