The capillary transfer technology presented here represents a powerful approach to transfer soft films from surface of liquid onto a solid substrate in a fast and defect-free manner. The fundamental theoretical model and transfer criteria validated with comprehensive experiments and finite element analyses, for the first time provides a quantitative guide and optimization for the choice of material systems, operating conditions and environments for scalable on-demand transfers with high yield. The intrinsically moderate capillary transfer force and externally selectable transfer direction offer robust capabilities for achieving deterministic assembly and surface properties of structures with complex layouts and patterns for potentially broad applications in the fabrication of flexible/stretchable electronics, surface wetting structures and optical devices. Integration of this technology with other advanced manufacturing technologies associated with material self-assembly, growth and layout alignment represents promising future topics and would help create emerging new manufacturing technologies that leverage unique fluidity of liquid environments.

A stacked body includes a first resin layer including a thermoplastic first resin as a main material, a pattern including a conductor layer on one principal surface of the first resin layer, and a second resin layer including a thermoplastic second resin as a main material. The first resin layer is softer than the second resin layer. The first resin layer has a lower dielectric constant than the second resin layer. A pattern including the conductor layer is at least partially embedded in the first resin layer, and includes a portion in contact with the first resin layer along a layer direction (X-Y plane) of the first resin layer and a portion in contact with the first resin layer along a stacking direction (X-Z plane) of the first resin layer, the second resin layer, and the pattern including the conductor layer.

Implementations described and claimed herein provide thin film devices and methods of manufacturing and implanting the same. In one implementation, a shaped insulator is formed having an inner surface, an outer surface, and a profile shaped according to a selected dielectric use. A layer of conductive traces is fabricated on the inner surface of the shaped insulator using biocompatible metallization. An insulating layer is applied over the layer of conductive traces. An electrode array and a connection array are fabricated on the outer surface of the shaped insulator and/or the insulating layer, and the electrode array and the connection array are in electrical communication with the layer of conductive traces to form a flexible circuit. The implantable thin film device is formed from the flexible circuit according to the selected dialectic use.

The circuit board has a surface mount LED with a lens on the circuit board. A conductive portion and remaining space in the periphery of the LED are covered with solid copper foil so that reflectance of light and a heat dissipation effect are enhanced. In addition, layer structures between the circuit board and an assembled component are the same between contact portions with the assembled component so that tilt in mounting the board is suppressed. As a result, the circuit board having mounted thereon the surface mount LED having high directivity can be accurately mounted on the assembled component, tilt of an optical axis can be suppressed, the reflectance of light from the LED can be increased, and the heat dissipation effect can be enhanced.

Disclosed herein is an in-mold electronics (IME) structure. The IME structure includes a film, a first plastic resin positioned under the film, and a second plastic resin positioned under the first plastic resin. An electronic circuit is formed on a top or bottom surface of the second plastic resin by a plating method and also electronic elements are mounted thereon. The electronic elements include LED light sources, a plurality of protruding light guides configured to guide lighting through distribution and direction is formed on the top surface of the second plastic resin, and the LED light sources are installed in respective spaces provided by the light guides.

A resin multilayer substrate includes a multilayer body including resin base-material layers laminated in a thickness direction and a circuit conductor therein, an end-surface ground conductor provided directly on each end surface of the multilayer body in the thickness direction, an adhesion layer on a side surface of the multilayer body, and a side-surface ground conductor on the adhesion layer. The end-surface and side-surface ground conductors are made of a ground conductor material with a coefficient of thermal expansion whose difference from a coefficient of thermal expansion of the resin base-material layers in a plane direction is smaller than a difference from a coefficient of thermal expansion of the resin base-material layers in the thickness direction. The adhesion layer is made of a material with higher adhesiveness to the side surface of the multilayer body than adhesiveness of the ground conductor material.

A method for producing a panel with integrated conductor tracks and electronic components. The panel includes a panel body, wherein the panel body is in particular a sandwich structure, and a membrane. The membrane is connected to the panel body and has integrated conductor tracks and electronic components. At the beginning of the method, an operation for attaching the conductor tracks and the electronic components to the membrane is provided. The subsequent step includes an operation for connecting the membrane, fitted with the conductor tracks and the electronic components, to the panel body.

A temperature rise due to thermal interference between electronic components is suppressed. Electronic components (11a, 11b) are adjacently mounted on a circuit board (12). The circuit board (12) is fixed to a base (13). A rectangular convex portion (21) is provided on the base (13). The rectangular convex portion (21) is disposed so as to be located below the electronic components (11a, 11b) when the circuit board (12) is assembled to a housing (10). The rectangular convex portion (21) includes N concave portions (21a). The concave portions (21a) are arranged on a surface (21b) facing the region between the electronic components (11a, 11b).

A substrate support structure includes: a substrate support including: a support body; and a protrusion including a base portion and a leading-end portion, the protrusion protruding from the support body; and a substrate having: a substrate body; a through hole provided at the substrate body; and a protruded portion surrounding the through hole, the protruded portion protruding from a first face of the substrate body, in which the base portion of the protrusion passes through the through hole, and the leading-end portion protrudes from the first face of the substrate body inside the protruded portion and engages with the substrate body such that the through hole is covered.

Methods for fabricating flexible/stretchable circuits can include identifying one or more regions of a printed circuit board (PCB) for selectively removing insulation material. The PCB can include one or more electrically conductive structures arranged on an insulation layer. The method can include applying, within each region of the one or more regions, thermal energy via a heat source to a surface of the PCB within the region such that insulation material of the insulation layer is removed from the region while a portion of the insulation layer beneath the one or more electrically conductive structures is maintained. The flexible/stretchable circuit can be laminated on a soft actuator to form a soft robotic device.