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.

It is possible to implement pattern formation and pattern manufacturing that eliminate the necessity of high-cost accurate positioning. A pattern manufacturing apparatus (100) includes a controller (101) and a laser projector (102). The controller (101) controls the laser projector (102) to form a pattern on a pattern forming sheet (130) placed on a stage (140). The laser projector (102) further includes an optical engine (121). The optical engine (121) irradiates the pattern forming sheet (130) with a light beam (122). The stage (140) has a hollow structure not to obstruct the optical path of the light beam (122). The pattern forming sheet (130) includes a light-transmitting sheet material layer and a photo-curing layer applied to the sheet material layer.

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.

A workpiece (100) having substrate, such as a glass substrate, can be etched by a laser or by other means to create recessed features (200, 202). A laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process or metal oxide printing process can be employed to impart a seed material (402), such as a metal, onto the glass substrate, especially into the recessed features (200, 202). The seeded recessed features can be plated, if desired, by conventional techniques, such as electroless plating, to provide conductive features (500) with predictable and better electrical properties. The workpieces (100) can be connected in a stacked such that subsequently stacked workpieces (100) can be modified in place.

A conductive trace interconnect tape for use with a printed circuit board or a flexible circuit substrate comprises a top insulating layer, an electrically conductive layer, and a bottom insulating layer. The top insulating layer is formed from electrically insulating material and is configured to provide electrical isolation from electrically conductive objects that are positioned on top of the conductive trace interconnect tape. The electrically conductive layer is positioned underneath the top insulating layer. The electrically conductive layer is formed from electrically conductive material and includes electrical interconnect traces, electrical component pads, or electrically conductive planar portions. The bottom insulating layer is positioned underneath the electrically conductive layer. The bottom insulating layer is formed from electrically insulating material and is configured to provide electrical isolation from electrically conductive objects that are positioned on the printed circuit board or flexible circuit substrate.

A reel-to-reel method to laser-ablate a circuitry pattern on the fly in a reel-to-reel machine as part of a process to fabricate a printed flexible circuit. The laser ablation method includes using an appropriate laser to irradiate a metal sheet thus ablating the edges of an intended circuitry pattern. Slugs can be removed by using an optional sacrificial liner, and the slugs can be optionally ablated into smaller parts first. The laser ablation can also include an optional method of creating tie bars to provide structural support to the web of circuitry patterns.

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.