An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a pattern of a composition containing particles of an electrically conductive material and a thermally activated adhesive from a surface of a flexible web to a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises: respective drive mechanisms for advancing the web and the substrate to a nip through which the web and the substrate pass at the same time and where a pressure roller acts to press the surfaces of the web and the substrate against one another, a heating station for heating at least one of the web and the substrate prior to, or during, passage through the nip, to a temperature at which the adhesive in the composition is activated, a cooling station for cooling the web after passage through the nip, and a separating device for peeling the web away from the substrate after passage through the cooling station, to leave the pattern of composition adhered to the surface of the substrate.

A printed circuit board includes: a first insulating layer; a first metal layer disposed on one surface of the first insulating layer; a second metal layer disposed on the other surface facing the one surface of the first insulating layer; a via penetrating through the first insulating layer to connect the first and second metal layers to each other; and a heterogeneous metal region disposed in at least one of an area in which the via is adjacent to the first insulating layer and an area in which the via is adjacent to the first metal layer, and including a material different from that of the via, wherein the heterogeneous metal region includes at least one of nickel (Ni), silicon (Si), and titanium (Ti).

A circuit board heat sink structure having a circuit board and comprising a metallic heat sink, wherein the circuit board has a metal substrate, an insulation layer and a conductor layer, and the wherein the circuit board is arranged on the heat sink in such a way that the metal substrate contacts a locating face of the heat sink. At least one heat transition point is formed between the heat sink and the metal substrate, which provides a defined metallic contact between the material of the heat sink and the material of the metal substrate. A method is also provided for forming the circuit board heat sink structure.

A drive backboard includes: a first conductive layer including bonding pins and first connecting lines, an insulating layer including first via holes and second via holes, a second conductive layer including connecting electrodes and second connecting lines and a conductive protective layer including first protective structures and second protective structures. The first via hole exposes the bonding pin, one end of a first connecting line electrically connects a bonding pin, and the other end reaches the second via hole. One end of a second connecting line electrically connects a connecting electrode, and the other end electrically connects the first connecting line through the second via hole. The first protective structure covers the bonding pin, and the second protective structure covers the second connecting line formed at the position of the second via hole. The pattern of the conductive protective layer is complementary to the pattern of the insulating layer.

A multilayer circuit board structure includes superconducting connections to internal layers thereof, for example by inclusion of superconducting vias. Two or more panels can each comprise respective electrically insulative substrates, each have one or more through-holes, and also include a respective bimetal foil on at least a portion of a respective surface thereof, which is patterned to form traces. The bimetal foil includes a first metal that is non-superconductive in a first temperature range and a second metal that is superconductive in the first temperature range. The panels are plated to deposit a third metal on exposed traces of the second metal, the third metal superconductive in the first temperature range. Panels are join (e.g., laminated) to form at least a three-layer superconducting printed circuit board with an inner layer, two outer layers, and superconducting vias between the inner layer and at least one of the two outer layers.

An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a pattern of a composition containing particles of an electrically conductive material and a thermally activated adhesive from a surface of a flexible web to a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises: respective drive mechanisms for advancing the web and the substrate to a nip through which the web and the substrate pass at the same time and where a pressure roller acts to press the surfaces of the web and the substrate against one another, a heating station for heating at least one of the web and the substrate prior to, or during, passage through the nip, to a temperature at which the adhesive in the composition is activated, a cooling station for cooling the web after passage through the nip, and a separating device for peeling the web away from the substrate after passage through the cooling station, to leave the pattern of composition adhered to the surface of the substrate.

A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).

Pastes are disclosed that are configured to coat a passage of a substrate. When the paste is sintered, the paste becomes electrically conductive so as to transmit electrical signals from a first end of the passage to a second end of the passage that is opposite the first end of the passage. The metallized paste contains a lead-free glass frit, and has a coefficient of thermal expansion sufficiently matched to the substrate so as to avoid cracking of the sintered paste, the substrate, or both, during sintering.

This disclosure generally relates to high-speed fiber optic networks that use light signals to transmit data over a network. The disclosed subject matter includes devices and methods relating to header subassemblies and/or optoelectronic subassemblies. In some aspects, the disclosed devices and methods may relate to a header subassembly that can include: a multi-layer substrate with a bottom layer, a top layer having top thin film signal lines, and one or more intermediate layers having thick film traces between the top layer and the bottom layer, the thick film traces electrically coupled to the top thin film signal lines; and optoelectronic components positioned over the multi-layer substrate and electrically coupled with the signal lines.

Examples are provided for a flexible circuit element including a flexible insulating support structure, a solid metal trace extending at least partially between a first connector and a second connector on the flexible insulating support structure, and a liquid metal conductor disposed in contact with the solid metal trace in a region of the trace configured to repeatedly flex when installed in a device.