Multilayer structure and method for producing same

Abstract

The multi-layer structure includes a substrate film and several functional elements and / or integrated circuits provided on the substrate film, the functional elements and / or integrated circuits including at least one first conductive element, at least one second conductive element, and at least one auxiliary conductive element, and optionally traces, the substrate film being provided with at least one bonding location reinforcement element at a bonding location relative to the substrate film, the bonding location reinforcement element being configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element at the bonding location, and the bonding location reinforcement element being configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to functionally integrated structures incorporating functional features, such as electronic elements. In particular, the present invention relates to a structure including a substrate film and a conductive element, wherein at least one bond location reinforcement element is disposed at a bond location of the substrate film. [Background technology]

[0002] In the field of electronic equipment and products, it is known that various types of laminated or multi-layered structures are provided for a variety of different applications.

[0003] Many implementations involve providing elements (particularly electronic or other functional elements) on a substrate, at least some of which are electrically coupled. The positioning of such elements may relate to the function of the structure and / or relate to other aspects of the structure (e.g., the dimensions of the structure). This may be determined by the use case or environment, or may be generally optimized, e.g., taking into account the overall size of the structure.

[0004] Furthermore, in the context of electrical elements and electrical coupling, the relative positioning of conductive elements can be very important to ensure coupling between elements that are to be coupled to obtain a functional structure, while avoiding electrical coupling of other conductive elements, for example to ensure the prevention of undesired short circuits.

[0005] In a more general sense, the integration of various functions, including, for example, electronic, mechanical, or optical features, with a structure may motivate a particular multi-layer approach to be applied in various use case scenarios. The context may include size reduction, weight reduction, cost reduction, or efficient integration of components, whereby these criteria may need to be taken into account in the structure and its design, while still meeting the necessary conditions for, for example, electrical circuits to be provided. Relevant use scenarios may relate to product packaging or casings, visual design of device housings, wearable electronics, personal electronic devices, displays, detectors or sensors, vehicle interiors, antennas, labels, vehicle electronics, to name just a few.

[0006] Electronics, such as electronic components, ICs (integrated circuits), and conductors in general, can be provided on a substrate by several different techniques. For example, prefabricated electronics, such as various surface mounted devices (SMDs), can be attached onto a substrate surface that will ultimately form an inner or outer interface layer of a multi-layer structure. Furthermore, techniques falling under the term "printed electronics" may be applied to actually manufacture electronics directly and additively on the associated substrate. The term "printed" in this context refers to various printing techniques (such as, but not limited to, screen printing, flexographic printing, and inkjet printing) that can manufacture electronics / electrical elements from a printed matter through a substantially additive printing process.

[0007] Furthermore, the concept of injection molded structural electronics (IMSE) includes building functional devices and parts of such devices in the form of multi-layer structures that encapsulate the electronic functionality as seamlessly as possible. A feature for IMSE is also that the electronics are generally manufactured in true 3D (non-planar) form according to an overall three-dimensional (3D) model of the target product, part, or general design. To achieve the desired 3D layout of the electronics on the 3D substrate and in the associated final product, the electronics may also be provided on an initially planar substrate (e.g., a film) using two-dimensional (2D) methods of electronics assembly, whereupon the substrate already housing the electronics may be formed into the desired three-dimensional (i.e., 3D) form and subjected to overmolding. This may be done, for example, with a suitable plastic material that covers and embeds the underlying elements (e.g., electronics), thus protecting and potentially hiding the elements from the environment. Of course, further layers and elements may be added to the configuration.

[0008] When an element (e.g., a mechanical, optical, or electrical component) is attached to, for example, a film-type substrate, e.g., a thermoplastic film, the substrate, or other surrounding layers at least indirectly connected to the element, may subsequently be subjected to forces including, for example, twisting, stretching, compression, or bending, which may cause the element to break or to peel off from the substrate.

[0009] In general, elements (e.g., conductor traces) may tear and break when placed near locations on the receiving substrate film that experience substantial deformation. For example, conductive inks used in crossover structures may be more brittle than standard conductive inks, increasing the risk of failure near, for example, dielectric boundaries and significant curvatures of the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to at least alleviate one or more of the drawbacks associated with known solutions in the context of a multilayer structure in which conductive elements are provided, where it is believed that there are bonding locations with respect to the substrate and the conductive elements, where electrical coupling between at least two conductive elements or parts thereof is inhibited, while electrical coupling between some elements or parts thereof is permitted. The term "element" may refer to an entire entity or body, or to a part of an entity. In particular, for example, but not necessarily, a "first conductive element" may refer to a first part of an electrical component or conductor, and a "second conductive element" may refer to a second part of an electrical component or conductor. An element may also refer to a body or entity having further parts. For example, an auxiliary conductive element may include at least a first part and a second part.

[0011] The objective is achieved by various embodiments of a multi-layer structure and an associated method for providing the multi-layer structure.

[0012] According to a first aspect, a multilayer structure is provided. The multilayer structure includes a substrate film and several functional elements, preferably including optical, mechanical, opto-electrical, electrical and / or specifically electronic elements, such as conductors, insulators, components, and / or integrated circuits. The functional elements include at least one first conductive element, at least one second conductive element, and at least one auxiliary conductive element, optionally traces / conductors, provided on the substrate film. The substrate film is further provided with at least one bonding location reinforcing element at a bonding location to the substrate film. At said bonding location, the bonding location reinforcing element is configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and a second conductive element, which is optionally present on the opposite side of the auxiliary conductive element on the substrate film. The bonding location reinforcing element is further configured to inhibit the coupling between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and the coupling between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

[0013] The term "bonding location" may refer, for example, to a location on a substrate where a bonding location enhancement element is provided, or a space that is occupied or to be occupied by a bonding location enhancement element. Additionally or alternatively, the term "bonding location" may refer to a location where a first conductive element or its extension may contact an auxiliary conductive element or its extension in the absence of a bonding location enhancement element, and / or a location where a second conductive element or its extension may contact an auxiliary conductive element or its extension in the absence of a bonding location enhancement element. The bonding location may be determined by the orientation of the first, second, and auxiliary conductive elements.

