US 12,474,639 B2
Flexographic printing mask with laser thermal imaging film
Elsie Anderson Fohrenkamm, St. Paul, MN (US); Muluken N Taye, St. Paul, MN (US); Huiqun Wang, St. Paul, MN (US); and Mohammad Zaki Ali, Mendota Heights, MN (US)
Assigned to MIRACLON CORPORATION, Oakdale, MN (US)
Filed by MIRACLON CORPORATION, Oakdale, MN (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,055.
Prior Publication US 2023/0350298 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. G03F 7/11 (2006.01); B41M 1/04 (2006.01); G03F 1/32 (2012.01); G03F 7/032 (2006.01); G03F 7/20 (2006.01); G03F 7/32 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/11 (2013.01) [B41M 1/04 (2013.01); G03F 7/0325 (2013.01); G03F 7/202 (2013.01); G03F 7/325 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A mask comprising:
a mask element, wherein the mask element includes:
a transparent polymeric carrier sheet that is devoid of an ultraviolet radiation absorbing compound;
a barrier layer on the transparent polymeric carrier sheet, wherein the barrier layer comprises non-crosslinked nitrocellulose and is devoid of an ultraviolet radiation absorbing compound; and
an imaging layer on the barrier layer, wherein the imaging layer includes a non-silver halide thermally-abatable material comprising non-crosslinked nitrocellulose, carbon black, and an infrared dye;
wherein the mask includes:
imaged regions in the imaging layer, wherein the imaged regions have optical apertures that are substantially devoid of the carbon black and the non-crosslinked nitrocellulose thereof; and
non-imaged regions in the imaging layer, wherein the non-imaged regions have the non-crosslinked nitrocellulose, carbon black, and infrared dye,
wherein the mask has an optical density of greater than or about 3.0 in the non-imaged region, and less than or about 0.20 in the imaged region.