A method for manufacturing printed circuit boards for electrical and electronic circuits, comprising an electrically nonconductive substrate (4) and electrically conductive tracks of homogenous thickness applied thereon, wherein the electrically conductive tracks are made of a material with a melting temperature higher than the melting temperature of soldering tin so that they will withstand the soldering of electronic components thereon by soldering tin without melting, characterized in that a print medium (3) comprising the material of the electrically conductive tracks is provided as a two-dimensional layer above the electrically nonconductive substrate (4) and is imprinted on the electrically nonconductive substrate (4) according to the desired conductor track layout, under the influence of heat selectively applied by a print head (2) onto the printing medium (3), whereby the printing medium (3) is transferred onto the substrate (4) by selectively melting or sintering the material for the electrically conductive tracks, wherein the print head (2) does not come into direct contact with the printing medium (3), since at least a foil-shaped carrier material carrying the two-dimensional layer of the printing medium (3) is situated between the print head (2) and the two-dimensional layer of the printing medium (3).

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 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 method for producing electronic devices includes fixing a die that includes an electronic component with integral contacts to a dielectric substrate. After fixing the die, a conductive trace is printed over both the dielectric substrate and at least one of the integral contacts, so as to create an ohmic connection between the conductive trace on the substrate and the electronic component.

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 and structure for forming conductive structure such as an electric circuit, or a portion of an electric circuit, can include the use of a thermal print head and a ribbon including a carrier and a metal layer. The thermal print head is used to print a first portion of the metal layer onto a sacrificial print medium. The first portion printed has a first pattern, where a second portion having a second pattern remains on the carrier. The first pattern is a reverse image at least a portion of the electric circuit, while the second pattern includes at least a portion of the electric circuit. The second portion having the second pattern can be transferred to a circuit substrate, then used as an electric circuit.

Multilayer articles that include electrical circuits are prepared by the adhesive transfer of electrical circuit elements to the surface of an adhesive. A number of different methodologies are used, with all of the methodologies including the use of simple layers of circuit-forming material on a releasing substrate and structuring to generate circuit elements which can be transferred to an adhesive surface. In some methodologies, a structured releasing substrate is used to selectively transfer circuit-forming material, either from protrusions on the releasing substrate or from depressions on the releasing substrate. In other methodologies, an unstructured releasing substrate is used and either embossed to form a structured releasing substrate or contacted with a structured adhesive layer to selectively transfer circuit-forming material.

A method for fabricating a three-dimensional (3D) electronic device. A liquid support material (e.g., an epoxy acrylate with a photoinitiator) is applied by a laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process to a printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more connectors and one or more electronic components thereon, and then cured to solid form by cooling and/or exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A layer of conductive material (e.g., a metal) is printed on the solidified support material by LIFT to electrically connect the one or more electronic components to respective ones of the connectors on the PCB. Subsequently, the layer of conductive material is dried by heating and metal particles in the conductive layer sintered using a laser beam. The assembly may then be encapsulated in an encapsulant.

A method and structure for forming conductive structure such as an electric circuit, or a portion of an electric circuit, can include the use of a thermal print head and a ribbon including a carrier and a metal layer. The thermal print head is used to print a first portion of the metal layer onto a sacrificial print medium. The first portion printed has a first pattern, where a second portion having a second pattern remains on the carrier. The first pattern is a reverse image at least a portion of the electric circuit, while the second pattern includes at least a portion of the electric circuit. The second portion having the second pattern can be transferred to a circuit substrate, then used as an electric circuit.

The present invention relates to a printing method comprising a step of printing a pattern on a substrate, preferably by ink jet printing, followed by a gold plating step by means of contact between the pre-printed pattern to be gold plated and a gold plating deposition device, such as a preferably conductive metal sheet, e.g. a multilayer film comprising a preferably conductive metal sheet.