[0014] According to the invention, a multilayer structure may be provided with a selected functionality in terms of electrical features that ensures the realization of the selected functionality while also satisfying other possible criteria, for example in terms of shape or dimensions of the structure or any of its associated components or parts thereof (e.g. the substrate film or the entire structure).

[0015] The claimed bond location enhancement elements allow for the fabrication and provision of multi-layer structures in which bonds or crossovers are achieved without through holes in the substrate.

[0016] The present invention also provides an elegant method of providing a swap / join station for functional elements (eg, electrical conductor traces) where, for example, the mutual configuration or topography of the traces can be altered.

[0017] In the context of printed electronics, a structure for inhibiting the bonding between two or more conductive elements (e.g., traces) to provide a crossover element can be realized by a dielectric stack having several printed layers. However, such structures may be fragile during use or during the manufacture of multilayer structures. For example, if the manufacturing process involves injection molding, the printed stack may tend to flow or shift. If thermoforming is utilized, the structure may break if it is close to a stretched region on the substrate. Also, the applications of such printed stacks may be limited because it may be difficult to manufacture a dielectric stack that can withstand high humidity, temperature, and / or bias voltage. The inability to withstand high humidity, temperature, and / or bias voltage may be due to air bubbles that may be trapped inside the stack during the printing stage. The inability to withstand high humidity, temperature, and / or bias voltage may also be due to silver flakes penetrating through the dielectric layers. These issues may cause the dielectric stack to leak electrically. Embodiments of the present invention provide a bond location enhancement element that may provide multiple functionalities in addition to inhibiting the bonding between conductive elements.

[0018] In one embodiment, the substrate film may comprise a formable material, which may be thermoformable, optionally polymer, PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate), polycarbonate (PC), copolyester, copolyester resin, polyimide, copolymer of methylmethacrylate and styrene (MS resin), glass, and / or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0019] In one embodiment, the substrate film may include a selected three-dimensional, optimally thermoformed, non-flat shape.

[0020] The bonding position enhancing elements may be particularly advantageous when the functional elements, including conductive elements, are provided before the substrate film is formed into a three-dimensional shape, since it may be difficult to fine-tune the final positions of the elements relative to each other on the substrate film, and the functionality of the structure in terms of making or avoiding electrical connections may be efficiently realized and maintained.

[0021] However, for moldable or formed substrates, the substrate material and / or the three-dimensional shape of the substrate may result in structures where through-holes are difficult to achieve. The present invention may eliminate this problem since the bonding or crossover situation for conductive elements may be handled without through-holes with the bonding location enhancement element(s).

[0022] In some embodiments, the bonding location enhancement elements may be configured to control deformation of the substrate within the vicinity of the three-dimensional shape in which the substrate is formed, optionally including control over the distribution of deformation forces in selected directions, such that the integrity of the substrate may be advantageously maintained.

[0023] The bond site reinforcement element may also help maintain the integrity of at least one of the functional elements involved in the multi-layer structure, such as one of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, or the auxiliary conductive element.

[0024] The bond location enhancement element may be or include at least one of the functional elements in some embodiments. The bond location enhancement element may include, for example, a resistor, a ferrite bead, a light emitting element or light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED), or a capacitor.

[0025] The structure may include multiple binding location enhancement elements. In some embodiments, at least two binding location enhancement elements may provide a collective action. For example, at least two binding location enhancement elements may provide a collective action for sensing applications.

[0026] In one embodiment, the bond location reinforcement element may comprise a thermoplastic material. The bond location reinforcement element may advantageously comprise a thermoformable material.

[0027] In an embodiment of the present invention, the bonding location reinforcement element may include a multi-layer substructure. Such a substructure may include at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer. The layers of the multi-layer substructure of the bonding location reinforcement element may be arranged substantially co-directional with the substate film at the bonding location. Although such layers need not be co-directional, the multi-layer substructure may be arranged such that the stack is formed in substantially the same direction as the stack formed by the multi-layer structure itself.

[0028] The multi-layer substructure may include castellations, preferably comprising a conductive material, at one or more edges of the multi-layer substructure.

[0029] Bond location enhancement elements including multi-layer substructures may include at least one insulating layer disposed between outer conductive layers.

[0030] The outer conductive layer may define at least one upper extension element and at least one lower extension element, the upper extension element configured to extend between the first conductive element and the second conductive element to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element. The auxiliary conductive element may include a first portion and a second portion, the lower extension element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first portion and the second portion.

[0031] In some embodiments, at least the insulating layer of the multi-layer substructure may comprise a thermoplastic material, preferably a thermoformable material, which may be the same or similar to the material used to form the substrate film.

[0032] In a further embodiment, at least the insulating layer of the multi-layer substructure may comprise or consist essentially of an adhesive material. The conductive layer may also optionally comprise or consist essentially of an adhesive material.

[0033] In one embodiment, the bond location reinforcement element may be shaped to provide a gap between the substrate film and the bond location reinforcement element at the bond location.

[0034] The bond location enhancement element may be associated with a bond maintenance element, which may include an adhesive material and may preferably be provided in contact with the bond location enhancement element, the substrate film, and the auxiliary conductive element. In some embodiments, the bond maintenance element may be adapted to extend beyond the boundaries of the bond location enhancement element and / or the auxiliary conductive element along the substrate film. The bond maintenance element may be configured to secure the bond location enhancement element, the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and / or the auxiliary conductive element to one another and / or to the substrate film.

[0035] The bond location enhancement element may include at least one passive SMD component.

[0036] The bond location enhancement element may, in some embodiments, be further configured to provide a topography transformation such that a topography of at least one of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the auxiliary conductive element is altered from a first topography to a second topography at the bond location. Thus, the bond location enhancement element may function as a bonding station where the mutual configuration of the traces may be altered.

