Flexible electrical devices comprising electrode layers on softening polymers and methods of manufacturing such devices, including lift-off processes for forming electrodes on softening polymers, processes for forming devices with a patterned double softening polymer layer, and solder reflow processes for forming electrical contacts on softening polymers.

The present invention relates to a process of oxidizing copper in a copper etching solution by using oxygen gas and/or air as an oxidizing agent, the process comprising the steps of: a) introducing the oxidizing agent into an acidic reduced copper etching solution comprising Cl.sup. and Cu.sup.+, b) stirring the solution obtained in step a), and thereby allowing the reaction 2Cu.sup.++O.sub.2 (aq)+2H.sup.+.fwdarw.2Cu.sup.2++H.sub.2O to occur, thereby producing an oxidized copper etching solution comprising less Cu.sup.+ than the reduced copper etching solution. An advantage of the present invention is that it provides an improved process at least in terms of the speed of the oxidation and the quality of the etching.

A tool and a method of reflow are provided. In various embodiments, the tool includes a chamber unit, a wafer lifting system, a heater, and an exhausting unit. The wafer lifting system is disposed in the chamber unit. The heater is coupled to the chamber unit, and configured to heat the wafer. The exhausting unit coupled to the chamber unit, and configured to exhaust gas in the chamber unit. The wafer lifting system is configured to receive and move the wafer in the chamber unit, and to provide a vertical distance between the heater and the wafer in the chamber unit.

The present invention has as its object the provision of a desmear treatment device and a desmear treatment method capable of reliably performing a desmear treatment with high treatment efficiency. In the desmear treatment method of the present invention, when irradiating a to-be-treated object disposed in a treatment space with vacuum ultraviolet rays via an ultraviolet transmitting window member to remove smear in the to-be-treated object, a treatment gas containing active species to be activated by the irradiation of the vacuum ultraviolet rays and having contained moisture is supplied into the treatment space. The desmear treatment device includes treatment gas supply means having a humidifying mechanism for causing a treatment gas containing active species to be activated by vacuum ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet light source to contain moisture.

To provide: an electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein the adhesion strength between the substrate and the copper electrode is high, thereby achieving improved adhesion of the copper electrode; and a method for manufacturing this electronic component. An electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein an interface layer containing copper, manganese, silicon and oxygen is provided at the interface between the substrate and the copper electrode, and the interface layer contains crystal grains that are mainly formed of copper and dispersed in the interface layer. A method for manufacturing this electronic component comprises: an interface layer formation step for forming an interface layer on the substrate; and an electrode formation step for forming the copper electrode on the interface layer.

An embodiment is a method and apparatus to treat surface of polymer for printing. Surface of a polymer having a surface energy modified for a time period to control a feature characteristic and/or provide a hysteresis behavior. A material is printed on the surface to form a circuit pattern having at least one of the controlled feature characteristic and the hysteresis behavior.

An origami enabled manufacturing system. The system uses origami design principles to create functional materials, structures, devices and/or systems having an adjustable size and/or shape. An operational device can be coupled to a planar substrate shaped and sized to correspond to a desired origami shape of an origami pattern. A plurality of planar substrates can be coupled together by a plurality of connection members that corresponds to one or more crease of the origami pattern. An array of planar substrates can be formed that convert into a three dimensional structure with origami shape. The resulting three-dimensional structure provides smaller projection area, higher portability and deformability.

A method for material deposition includes providing a transparent donor substrate (34) having opposing first and second surfaces and a donor film (36) including a metal formed over the second surface. The donor substrate is positioned in proximity to an acceptor substrate (22), with the second surface facing toward the acceptor substrate, in an atmosphere containing oxygen. Pulses of laser radiation are directed to pass through the first surface of the donor substrate and impinge on the donor film so as to induce ejection from the donor film of droplets (44) of molten material onto the acceptor substrate, forming on the acceptor substrate particles (46) of the metal with an outer layer (54) comprising an oxide of the metal.

To provide: an electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein the adhesion strength between the substrate and the copper electrode is high, thereby achieving improved adhesion of the copper electrode; and a method for manufacturing this electronic component. An electronic component which comprises a copper electrode on an inorganic material substrate and wherein an interface layer containing copper, manganese, silicon and oxygen is provided at the interface between the substrate and the copper electrode, and the interface layer contains crystal grains that are mainly formed of copper and dispersed in the interface layer. A method for manufacturing this electronic component comprises: an interface layer formation step for forming an interface layer on the substrate; and an electrode formation step for forming the copper electrode on the interface layer.

A heating apparatus includes a gas supply for providing a base gas, a generator configured to excite the base gas to produce a metastable gas mixture that includes a metastable gas, and a housing. The housing includes a wall shaped to contain the metastable gas mixture and selectively enclose a reactive element of a target component. Interaction between the metastable gas and at least one of a coupling material and the reactive element transfers energy to selectively heat the at least one of the coupling material and the target component.