Film for use in preparing a printed circuit board (PCB) along with methods for making a PCB and producing a printable film are described herein. The film includes a first layer formed of a radiation-transparent material, a second layer formed of a curable adhesive material, a third layer formed of an electrically conductive material, and optionally, a fourth layer formed of an adhesive and a fifth layer formed of a removable material. Through the adhesive layers, the layers are bonded together to produce the printable film. To produce a PCB, the first layer is covered in ink distributed in a pattern representing the PCB, and the ink-covered film is exposed to radiation until the non-ink-covered portions of the second layer have cured. Then, the fifth layer is removed tearing away the electrically conductive material associated with the non-ink-covered portions of the second layer producing the PCB.

A substrate structure includes a dielectric layer, a metal foil, a patterned metal layer, a first patterned solder-resist layer and a second patterned solder-resist layer. The dielectric layer includes a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface has a plurality of recesses. The metal foil is disposed on the second surface. The patterned metal layer is disposed on the first surface, the patterned metal layer has a plurality of openings, and the openings are respectively corresponding to and expose the recesses. The first patterned solder-resist layer is filled in each of the recesses and corresponding to each of the openings. A top surface of the first patterned solder-resist layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the patterned metal layer. The second patterned solder-resist layer is disposed on the first patterned solder-resist layer and in the openings, and covers a portion of the patterned metal layer.

Methods of achieving precision registration in a roll to roll process for making patterned substrates by depositing first and second inks in a predetermined pattern, the predetermined pattern having fiducial marks and main pattern marks. One of these inks prints the fiducial marks onto a substrate while another ink prints main pattern marks on the same substrate such that the predetermined pattern bears a predictable spatial relationship to the pattern of fiducial marks. Consequently, even if the ink forming the predetermined pattern is invisible, or has such low contrast with the substrate that it is effectively invisible, or even has been dissolved away in a subsequent processing step, it is still possible to know where the predetermined pattern is by referring to the pattern of fiducial marks. Touch screen displays including patterned substrates prepared of the methods are also disclosed.

A thin substrate has a layered structure on one surface, and can also have a layered structure on the other. Each layered structure can include a part of at least one patterned layer that, if patterned by photolithography, would frequently result in damage to the substrate due to fragility. For example, the substrate could be a 3 mil (76.2 m) or thinner polyimide film and one patterned layer could be a semiconductor material such as vanadium oxide, while another could be metal in electrical contact with semiconductor material. The layer part, however, can be patterned by a printing operation or can include a printed patterned artifact such as an uneven boundary or an alignment. The printing operation can be direct printing or printing of a mask for etching or liftoff or both. The layered structure can include an array of cells, each with layer parts on each substrate surface.

A method for forming a patterned conductive structure is provided. The method includes forming a soluble layer on a surface of a substrate, wherein the soluble layer has an opening exposing a rough portion of the surface. A first conductive layer is formed on the soluble layer, wherein the first conductive layer extends onto the rough portion in the opening. The soluble layer and the first conductive layer on the soluble layer are removed, wherein a portion of the first conductive layer corresponding to the rough portion is remained on the substrate. A patterned conductive structure formed by the method is also provided.

A method of manufacturing an electrical device, comprising: forming a patterned inorganic liftoff layer to expose a target electrode site on a softening polymer layer, depositing an electrode layer on the inorganic liftoff layer and on the exposed target electrode site, and removing the inorganic liftoff layer by a horizontal liftoff etch to leave the electrode layer on the exposed target electrode site.

A method for manufacturing a wiring board includes: disposing a first resist material on a substrate; forming a first resist layer by curing the first resist material; forming a resin layer on a release film; forming a conductor portion on the resin layer; covering the conductor portion by disposing a second resist material on the resin layer; forming a second resist layer by curing the second resist material; bringing the first resist layer into contact with the second resist layer, and thereafter bonding the first resist layer and the second resist layer by thermocompression bonding; and releasing the release film from the resin layer.

Methods of making metal patterns on flexible substrates are provided. A releasable solid layer is selectively formed on a patterned surface of the flexible substrate by applying a liquid solution thereon. The releasable solid layer is transferred from the patterned surface to a transfer layer where the metal patterns are formed.