Method and system for modifying a surface topography

Abstract

According to one example, there is provided a method or system for modifying the surface topography of a substrate support.

1 . A printing system for modifying a surface topography of a substrate support for fluid communication with a vacuum pump, the printing system comprising:
 an imaging module to determine an initial surface topography of the substrate support comprising an arrangement of vacuum orifices;   a controller to:
 obtain a desired surface topography of the substrate support; and 
 generate an image based on the initial surface topography and the desired surface topography; and 
   a printing module to print the generated image on the substrate support to modify the topography of at least some of the vacuum orifices.   
     
     
         2 . The printing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a curing module to cure material of the printed image. 
     
     
         3 . The printing system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first printing mode that enables the printing system to print directly on the substrate support, and a second printing mode that enables the printing system to print on a substrate loaded on the substrate support.   
     
     
         4 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the printing module is to print the generated image on the substrate support using an ultra-violet curable fluid. 
     
     
         5 . The printing system of  claim 4 , wherein the ultra-violet curable fluid is an ultra-violet curable black ink. 
     
     
         6 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support comprises a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the vacuum orifices. 
     
     
         7 . A substrate support produced by the method of  claim 1 , on which printable fluid has been printed and cured to modify the initial surface topography of the substrate support to the desired surface topography. 
     
     
         8 . The printing system of  claim 1 , the controller further to generate multiple images and operate the printing module to successively print and cure each of the generated multiple images on the substrate support. 
     
     
         9 . The printing system of  claim 8 , the controller to further operate the printing module to print at least a portion of one of the multiple images on top of a previously printed and cured image. 
     
     
         10 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the printing module is to block at least some of the vacuum orifices with the printed image. 
     
     
         11 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate support is a flat substrate support. 
     
     
         12 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the support substrate is a cylindrical substrate support. 
     
     
         13 . The printing system of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging module is a three-dimensional imaging module to determine a three-dimensional representation of the initial surface topography. 
     
     
         14 . A printing system for modifying a surface topography of a substrate support for fluid communication with a vacuum pump, the printing system comprising:
 an imaging module to determine an initial surface topography of the substrate support, the support substrate comprising an arrangement of vacuum orifices;   a material dispensing module to dispense material to change the topography of the substrate support; and   a controller to operate the material dispensing module to modify the topography of substrate support from the initial surface topography to a desired surface topography.   
     
     
         15 . The printing system of  claim 14 , wherein the material dispensing module comprises a printing module for dispensing a fluid to modify the topography of the substrate support. 
     
     
         16 . The printing system of  claim 15 , further comprising a curing module to cure dispensed fluid on the substrate support. 
     
     
         17 . The printing system of  claim 16 , wherein the printing module is to dispense an ultra-violet curable fluid. 
     
     
         18 . The printing system of  claim 15 , the controller further to generate multiple images and operate the printing module to successively print and cure each of the generated multiple images on the substrate support. 
     
     
         19 . The printing system of  claim 18 , the controller to further operate the printing module to print at least a portion of one of the multiple images on top of a previously printed and cured image. 
     
     
         20 . The printing system of  claim 14 , wherein the material dispensing module is to block at least some of the vacuum orifices with dispensed material.