[0037] According to one aspect, a method for producing a multi-layer structure is provided, the method comprising: Obtaining a substrate film; providing several functional elements on the substrate film, the functional elements including at least one first conductive element, at least one second conductive element, and at least one auxiliary conductive element; The substrate film further includes a bonding location reinforcement element at a bonding location relative to the substrate film, the bonding location reinforcement element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and the bonding location reinforcement element configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

[0038] The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented herein should not be construed as posing limitations on the applicability of the appended claims. The verb "comprise" is used herein as an open limitation that does not exclude the presence of unrecited features. The features recited in the various embodiments, e.g. in the dependent claims, are freely combinable with one another unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0039] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims, but the invention itself, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0040] Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example in the figures of the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an embodiment of a multi-layer structure according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates an embodiment of at least a portion of a multi-layer structure including bond site reinforcement elements according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates one embodiment of a multi-layer structure according to the present invention. [Figure 4]1 illustrates an exemplary binding site enhancement element according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an exemplary binding site enhancement element according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates an exemplary binding site enhancement element according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 2 shows a flow chart of a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a multi-layer structure 100 (e.g., an integrated functional multi-layer structure 100) according to the present invention. The structure 100 may itself establish an end product (e.g., an electrical or electronic device) or may be connected or attached to such a product, for example after manufacture.

[0043] The multi-layer structure 100 includes a substrate film 102. The substrate film 102 may be a flexible substrate film that may include a formable material. The substrate film 102 may be formed or formable to exhibit a selected non-flat shape, for example, a 3D shape, such as a curvature, a recess, a protrusion, etc. The substrate 102 in FIG. 1 is shown as flat by way of example.

[0044] The structure 100 may further include several functional elements. The functional elements may include optical, mechanical, opto-electrical, electrical, and / or electronic elements. The functional elements include at least a first conductive element 104a, a second conductive element 106a, and an auxiliary conductive element 108a. The first conductive element 104a and the second conductive element 106a may be at least partially on opposite sides of the auxiliary conductive element 108a on the substrate film 102. The structure 100 further includes at least one bonding location reinforcement element 110a at a bonding location to the substrate film 102.

[0045] In the bonded position, the bond position reinforcing element 110a is configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104a and the second conductive element 108a, while inhibiting the coupling between the first conductive element 104a and the auxiliary conductive element 108a in the bonded position and the coupling between the second conductive element 106a and the auxiliary conductive element 108a in the bonded position. Inhibiting the coupling may preferably mean that the electrical connection is prevented.

[0046] A bonding location may generally refer to a location relative to the substrate film 102 where the bonding location enhancement element 110a is provided. A bonding location may refer to a location relative to the substrate 102 where an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104a and the second conductive element 108a is provided via the bonding location enhancement element 110a, and / or a location relative to the substrate film 102 where a bonding or electrical connection between the first conductive element 104a and the auxiliary conductive element 108a and a bonding or electrical connection between the second conductive element 106a and the auxiliary conductive element 108a are inhibited.

[0047] That an electrical connection or coupling is provided at a bonding location may refer to the bonding being possible via an extension element of the bonding location reinforcement element, as demonstrated in further embodiments.

[0048] That an electrical connection or bond is inhibited at a bond location may refer to the bond location enhancement element preventing an electrical connection between selected conductive elements or extensions thereof that would be provided in the absence of the bond location enhancement element.

[0049] Additionally, conductive elements (e.g., first conductive element 104 and second conductive element 106) that are electrically coupled at least after the provision of the bonding location enhancement elements may be considered to be coupled to form a single entity (e.g., a conductive trace).

[0050] A gap 112 may also be provided between the bond location reinforcement elements 110 a and the substrate film 102 .

[0051] The first conductive element 104a, the second conductive element 106a, and the auxiliary conductive element 108a may be conductors or portions thereof.

[0052] The multi-layer structure 100 and all of its components shown in the figures are merely representative, for example, in view of their size.

[0053] The structure 100 may further include further functional elements, which may include one or more further first conductive elements 104b, further second conductive elements 106b, and further auxiliary conductive elements 108b. The (further) first conductive element 104b and the (further) second conductive element 106b may be considered to be at least partially disposed on opposite sides of the (further) auxiliary conductive element 108b on the substrate. The auxiliary conductive element 108b may be provided as one monolithic body or as a part including at least a first part and a second part (not shown in FIG. 1 ), which may be considered to include or form a mutual longitudinal axis on opposite sides of the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element (which may be at least partially disposed).

[0054] During the manufacture of the multilayer structure 100, the conductive elements may be provided as separate parts or components on the substrate 102, while the fully formed multilayer structure may be considered to include or form, at least in the vicinity of the bonding location reinforcement element 110, two conductive structures (e.g., conductors) (which may be formed from separate parts) that cross each other when viewed perpendicular to the substrate film, such that the crossing elements are inhibited from forming an electrical connection at the bonding location.

[0055] The structure may include at least one further bond location enhancement element 110b. The (further) bond location enhancement element may include a multi-layer substructure, and thus a bond location enhancement element may refer to or include either a single component or body, or a group of component bodies that jointly establish the bond location enhancement element. The multi-layer substructure may include at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer.

[0056] The (further) bonding location enhancement element 110b may comprise at least one insulating layer 110b' arranged between conductive layers 110b'' and 110b''', which may be considered to constitute the outer conductive layers, i.e. the outermost layers of the multi-layer sub-structure. A layer of the (sub)structure (e.g. conductive layer 110b'' or 110b''') may comprise one or more separate components that constitute the layer of the structure, the components being generally substantially on a plane that establishes the layer of the structure. Thus, a layer does not necessarily have to be monolithic, but may be.

