Importance

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Abstract

A continuous roll-to-roll apparatus for providing a patterned deposit of a material onto a moving substrate web includes a payout station for feeding out a substrate web, a take-up station for taking up the substrate web, and a web transport system for advancing the web through the apparatus from the payout station to the take-up station. The apparatus includes at least one deposition station disposed between the payout station and the take-up station, and the deposition station is operative to deposit a material onto the web as it moves therethrough. The apparatus includes a masking system associated with a deposition station. The masking system is operative to dispose a deposition mask in registry with a portion of the length of the moving web. The deposition mask is comprised of a plurality of filaments which are aligned with the longitudinal axis of the web. The filaments are spaced from one another in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, and the masking system is further operative to move the filaments along the longitudinal axis, and the filaments function to selectively mask longitudinal portions of the moving web so as to prevent the deposition of material thereupon. Also disclosed are methods for utilizing the system.

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First Claim