In an example implementation, a conductive trace printing system includes a conductive trace application station to apply a conductive trace onto a media substrate. The printing system also includes a conductive trace enhancement station to expose the conductive trace to an electroless metal plating solution to generate an enhanced conductive trace.

A system and method for applying a coating to a substrate are disclosed. The system includes a coating station for applying a coating material to the substrate, where the coating station has a bottom portion, an oven for curing the coating material on the substrate, where the oven is positioned vertically below the bottom portion, and a first lift for transporting the substrate from the coating station to the oven. The system can also include an inspection station for inspecting the substrate. Each of the separate elements of the coating system, including the coating station, first lift, oven, and inspection station can define self-contained modules.

A method of producing a thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film includes forming a thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film having opposite surfaces by molding a thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer, melting the thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film by heating the thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film with the opposite surfaces being in contact with two support sheets at a temperature of from a melting point of the thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer to a temperature higher than the melting point by 70° C., cooling the melted thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film to a temperature equal to or less than a crystallization temperature of the thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer at a cooling rate of from 3° C. per second to 7° C. per second, and separating the cooled thermoplastic liquid-crystal polymer film from the support sheets.

A system for providing selective adhesion printed circuit board (PCB) production comprises a conveyor mechanism, a curing system, and a computer. The conveyor mechanism is configured to convey a series of selective adhesion blanks, wherein each selective adhesion blank is utilized to produce a PCB and includes a flexible film, a substrate, a conductive layer, and a curable adhesive. The conductive layer is formed from electrically conductive material and adhered to the substrate. The curable adhesive is positioned between the flexible film and the conductive layer and is configured to selectively bond with the conductive layer when the curable adhesive is cured. The curing system is configured to cure the curable adhesive. The computer includes a processing element configured or programmed to: receive a plurality of PCB designs, and direct the curing system to cure the curable adhesive of a plurality of selective adhesion blanks for each PCB design.

In a step of forming a conductive pattern, a photoresist is exposed a plurality of times while a fourth mask including a fourth light shielding mark and a fifth mask including a sixth light shielding mark are sequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction, and the photoresist is developed to form a plating resist, and the plating is carried out using this. In a step of exposing the plating resist, in the photoresist, an opposing portion of the fourth mask at the time of the first exposure is overlapped with the fifth mask at the time of the second exposure. A first conductive mark is formed by the first exposure of the photoresist through the fourth light shielding mark and by plating using the plating resist. A third conductive mark is formed by the second exposure of the photoresist through the fifth mask and by plating using the plating resist.

A method and apparatus for thermally processing material on a low-temperature substrate using pulsed light from a flash lamp is disclosed. Material is conveyed past the flash lamp. The pulses of light are formed by Pulse Width Modulation to tailor the shape of the pulses to generate a thermal gradient in the substrate that enables the material to be heated beyond the maximum working temperature of the substrate without damage. Its shaped pulse rate is synchronized to the conveyance speed of a conveyance system. By using the information from a feedback sensor, the thermal gradient is recalculated to alter the shape of the pulses in real time for optimizing subsequent curings in real time without powering down the curing apparatus. The combined pulse shaping and synchronization allow a temperature profile to be tailored in the sample that is uniformly cured in the conveyance direction.

A flexible laminated sheet manufacturing method includes thermocompression-bonding an insulation film formed of a liquid crystal polymer onto a metal foil between endless belts to form a flexible laminated sheet. The thermocompression bonding includes heating the flexible laminated sheet so that the maximum temperature of the sheet is in the range from a temperature that is 45° C. lower than the melting point of the liquid crystal polymer to a temperature that is 5° C. lower than the melting point. The thermocompression bonding also includes slowly cooling the flexible laminated sheet so that an exit temperature, which is a temperature of the sheet when transferred out of the endless belts, is in the range from a temperature that is 235° C. lower than the melting point of the liquid crystal polymer to a temperature that is 100° C. lower than the melting point.

A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).

A method for treating a substrate having millimeter and/or micrometer and/or nanometer structures. The method includes applying at least one protective material to the structures, wherein the at least one protective material can be dissolved in a solvent, and the structures are produced by an imprinting process.

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.