[0057] The outer conductive layers 110b'' and 110b''' may define at least one upper extension element and at least one lower extension element, the upper extension element configured to extend between the first conductive element 104b and the second conductive element 106b to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element. Here, it may be considered that the auxiliary conductive element 108b includes a first portion and a second portion, and the lower extension element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first portion and the second portion, whereby the lower extension element, the first portion, and the second portion may also be considered to form the auxiliary conductive element 108b. In FIG. 1, the lower conductive layer 110b''' (or at least an extension element described in more detail below) may therefore also be considered to constitute part of the auxiliary conductive element 108b.

[0058] The structure 100 may further include any number of additional functional elements 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 disposed on the substrate film 102, such as additional conductors, insulators, components such as LEDs, and / or integrated circuits.

[0059] In various additional or supplemental embodiments, at least some of the functional elements, e.g., conductors and / or connection / contact elements, e.g., pads, comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of conductive ink, conductive nanoparticle ink, copper, steel, iron, tin, aluminum, silver, gold, platinum, conductive adhesive, carbon fiber, alloys, silver alloys, zinc, brass, titanium, solder, and any components thereof. The conductive material used may be optically opaque, translucent, and / or transparent at a desired wavelength (e.g., visible light), for example, to mask or reflect radiation (e.g., visible light) therefrom, absorb it therein, or pass it.

[0060] 1, the multi-layer structure 100 may further include a plastic (optionally thermoplastic) layer 124, which is manufactured and optionally molded, e.g., injection molded or cast, onto the substrate film 102 and has embedded therein at least a portion of the several functional elements 104a, 104b, 106a, 106b, 108a, 108b, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 and / or bond location reinforcement elements 110a, 110b.

[0061] In some embodiments (not shown in FIG. 1 ), the multi-layer structure 100 may include a second substrate (e.g., a second substrate film) disposed on an opposite side of the plastic layer 124 relative to the substrate film 102. In such embodiments, the plastic layer 124 may be fabricated, and optionally molded, e.g., injection molded, or cast, between the substrate film 102 and the second substrate, and at least a portion of some of the functional elements 104a, 104b, 106a, 106b, 108a, 108b, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, and / or bond location reinforcement elements 110a, 110b may be embedded therein.

[0062] The substrate film 102 may include a 3D, optionally thermoformed, or otherwise non-flat shape. The induced shape may be substantially permanent (molded, punched, cut, or e.g., a thermoformed shape) or may be temporary (e.g., remaining while an external force is applied to the structure 100 or an element thereof, e.g., the film 102).

[0063] The bond location reinforcement elements 110a, 110b may be configured to control deformation of the substrate film 102. Control may include, for example, control over the distribution of deformation forces in selected directions at locations or transition regions of substantially any non-flat features formed on the substrate film 102.

[0064] The utilized substrate film 102 (and any optional second substrate film) may refer to, for example, a rigid or flexible (and bendable) substrate film in which one of the three dimensions (e.g., z, such as "thickness") is significantly shorter relative to the other two (e.g., x and y) dimensions. Thus, the substrate film 102 may, at least initially, be a substantially planar substrate. However, the substrate film 102 may generally or locally define 3D shape(s), such as curved or curved shape(s), either originally or after processing such as 3D forming (e.g., thermoforming).

[0065] The thickness of the substrate film 102 may vary depending on the embodiment and may be only a few tenths or percentiles of a millimeter, or may be, for example, much thicker, on the order of one or several millimeters.

[0066] The substrate film 102 may comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of polymers, thermoplastic materials, electrically insulating materials, PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), polycarbonate (PC), copolyesters, copolyester resins, polyimides, copolymers of methyl methacrylate and styrene (MS resins), glass, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), carbon fibers, organic materials, biomaterials, leather, wood, textiles, fabrics, metals, organic natural materials, solid wood, veneers, plywood, bark, tree bark, birch bark, cork, natural leather, natural fiber or fabric materials, naturally grown materials, cotton, wool, linen, silk, and any combination of the above. If present, the second substrate may differ from the first substrate film 102 in terms of size, shape, and / or material(s).

[0067] The plastic layer 124 may comprise a thermoplastic material and / or a thermosetting material(s). The thickness of the molded or otherwise manufactured layer(s) may vary depending on the embodiment, for example less than a millimeter, a millimeter, a few or a few tens of millimeters. The material(s) may be, for example, electrically insulating. The layer 124 may comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of elastomeric resins, thermosetting materials, thermoplastic materials, PC, PMMA, ABS, PET, copolyesters, copolyester resins, nylon (PA, polyamide), PP (polypropylene), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), polystyrene (GPPS), TPSiV (thermoplastic silicone vulcanizate), and MS resin.

[0068] FIG. 2 shows in 2A an embodiment of at least a portion of a multi-layer structure 100 showing bond location reinforcement elements 110 and functional elements viewed in a direction perpendicular to the substrate film 102 (not shown in FIG. 2A), and FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the multi-layer structure 100 substantially corresponding to that of FIG. 2A.

[0069] In this embodiment, the bond location enhancement element 110 may consist primarily of conductive material or may include at least a portion of conductive material connecting the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106.

[0070] The dimensions of the bond location enhancement element 110 may be selected based on the use case. In some embodiments, off-the-shelf electrical components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, or jumpers) may be utilized. The bond location enhancement element 110 may be selected to exhibit a selected shape, for example, in terms of size, number, and / or relative position, with respect to one or more of the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, or the auxiliary conductive element 108.

[0071] 2, the structure 100 may include a plurality of auxiliary conductive elements 108. The bond location enhancement elements 110 may be configured to inhibit coupling between the first conductive element 104 and each of the auxiliary conductive elements 108, and to inhibit coupling between the second conductive element 106 and each of the auxiliary conductive elements 108, at least at the bond locations. The structure 100 may also include a plurality of first conductive elements 104 and a plurality of second conductive elements 106, as described later herein.

