A reel-to-reel machine to fabricate a printed flexible circuit on the fly, the machine has a plurality of reels, a laser scanner to ablate a metal foil, a source of UV light or heat to curing an adhesive in a coverlay, another source of UV light or heat to debond a sacrificial liner on the fly. There is a depositor to deposit a sintering paste on the fly onto a predetermined spot for a pad on the metal foil. Removal of slugs are also possible on the fly.

A reel-to-reel method of creating pads on a layer of metal sheet or circuitry pattern on the fly. The method includes placing a sintering paste in the intended spots for pads followed by irradiation of the sintering paste by a laser.

A reel-to-reel lamination method to laminate a metal foil or circuitry pattern on the fly. The method includes applying a UV laminate or thermoset laminate to the metal foil or the circuitry pattern reel to reel, and then apply a UV radiation or heat to the laminate. There can be an optional enclosure connected to a suction source. The enclosure can have a flexible bladder that physically compresses the laminate.

A method of layering a layer of circuitry pattern to another layer of circuitry pattern during the manufacturing of a multilayer flexible printed circuit in a reel-to-reel machine. The method includes feeding both layers of circuitry pattern reel-to-reel into the machine, placing a layer of dielectric sheet material on the fly between the two layers of circuitry patterns reel-to-reel, followed by simultaneously passing the two layers of circuitry pattern and the dielectric sheet material under a laser scanner in the reel-to-reel machine to irradiate a laser beam on a layer of circuitry pattern to weld the two layers of circuitry patterns together.

Methods, devices, and systems for encapsulating a flexible electronic device with a waterproof layer are provided. In some embodiments, a manufacturing process is provided where a hotmelt layer is positioned over a flexible substrate that has at least one electronic component. Then, heat and/or pressure are applied to the hotmelt layer causing the hotmelt layer to flow around the at least one component to encapsulate the at least one component and form a waterproof layer. Various embodiments for forming the hotmelt layer and various embodiments of the flexible electronic device with the hotmelt layer are described herein.

A heat curable resin composition which allows voids to be removed by heating and vacuum operation after reflow soldering, and a circuit board with an electronic component mounted thereon are provided. The heat curable resin composition of the present embodiment includes a liquid epoxy resin, a hemiacetal ester derived from monocarboxylic acid and polyvinyl ether, a curing agent, and a filler.

A method to remove slugs from a circuitry pattern on the fly during the fabrication of a flexible printed circuit, the method includes applying a coverlay reel-to-reel onto one side of the metal foil on the fly and applying a sacrificial liner reel-to-reel onto another side of the metal foil on the fly. Then, after the slugs and circuitry patterns are created from laser ablation, the slug can be removed by applying compressed air to the slugs and/or peeling off the sacrificial liner from the circuitry pattern reel-to-reel.

Methods, devices, and systems for encapsulating a flexible electronic device with a waterproof layer are provided. In some embodiments, a manufacturing process is provided where a hotmelt layer is positioned over a flexible substrate that has at least one electronic component. Then, heat and/or pressure are applied to the hotmelt layer causing the hotmelt layer to flow around the at least one component to encapsulate the at least one component and form a waterproof layer. Various embodiments for forming the hotmelt layer and various embodiments of the flexible electronic device with the hotmelt layer are described herein.

A screen-printing machine includes a mask holding device; a board holding device configured to grip a board; a positioning device to relatively position the board and the mask; and a control device. The board holding device includes a lifting and lowering table positioned in an up-down direction by a lifting and lowering mechanism, and a backup block including a mounting surface on which the board is placed, an installation surface disposed parallel to the mounting surface on an opposite side thereof, multiple suction holes to penetrate in a thickness direction between the mounting surface and the installation surface, and a chamber recessed section formed on an installation surface side so as to surround positions of the multiple suction holes, and in which an air chamber made by the chamber recessed section is configured when the backup block overlaps an upper face of the lifting and lowering table.

A fabrication method of a circuit includes drilling holes in a substrate, so as to form a plurality of first opening holes and second opening holes in the substrate. A cover film is attached onto the substrate, so as to cover the first opening holes and the second opening holes. A portion of the cover film covering the first opening holes is removed, so as to expose the first opening holes. The first opening holes are filled.