A method of forming a patterned metal unit on an article. The method includes the steps of: providing an article that has an insulating surface; transferring a catalyst layer onto the insulating surface of the article, the catalyst layer including a catalytic material; removing a part of the catalyst layer to form a patterned catalyst layer; and forming a patterned metal layer on the patterned catalyst layer by an electroless plating technique to obtain a patterned metal unit that is constituted by the patterned catalyst layer and the patterned metal layer.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing printed circuit boards for electrical and electronic circuits, comprising an electrically nonconductive substrate and electrically conductive tracks applied thereon, wherein the electrically conductive tracks are imprinted on the substrate according to the desired conductor track layout under the influence of heat. The invention further relates to a device for manufacturing printed circuit boards for electrical and electronic circuits, comprising an electrically nonconductive substrate and electrically conductive tracks applied thereon, including a printing head for selectively heating an electrically conductive print medium according to the desired conductor track layout, in order to transfer this print medium onto the substrate.

The invention relates to a laser printing method that includes the following steps: (a) the provision of a receiver substrate (4); (b) the provision of a target substrate (5) comprising a transparent substrate (50) one surface of which has a coating has a coating (51) constituted of a solid metal film; (c) the localised irradiation of the said film (51) through the said transparent substrate (50) by means of a first laser (6) in order to reach the melting temperature of the metal in a target zone of the said film which is in liquid form; (d) the irradiation of the said liquid film through the said transparent substrate by means of a second laser on the said target zone defined in the step (c), in order to form a liquid jet in the said target zone and bring about the ejection thereof from the substrate in the form of molten metal; (e) the depositing on the receiver substrate of a molten metal drop over a defined receiving zone, with the said drop solidifying upon cooling.

A method for disposing material includes positioning a donor film including a donor material at a predefined distance from an acceptor substrate, the donor film facing toward the acceptor substrate. One or more pulses of laser radiation are directed to impinge on the donor film at a given location so as to induce formation of a protrusion made from the donor material. A distal tip of the protrusion touches the acceptor substrate and disposes thereon while the protrusion is still in contact with the donor film. A spot of the donor material is formed on the acceptor substrate by increasing a separation between the donor film and the acceptor substrate so as to detach the distal tip of the protrusion from the donor film.

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 pick-and-place tool configured to pick and place at least one die on a workpiece includes a mounting head. The mounting head includes a die position determining unit configured to one of measure and detect an actual position of at least one die during a time between the placement of the at least one die on the workpiece and the picking up of a subsequent die for placement on the workpiece.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a direct and selective surface deposition by a pulsed radiation treatment. Said method allows the production of a selective pattern on any receiving material without any pre-treatment and/or post-treatment of said receiving material. The invention provides a selective deposition of a monolayer donor material onto a receiving material by means of a pulsed radiation treatment without any contact between said donor and receiving materials. It further provides a method of direct surface metallization of various types of receiving materials using a pulsed radiation treatment. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a direct and selective surface deposition by a pulsed radiation treatment of a monolayer donor material onto a receiving material. The present invention relates more particularly to a method of manufacturing free form patterned deposition on surfaces of various receiving materials.

In systems for printing a viscous material, the printing and post processing of the viscous material are performed sequentially one after another. In an initial step, a viscous material is printed on a sample mounted on a receiver substrate using a donor module and a laser scanner, and then the donor module is replaced with a post processing system for performing a post processing operation (and vice versa). Multiple post processing operations can be performed, and multiple different materials can be printed on the same layer. The systems can increase the speed, resolution and diversity of materials printed on the same sample, and opens the possibilities for new designs.

A process of forming an electric circuit on an insulating ceramic substrate or on an insulating ceramic layer of a substrate that includes depositing a conductive material over a surface of the ceramic substrate or layer; and directing a laser beam onto the conductive material over the ceramic substrate or layer and moving the laser beam relative to the ceramic substrate or layer along a predetermined pattern for the electric circuit, whereby the conductive material is melted over the ceramic substrate or layer to form a conductive track.

Systems and methods for laser assisted deposition of a material includes a printing unit configured to print individual dot-like portions of a material from a donor substrate onto a receiving substrate, and a vacuum shuttle configured to be positionable in two or three dimensions between the printing unit and the donor substrate and to engage the donor substrate upon application of a vacuum to the vacuum shuttle. The printing unit may include a coating system and a laser. The vacuum shuttle includes a vacuum channel about its periphery and an open window through which the laser irradiates the donor substrate. The vacuum channel is fluidly coupled to a vacuum inlet for receiving a vacuum suction, thereby to engage the donor substrate and hold it taught against the bottom of the vacuum shuttle in operation. The vacuum shuttle may also include one or more distance measuring sensors and fiducial markers.