[0072] The multi-layer structure 100 may further include a bond retention element 202, which may be provided in association with the bond location reinforcement element 110. The bond retention element 202 may include an adhesive material (e.g., a structural adhesive) and may be provided in contact with at least the bond location reinforcement element 110, the substrate film 102, and the auxiliary conductive element 108.

[0073] The bond maintenance elements 202 may be adapted to extend along the substrate film 102 beyond the boundaries of the bond location enhancement elements 110, as seen in Figure 2A. The bond maintenance elements 202 may also extend along the substrate film 102 beyond the boundaries of the auxiliary conductive element(s) 108.

[0074] The bond maintenance element 202 may be configured to secure the bond position enhancement element 110, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and / or the auxiliary conductive element 108 to each other and / or to the substrate film 102.

[0075] The bond maintenance elements 202 may additionally or alternatively be configured to provide protection or support for the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and / or the auxiliary conductive element 108. For example, the bond maintenance elements 202 may extend beyond the boundaries of the bond location enhancement elements 110 and / or beyond the boundaries of the auxiliary conductive element(s) 108, thereby protecting the auxiliary conductive element(s) 108, for example, from cracking, during formation of the substrate 102 and / or during use of the structure 100.

[0076] In some embodiments, the bond maintenance elements 202 may be configured to control deformation of the substrate film 102 in addition to or instead of the bond location enhancement elements 110 doing so.

[0077] The embodiment of FIG. 2 may be realized without the bond-maintaining element 202 .

[0078] The bond location enhancement element 110 may include or be a jumper, an SMD, or the bond location enhancement element 110 may be at least a portion of an integrated circuit.

[0079] FIG. 2C shows an example of how a first conductive element 104, a second conductive element 106, and an auxiliary conductive element 108 may be provided on a substrate film 102, for example, prior to providing a bonding location enhancement element 110 corresponding to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0080] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first conductive element and / or the second conductive element may be implemented as or considered to form part of the binding location enhancement element 110. This is illustrated in relation to FIG.

[0081] 3, at 3A, 3B, and 3C, show an embodiment of a multi-layer structure 100 including multiple binding site enhancing elements 110 that can provide a collective effect. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the collective effect is relevant for sensing applications.

[0082] 3 may be provided in isolation, i.e., in association with a multi-layer structure 100 that includes only one binding location enhancement element 110. Sensing applications may be provided using a multi-layer structure 100 that includes one binding location enhancement element 110.

[0083] 3A and 3B further illustrate multi-layer structures 100 (or portions of multi-layer structures 100) each including two bond location enhancement elements 110. In these embodiments, the bond location enhancement elements 100 may include, for example, jumpers or other conductors shaped to form a gap 112 between the bond location enhancement elements 100 and the substrate 102.

[0084] 3A, the structure includes a first conductive element 104, a second conductive element 106, an auxiliary conductive element 108, and a bonding location enhancement element 110. In this self-capacitance mode embodiment using an LED 302, the first conductive element 104 (e.g., a trace line) may form a touch electrode, while the auxiliary conductive element 108 (e.g., a trace line) forms a connection to the LED 302. The auxiliary conductive element 108 may be a continuous elongated body along the substrate surface. The second conductive element 106 may act as a connector between the two bonding location enhancement elements 110.

[0085] The bonding location enhancement element 110 provides an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106, which may be on an opposing side of the auxiliary conductive element 108 on the substrate film 102, and is configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive element 104 and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location and between the second conductive element 106 and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location. Area A generally indicates the effective touch button area of ​​the structure.

[0086] 3B illustrates a mutual capacitance mode embodiment, where two coupling location enhancement elements 110 are each associated with a respective first conductive element 104. First receive touch electrode 104n and second receive touch electrode 104m may be provided and are coupled to respective coupling location enhancement elements 110n and 110m, respectively.

[0087] The second conductive elements 106n, 106m may be separate elements provided on the substrate surface, for example conductors connecting the bond site enhancement element(s) 110n and / or 110m to the substrate surface.

[0088] The second conductive element 106n, 106m may alternatively be provided in association with the bond location enhancement element(s) 110n and / or 110m. The second conductive element 106n, 106m may be considered as part of the body of the bond location enhancement element 110n 110m, which comprises a conductive material and is bonded to the substrate surface. The second conductive element 106n, 106m may provide an electrode function.

[0089] The auxiliary conductive element 108, which may be a continuous strip along the substrate surface, may form a transmit touch electrode. Area A indicates the effective touch button area of ​​the structure.

[0090] Thus, the bonding location reinforcing elements 110n, 110m are configured to provide electrical connection between the first conductive element 104n, 104m and the second conductive element 106n, 106m present on the opposite side of the auxiliary conductive element 108 on the substrate film, and to suppress coupling between the first conductive element 104n, 104m and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location, and coupling between the second conductive element 106n, 106m and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location.

[0091] 3C illustrates another embodiment in which multiple coupling location enhancement elements provide a collective (here sensing) function: a first conductive element 104 may form a ground electrode, a second conductive element 106 may form a trace line coupling an LED 302 to both coupling location enhancement elements 110d, 110e, and an auxiliary conductive element 108 may form a touch electrode.

[0092] The first coupling location enhancement element 110d may include a capacitor for filtering signals and electromagnetic interference, while the second coupling location enhancement element 110e may include a zero ohm resistor for connection to a ground plane. Ferrite beads may also or alternatively be used as the coupling location enhancement elements 110 to reduce electromagnetic interference in the transmission line.

[0093] 4-5 show different embodiments of the bond location enhancement element 110b, in which the bond location enhancement element 110b includes a multi-layer substructure including at least one insulating layer 110b' disposed between conductive layers 110b'' and 110b'''. In these embodiments, the bond location enhancement element 110b may be considered to be provided as a miniature printed circuit board (PCB) module.

[0094] Figure 4A shows a top view of the bond location enhancement element 110b, and Figure 4B shows a bottom view of the bond location enhancement element 110b. A layer may include one component, or may include two or more separate components forming a layer.

