Provided is a method for manufacturing a stretchable wire, the method including removing a portion of a photoresist layer on a substrate to form a photoresist pattern comprising at least one pattern slit, applying a liquid-phase conductive material on the photoresist pattern to form a liquid-phase conductive structure in the pattern slit, forming a stretchable first insulating layer on the liquid-phase conductive structure, after removing the photoresist pattern, and separating the liquid-phase conductive structure and the first insulating layer from the substrate.

In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to an actuator which includes at least the following: a pre-stretched electro-active polymer film being pre-stretched in a single or biaxial planar directions; at least one first semi-stiff conductor attached to a first surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the first surface is parallel to the single or biaxial planar stretch directions; at least one second semi-stiff conductor attached to a second surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface; where the semi-stiff conductors are configured to: fix the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film in a pre-stretched state and allow the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film to expand; a pair of mechanical connectors coupled to each end of an active region of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film.

A patterned article includes a unitary polymeric layer and a plurality of electrically conductive elements embedded at least partially in the unitary polymeric layer. Each electrically conductive element includes a conductive seed layer having a top major surface and an opposite bottom major surface in direct contact with the unitary polymeric layer, and includes a metallic body disposed on the top major surface of the conductive seed layer. The metallic body has a bottom major surface and at least one sidewall. The bottom major surface contacts the conductive seed layer. Each sidewall is in direct contact with the unitary polymeric layer and extends from the bottom major surface of the metallic body toward or to, but not past, a top major surface of the unitary polymeric layer. The conductive elements may be electrically isolated from one another. Processes for making the patterned article are described.

An article has an electrically-conductive metal-containing pattern and is prepared by: A) providing a metallic pattern on a first substrate; B) applying a darkening agent to the metallic pattern to form a first darkened surface; C) transferring the metallic pattern to a second substrate, leaving an undarkened second surface of the metallic pattern exposed to view; and D) applying a second darkening agent to the undarkened second surface. The first darkened surface formed in B) can have an L* value that is reduced by at least 1 unit compared to an L* value of the metallic pattern provided in A) before application of the darkening agent. Moreover, the second darkened surface formed in D) can have an L* value that is reduced by at least 1 unit compared to an L* value of the undarkened surface of the transferred metallic pattern provided in C).

A method for depositing a functional material on a substrate is disclosed. A plate having a first surface and a second surface is provided. A layer of light scattering material is applied onto the first surface of the plate, and a layer of reflective material is applied onto the second surface of the plate. After a group of wells has been formed on the second surface of the plate, a layer of light-absorbing material is applied on the second surface of the plate. Next, the wells are partially filled with a functional material. The plate is then irradiated with a pulse of light to heat the light-absorbing material between the bottom of the well and the functional material. This heats the gas in the tillage between the light absorbing material and the functional material to increase the pressure in gas to expel the functional material from the wells onto a receiving substrate.

A method of forming a self-supported electronic device, including depositing a sacrificial layer on a first surface substrate, wherein the sacrificial layer is substantially soluble in a first solvent. At least one device layer is deposited in a desired pattern on top of the sacrificial layer. The at least one device layer is substantially insoluble in the at least one device layer. The sacrificial layer is at least partially dissolved in the first solvent to release at least a portion of the first device layer from the substrate. The at least one device layer removed from the substrate forms a self-supported electronic device, which is a thin film electronic device having at least a portion thereof that is not supported by a material carrier.

A flexible substrate embedded with wires includes a flexible substrate constituted by a polymer material, and a continuous wire pattern containing a plurality of pores embedded in the flexible substrate, wherein the polymer material fills the pores. A method for fabricating a flexible substrate embedded with wires providing a carrier; forming a continuous wire pattern on the carrier, the continuous wire pattern containing a plurality of pores; covering a polymer material over the continuous wire pattern and the carrier and to fill into the pores; and separating the polymer material and the carrier to form a flexible substrate embedded with the continuous wire pattern where the only change is the addition of wires.

A method for the application of multiple discrete layer fragments made of dried metal sintering preparation to pre-determined electrically-conductive surface fractions of a substrate for electronic components is provided. The method includes (1) applying multiple discrete layer fragments made of metal sintering preparation to one side of a transfer substrate in an arrangement that is mirror-symmetrical to the pre-determined electrically-conductive surface fractions; (2) drying the applied metal sintering preparation while preventing sintering; (3) arranging and contacting the transfer substrate with the multiple discrete layer fragments to face the surface of the substrate for electronic components, while assuring coincident positioning of the surface fractions of the transfer substrate provided with the dried metal sintering preparation and the pre-determined electrically-conductive surface fractions of the substrate for electronic components; (4) applying compressive force to the contact arrangement of step (3); and (5) removing the transfer substrate from the contact arrangement.

The invention provides a process and an apparatus for producing a high quality electronic component by reducing sagging at pattern side walls, which may occur when patterns of a wiring, an electrode, etc. are printed by a screen printing process using an electroconductive paste, an insulation paste, or a semiconductor paste, and reducing a mesh mark on the patterns of a wiring, an electrode, etc., or a full solid surface film, as well as a pattern formation process, by which screen printing can be applied and double face printing can be conducted with the number of process steps less than a conventional process. A pattern is formed by that a pattern is printed on a blanket having a surface comprising polydimethylsiloxane using an electroconductive paste, an insulation paste, or a semiconductor paste by a screen printing process, and the pattern is transferred from the blanket to a printing object.

A first resin layer (11) is provided with a first through hole (12), a conductive pattern (31, 41, 51) extends from a first surface of the first resin layer (11) to a second surface of the first resin layer (11) through the first through hole (12), and a second resin layer (21) is provided with a first protrusion (22) which fills at least a portion of the first through hole (12).