A method for directly writing metal traces on a wide range of substrate materials is disclosed. The method includes writing a pattern of particle-free metal-salt-based ink on the substrate followed by a plasma-based treatment to remove the non-metallic components of the ink and decompose its metal salt into pure metal. The ink is based on a multi-part solvent whose components differ in at least one of evaporation rate, surface tension, and viscosity, which improves the manner in which the ink is converted into its metal constituent via the plasma treatment. In some embodiments, a microplasma is used for post-treatment of the deposited ink, where the plasma properties are controlled to provide different material properties, such as porosity and effective resistivity, in different regions of the metal pattern.

Disclosed are examples for printing a one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterial for use in stretchable electronic devices. An ink comprising a nanomaterial solution is dispersed from a pneumatic dispensing system of a printing device. The 1D nanomaterial is printed in a predefined pattern on an underlying substrate positioned on a ground electrode. A voltage is applied between the printing nozzle and the ground electrode to cause the ink to form into a cone during the printing. The substrate can be modified to increase the wettability of the substrate to enhance adhesion of the ink to the substrate.

The present invention relates to a method for formation of a redistribution layer using photo-sintering and to the redistribution layer formed by the method. The method for forming a redistribution layer using photo-sintering includes printing, on a substrate, a liquid electrode pattern for a redistribution layer; coating a transparent polymer on the substrate and the pattern; photo-sintering the electrode pattern using photonic energy; and evaporating an organic substance contained in the liquid electrode pattern via the photo-sintering to remove the polymer on a top face of the electrode pattern to form a redistribution layer as the sintered electrode pattern.

An electroconductive substrate including a base material and a metal wiring made of at least either of silver and copper, and the electroconductive substrate has an antireflection region formed on part or all of the metal wiring surface. This antireflection region is composed of roughened particles made of at least either of silver and copper and blackened particles finer than the roughened particles and embedded between the roughened particles. The blackened particles are made of silver or a silver compound, copper or a copper compound, or carbon or an organic substance having a carbon content of 25 wt % or more. The antireflection region has a surface with a center line average roughness of 15 nm or more and 70 nm or less. The electroconductive substrate is formed from metal wiring from a metal ink that forms roughened particles, followed by application of a blackening ink containing blackened particles.

The disclosure is and includes at least an apparatus, system and method printing multilayer circuits on graphics. The multilayer print may include forming an electronic human machine interface, sensor readout, or a driver circuit, by way of example, and may include successively printing at least two functional ink layers comprising at least one conductive layer and at least one dielectric layer on a substrate comprising one of a thermoform and an overmold; printing at least one non-conductive graphical ink layer in the succession of the successively printing; curing each of the successively printed layers after the printing of each of the successively printed layers, wherein the curing of the successively printed functional ink layers comprises at least an ultra-violet curing; and squeegeeing at least the at least one conductive layer with a squeegee having a low durometer.

A method for producing an electrically conductive thin film on a substrate is disclosed. Initially, a reducible metal compound and a reducing agent are dispersed in a liquid. The dispersion is then deposited on a substrate as a thin film. The thin film along with the substrate is subsequently exposed to a pulsed electromagnetic emission to chemically react with the reducible metal compound and the reducing agent such that the thin film becomes electrically conductive.

A method of fabricating at least one electronic circuit component comprises: patterning a conductive material on a fibrous substrate by aerosol jet printing in a pattern corresponding to said at least one electronic circuit component; and sintering the conductive material by hot air sintering. The fibrous substrate may be paper, for example cellulose fibre paper.

An embodiment of a method includes depositing a quantity of first intermediary material onto an electrically insulating substrate in a pattern corresponding to a desired pattern of a first conductive structure. The first intermediary material is adhered to the substrate to form a first intermediate layer to maintain the desired pattern of the first conductive structure. A quantity of a precursor of electrically conductive material is deposited generally along the pattern of the first intermediate layer. Energy is applied to enable migration and consolidation of the first electrically conductive material along the pattern of the first intermediate layer, forming a functional, electrically conductive top layer. At least one of the first electrically conductive material and its precursor has a wetting angle of less than 90° relative to the first intermediate layer, and a wetting angle greater than 90° relative to the substrate. At least one of the depositing steps is an additive deposition step.

Systems and methods that enable printing of conformal materials and other waterproof coating materials at high resolution. An initial printing of a material on edges of a component is performed at high resolution in a first printing step, and a subsequent printing of the material on remaining surfaces of the component is applied in a second printing step, with or without curing of the material printed on the edges between the two printing steps. The printing of the material may be performed by a laser-assisted deposition or using another dispensing system to achieve a high resolution printing of the material and a high printing speed.

Apparatus for transferring conductive patterns to a substrate (56), comprising a module (52) configured to transfer a pattern (63) of sinterable material (63a) to said substrate (56) and an optical module (12) to perform a sintering of the transferred pattern (63a). Said apparatus comprises one or more self-propelled pattern transferring units (52) comprising a module configured to move said self-propelled unit (14, 20) over said substrate (56) under the control of movement instructions (53b) associated to a motor (16, 21), said self-propelled unit (14, 20) comprising said module (52) configured to transfer a pattern (63a) of sinterable material (CI) to said substrate (56) obtaining a transferred pattern (63a) and comprising also said optical module (12) to perform a sintering of the transferred pattern (63a) on said substrate (56) obtaining a sintered pattern (63b, 63c).