[0095] As an example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the diameter of the bond location reinforcement element 110b may be, for example, 2 mm.

[0096] The upper conductive layer 110b'' may define at least one upper extension element 402. The upper extension element 402 is configured to extend between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106 and provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106.

[0097] The lower conductive layer 110b''' may define at least one lower extension element 404 configured to provide an electrical connection between the first and second portions of the auxiliary conductive element 108.

[0098] In one method of manufacturing the multi-layer structure 100, the bond location reinforcement elements 110b may be manufactured as a multi-layer substructure on the substrate film 102, or may be manufactured separately before the bond location reinforcement elements 110b are provided at the bond location. The method of manufacturing the bond location reinforcement elements 110, 110b and whether to manufacture them on the substrate 102 or as separate components / elements may depend, for example, on the material used in the bond location reinforcement elements 110, 110b. In particular, considering, for example, the embodiment of Figures 4-5, if the bond location reinforcement elements 110b are provided as a miniature PCB module, the bond location reinforcement elements 110b may be formed, for example, from a separately manufactured and printed PCB structure manufactured by standard methods.

[0099] After the bond location reinforcement elements 110b are manufactured, they may then be attached to the substrate film 102, for example using an adhesive. Standard SMD methods may be applied.

[0100] Castellations 502 comprising a conductive material are advantageously provided on the edges of the bonding location reinforcement element 110b, with the castellations 502 associated with the upper and lower extension elements to facilitate bonding of the first conductive element 104 to the upper extension element 402, bonding of the second conductive element 106 to the upper extension element 402, bonding of the first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108 to the lower extension element 406, and / or bonding of the second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108 to the lower extension element 404.

[0101] Prior to separating (e.g., cutting) the separate PCB structure that serves as the bond location reinforcement element 110b from the panel, castellated holes may be drilled through the PCB by providing plated holes using a conductive material.

[0102] Figure 4C further illustrates a top view of the bond location enhancement element 110b, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, the first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108A, and the second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108B, and Figure 4D illustrates a bottom view of the bond location enhancement element 110b, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, the first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108A, and the second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108B. Castellations are not shown in Figure 4, but may be present.

[0103] 4C shows the top conductive layer 110b'' with an underlying insulating layer 110b'. The top conductive layer 110b'' forms or defines the top extension element 402. The top extension element 402 is configured to extend between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106 to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106.

[0104] 4D illustrates the lower conductive layer 110b''' with an insulating layer 110b' disposed thereon. The lower conductive layer 110b''' forms or defines a lower extension element 404. The lower extension element 404 is configured to provide an electrical connection between a first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108A and a second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108B.

[0105] 4D illustrates generally how the first portion 108A and the second portion 108B of the auxiliary conductive element 108 may be provided in association with the lower extension element 404. It is contemplated that the first portion 108A, the second portion 108B, and the lower extension element 4404 together form the auxiliary conductive element 108, at least after assembly of the multi-layer structure 100.

[0106] The bonding location reinforcing element 110b provides an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106, which can be considered to be on the opposite side of the auxiliary conductive element 108 on the substrate film, and is configured to suppress bonding between the first conductive element 104 and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element 106 and the auxiliary conductive element 108 at the bonding location.

[0107] 4 embodiment, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the upper extension element 402 may be considered to form an upper element (e.g., a trace), and the auxiliary conductive element 108 (or the lower extension element 404 with its first and second portions) may be considered to form a lower element (e.g., a trace) such that the upper and lower elements cross each other when viewed perpendicular to the substrate surface (corresponding to top and bottom views). Thus, the bond location enhancement element 110 may be configured to provide a crossover element that enables trace crossover while suppressing shorts.

[0108] In one embodiment, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the auxiliary conductive element 108 may form different portions of the same entity. For example, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the auxiliary conductive element 108 may be different portions of an inductor.

[0109] 4E illustrates a configuration of the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, the first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108A, and the second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108B (which may be provided on the substrate film 102 prior to providing the bonding location enhancement element 110b). The first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, the first portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108A, and the second portion of the auxiliary conductive element 108B may be provided outside of the "bonding location" to be occupied by the bonding location enhancement element 110b, or may overlap the bonding location such that the bonding location enhancement element 110b is provided on one or more of the conductive elements. After the bonding location reinforcing element 110b is provided on the substrate film 102, the bonding location reinforcing element 110b may be considered to be configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element and to suppress bonding between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

[0110] FIG. 5 shows a different embodiment of the bond location enhancement element 110b including a multi-layer substructure having an insulating layer 110b' disposed between conductive layers 110b'' and 110b'''. The layers form various numbers of upper and lower extension elements 402 and 404. Castellations 502 are also shown. The castellations 502 may assist in providing connections between the conductive elements and the extension elements. A conductive adhesive or SMD solder (paste) may further be used to provide electrical connections from the first, second and / or auxiliary conductive elements 104, 106, 108A, 108B to the bond location enhancement element 110b.

[0111] The thickness of the bonding location reinforcement element 110b may be, for example, 0.01 mm to 1 mm, for example 0.2 mm or 0.4 mm. A thickness of 0.4 mm or more may be advantageous, since the bonding location reinforcement element 110b may be tightly pressed during the assembly stage.

[0112] 5A shows a plan view of a bond location reinforcement element 110b with sharp edges (or originally square or rectangular in shape) corresponding to those of FIGS. 4A and 4B (rounded edges). Bond location reinforcement elements 110b with sharp edges may be easier to manufacture than those with rounded edges. However, bond location reinforcement elements 110b with rounded edges may be advantageous in applications where injection molding is used to prevent the bond location reinforcement element 110b from shifting during manufacture.

[0113] Figure 5B shows a top view of the bond location reinforcement element 110b, and Figure 5C shows a bottom view of the bond location reinforcement element 110b, where the upper extension element 402 is formed as described and illustrated in the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5A, while the lower extension element 404 is formed by using through holes or vias provided in the bond location reinforcement element 110b.

