An electronic component, such as a circuit board, fabricated by coextruding an Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) filament, such as a Dyneema filament, and a conductive material, such as an Indalloy wire, using only a three-dimensional printer, such as an FDM machine.

Described herein are capacitive devices and methods for producing same using printing methods such as flexography, gravure, offset, lithography, etc. The capacitive devices are formed from printing conductive inks, non-conductive inks, masking ink layers, graphic artwork layers, and overprint layers on a substrate. Interaction between a conductive ink layer of the capacitive device with a touch screen device of a computer, tablet, smart phone, etc. causes a capacitive effect that allows information coded in capacitive device to be read, leading to an activity such as the download of content to the device having the touch screen.

A device forms a resin layer by applying a UV light line-shaped in the X direction while conveying the work table in the Y direction at a first conveyance speed (low speed) in a case in which a wiring layer forming process is performed directly after the resin layer forming process, and forms a resin layer by applying a UV light line-shaped in the X direction while conveying the work table in the Y direction at a second conveyance speed (high speed) in a case in which a consecutive resin layer forming process is performed directly after the resin layer forming process.

A method is used to identify and compensate for errors created by changes in the relative positions of a deposition unit and a vision system of a dispenser. The method includes calibrating the vision system, dispensing a pattern of features over a working area, moving the vision system over a deposition location to locate a deposition, obtaining an image of the deposition, tagging data associated with the image, calculating a relative distance between the deposition unit and the vision system, storing correction data with spatial location in a file for later use, and using the stored data to make small corrections prior to dispensing additional material.

The present disclosure provides a novel apparatus and method for printing circuitry that can dispense conducting traces, insulating traces, solder paste, and other materials onto a substrate material in a manner that allows for convenient prototyping of printed circuit boards.

Novel methods for micro-additive manufacturing three dimensional sub-millimeter components are disclosed herein. The methods can include dispensing a dielectric at positions on a substrate so as to provide dielectric structures having an aspect ratio of up to 1:20. The methods can also include in-situ curing of the dielectric structure upon dispensing of the dielectric wherein the dispensing and curing steps provide for three dimensional configurations. Direct printing a metal nanoparticle solution on the dielectric to create conductive traces and thereafter sintering the printed nanoparticle solution so as to cure the conductive traces enables three dimensional conductive (antenna) elements having a length and width scale of down to 1 m.

A method of dispensing a metallic nanoparticle composition along a trajectory on a substrate is disclosed. The composition is dispensed from a nozzle through its outlet. The outlet is characterized by an outlet size. First, an initial pressure is applied to the composition in the nozzle to cause the composition to flow from the outlet. The nozzle is positioned at a height such that the composition does not flow onto the substrate. Second, the nozzle is lowered toward the substrate such that a fluid bridge forms between the outlet and the substrate and an adjusted pressure is applied to the composition in the nozzle. The adjusted pressure is lower than needed for the composition to continue to flow from the outlet. Third, the fluid is dispensed from the nozzle. A dispensing pressure is applied to the fluid while the nozzle is laterally displaced along the trajectory on the substrate.

A method for calibrating a fluid dispensing system includes the steps of locating an external reference point with an optical sensor, moving a fluid dispenser to the external reference point, dispensing fluid with the fluid dispenser at the external reference point, locating the dispensed fluid with the optical sensor, calculating a distance between the location of the external reference point and the location of the dispensed fluid, determining a correction value based at least in part on the calculated distance, and using the correction value to improve placement accuracy of dispensed fluid.

A circuit assembly can be made by adhering a conductive element to a substrate with an adhesive. A first layer including an adhesive can be applied over at least a portion of a surface of the substrate. A second layer including a conductive metal can be applied over at least a portion of the first layer. The first layer and the second layer can be exposed to a temperature for a duration of time to (1) fuse the conductive metal together in at least a portion of the first layer and (2) cure the adhesive of the second layer. The fusing can be substantially complete before the curing is substantially complete to enhance bonding of the adhesive to the fused conductive metal.

A method of building a three dimensional (3D) structure includes micro-dispensing a layer comprising a material using a syringe-based micro-dispensing tool, curing the layer, and repeating the steps of micro-dispensing and curing a plurality of times in order to build the three-dimensional structure. The material may be loaded with nano to micron sized particles, tubes, or strings.