[0114] 5D and 5F show top views of an alternative bond location enhancement element 110b, and 5E and 5G show corresponding bottom views, where the bond location enhancement element 110b is configured to provide separate extension elements (upper extension element 402 and lower extension element 404) for coupling to different numbers of first, second, and / or auxiliary (or portions thereof) conductive elements 104, 106, and / or 108A, 108B. A typical size of 5.08 mm in length and 2.54 mm in height is shown.

[0115] The illustrated diagram shows only the insulating layer 110b' disposed between the two conductive layers 110b'' and 110b'''. Additionally, additional conductive and insulating layers may be provided depending on the embodiment. In different embodiments of the present invention, the bond location enhancement element 110 may facilitate providing crossovers including any number of first, second, and auxiliary conductive elements 104, 106, 108. Different layers and extension elements of the bond location enhancement element 110 may receive different conductive elements to provide complex crossovers and / or bonding stations. The topography of the conductive elements may also be varied, as further shown below.

[0116] Bond location enhancement elements 110 according to embodiments of the present invention (especially those including multi-layer substructures) may provide low profile (thin) components that may be securely fastened to substrate 102, with surface areas several times greater than their thickness.

[0117] In some embodiments, the structural adhesive may advantageously not contact any printed trace lines on the substrate film 102 .

[0118] Through the embodiment of the bond site enhancement element 110, high voltages and / or currents can be reliably permitted while enhancing conductivity on the printed lines.

[0119] 6 illustrates layers of an alternative bond location enhancement element 110b that includes a multi-layer substructure having at least one insulating layer 110b' disposed between (outer) upper and lower conductive layers 110b'' and 110b'''. The embodiment of FIG. 6 may differ in materials and manufacturing methods from the bond location enhancement elements of FIGS. 4-5 previously presented.

[0120] FIG. 6A shows separate layers of a lower (outer) conductive layer 110b''', an insulating layer 110b', and an upper (outer) conductive layer 110b''.

[0121] In one embodiment, the lower conductive layer 110b''' may be a printed conductive layer, for example, with at least the lower extension element 404 printed on it.

[0122] The insulating layer 110b' may be a laminate insulating layer. In some embodiments, the insulating layer 110b' may comprise a thermoplastic material, preferably a thermoformable material. The insulating layer 110b' may be disposed on the lower conductive layer 110b'''. In some embodiments, an adhesive may be used in the lamination process step.

[0123] In embodiments in which the insulating layer 110b' comprises a thermoformable material, the manufacturing process may include a step of thermoforming at least the laminate insulating layer 110b', for example to flatten the structure.

[0124] The carrier film may be utilized or attached to the SMD reel in a variety of ways to manufacture the bond location enhancement element 110b.

[0125] The top conductive layer 110b'' may define at least one top extension element 402 configured to extend between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106 and provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106. FIG. 6A illustrates generally how the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106 may be provided in association with the top extension element 402. After fabrication of at least the multi-layer structure 100, the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the top extension element 402 may be considered to form together an integrated body or one element.

[0126] The upper conductive layer 110b'' may be a printed conductive layer that may be printed on an insulating layer 110b' that is disposed on the lower conductive layer 110b'''.

[0127] The portion of the layer indicated by the dashed rectangle may represent one embodiment of a single bond location enhancement element 110b. Any number of such bond location enhancement elements 110b may be simultaneously manufactured through embodiments of the method according to the invention. The example of FIG. 6A shows a 1×5 matrix of bond location enhancement elements 110b that may be simultaneously manufactured and then, for example, cut to provide separate bond location enhancement elements 110b. Matrices of other dimensions are also possible.

[0128] 6 shows single bond location enhancing elements 110b having a 2x2 topology, with each single bond location enhancing element 110b associated with two first conductive elements 104, two second conductive elements 106, and two auxiliary conductive elements 108. Many types of other topologies may be provided, such as 1x1, 1x3, 3x3, 3x1, to name a few.

[0129] The bond location reinforcement elements 110b may then be applied, as described, onto the substrate film 102, for example using a standard SMD feeder. Other components of the multi-layer structure 100 may be applied onto the substrate 102 prior to or simultaneously with the application of the bond location reinforcement elements 110b, or conductive elements, such as conductors, may be printed onto the substrate film 102 after the application of at least one bond location reinforcement element 110b.

[0130] The method of manufacturing the multi-layer structure 100 with the bond location reinforcement element 110b including the multi-layer substructure may be advantageous if the materials used in the rest of the multi-layer structure 100 are at least partially the same or similar to those used in the bond location reinforcement element 110b. For example, the printed conductors or the printed conductive layer may use the same material and / or the substrate film 102 may include the same material as that used in the insulating layer 110b'. In the described method, where the insulating layer may be arranged, for example, by lamination, printing of an insulating material may be avoided. Printed insulating structures may be insufficiently reliable.

[0131] 6 shows a bonding location enhancement element 110b that may function as a crossover element or as a bonding station that further provides a transformation of the topography. The topography may be changed from a first topography to a second topography at the bonding location.

[0132] In the example of Figure 6, the mutual configuration of the auxiliary conductive element 108 and the main body formed by the first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the upper extension element 402 is changed so that the order of the main body and the auxiliary conductive element 108 on one side of the bonding position reinforcement element 110b on the substrate film 102 is different from the order on the other side of the bonding position reinforcement element 110b.

[0133] The topographical changes seen in FIG. 6 may also be provided in the case of the bond location enhancement elements 110b of FIGS.

[0134] 6B shows an example of a multi-layer substructure in which a lower conductive layer 110b'' is provided with an insulating layer 110b'. An upper conductive layer 110b'' is provided with a respective insulating layer 110b'.

[0135] In the embodiment of FIG. 6B, the lower conductive layer 110b''' and its insulating layer 110b' may be fabricated separately, and the upper conductive layer 110b'' and its respective insulating layer 110b' may be fabricated separately. The two layers may then be joined by laminating the upper layer to the lower layer to provide the bond location enhancement element 110b. After providing the bond location enhancement element 110b, the lower conductive layer 110b''' and the respective insulating layer 110b' of the upper conductive layer 110b'' may be considered to form one insulating layer 110b' of the multi-layer substructure of the bond location enhancement element 110b.

[0136] In one embodiment of the bond location reinforcement element 110, 110b (not shown), the bond location reinforcement element may include a multi-layer substructure with at least one insulating layer arranged between (outer) upper and lower conductive layers, where at least the insulating layer includes or consists of an adhesive material, and optionally the conductive layer may also include or consist essentially of an adhesive material. Such an embodiment may provide advantages over printed dielectric stack structures, which have been considered so far as crossover components, in particular. Here, the layer thickness between the electrically conductive layers may be much larger than the dielectric stack, thereby reducing the risk of breakthrough. Compared to solutions in which the bond location reinforcement element includes, for example, an SMD component, the bond made between the bond location reinforcement element and the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and / or the auxiliary conductive element may be more reliable.

[0137] In embodiments in which at least the insulating layer comprises an adhesive material, the structure of the bond location enhancement element 110, 110b may correspond to that considered in connection with Figures 4-6 in the sense that it may at least include an upper conductive layer that may define at least one upper extension element configured to extend between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106 and provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element 104 and the second conductive element 106. The bond location enhancement element 110, 110b may further include a lower conductive layer that may define at least one lower extension element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first and second portions of the auxiliary conductive element 108.

[0138] However, in contrast to some embodiments that may be considered in connection with Figures 4 to 6, the bond location reinforcement elements 110, in which at least the insulating layer comprises an adhesive material, may be manufactured in a different way: here, instead of being manufactured separately before applying it to the substrate film, the bond location reinforcement elements may be manufactured directly on the substrate during the manufacture of the multilayer structure.

[0139] The first conductive element 104, the second conductive element 106, and the first and second portions of the auxiliary conductive elements 108A, 108B may be provided on the substrate film 102 before, after, or during the provision of the bonding location reinforcement elements 110, 110b. The bonding location reinforcement elements 110, 110b may be provided by first providing a lower conductive layer on the substrate film to form at least one lower extension element, the lower conductive layer may include, for example, a conductive ink or a conductive adhesive. An insulating layer may be provided on the lower conductive layer, the insulating layer may include or consist of a structural adhesive. Then, an upper conductive layer may be provided on the insulating layer to form at least one upper extension element, the upper conductive layer may include, for example, a conductive ink or a conductive adhesive. The layer may be provided using a method such as spraying.

[0140] The approaches discussed above may not add any process steps to the manufacturing of multi-layer structures, such as the IMSE manufacturing process. Therefore, the additional cost of providing separate bond location reinforcement elements 110, 110b may not be required. For example, applying an insulating layer with a structural adhesive may be particularly suitable for solutions that include some crossover structures that are required. This solution may reduce manufacturing time and / or complexity by reducing the number of printed layers and / or components required.

[0141] The bond location enhancement elements 110, 110b, in which at least the insulating layer includes or consists of an adhesive material, may also include any required number of additional insulating and conductive layers (each or at least each insulating layer includes an adhesive material such as a structural adhesive) to provide crossover elements for the additional first conductive element 104, second conductive element 106, and / or auxiliary conductive element 108 (or portions thereof). Topological transformations may also be considered here.

[0142] 7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the invention. At the start of the method for manufacturing a multi-layer structure 100, a start-up phase 702 may be performed. During start-up, tasks such as selection, acquisition, calibration and other configuration tasks of materials, e.g. substrates, components and tools may be performed. For example, it may be ensured that the individual elements and material selections work together and withstand the selected manufacturing and installation processes. The selections may be checked, for example, based on the specifications of the manufacturing process and data sheets of the components or by inspecting and testing manufactured prototypes. Thus, the equipment used, for example molding / IMD (in-mold decoration), lamination, bonding, (thermo)forming, electronics assembly, cutting, punching and / or printing equipment, among others, may be brought up to operation at this stage.

[0143] Step 704 may refer to obtaining a substrate film that includes a formable (optionally thermoformable) material.

[0144] Steps 708, 710, and 712 may refer to providing several functional elements (including at least a first conductive element, a second conductive element, and an auxiliary conductive element) on the substrate film. Some conductive elements may be part of the same conductive entity. As an example, the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the auxiliary conductive element may all be part of an inductor, the inductor portion having at least one coupling location where the inductor portions may cross each other on the substrate film.

[0145] In step 713, the substrate film may further be provided with bonding location enhancement elements at the bonding locations configured to provide electrical connections between the first conductive elements and the second conductive elements, and further configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive elements and the auxiliary conductive elements at the bonding locations and between the second conductive elements and the auxiliary conductive elements at the bonding locations. This step may be performed before, simultaneously with, or after some or all of steps 708, 710, 712. Before step 713, in some embodiments, the method may include a separate step of fabricating the bonding location enhancement element(s), for example, using a printing technique, lamination, or etching.

[0146] In various embodiments, the method may further include forming 714 the substrate film to show a selected three-dimensional non-flat shape, e.g., near the functional element, e.g., before or after step 713. Forming 714 may include, for example, thermoforming, vacuum forming, high pressure forming, or cold forming.

[0147] In various embodiments, the method may include fabricating 716 at least one plastic layer on the substrate film, preferably by molding (e.g., injection molding) or casting, and at least partially embedding one or more of the functional elements and / or bonding location reinforcement elements therein.

[0148] Furthermore, in various embodiments, the method may include post-processing 718 of the multi-layer structure 100. This may mean, for example, cutting, shearing, mounting certain pieces thereof onto a receiving device, or other known post-processing tasks as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0149] At 720, execution of the method ends.

[0150] The scope of the present invention is determined by the appended claims together with their equivalents. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed embodiments have been constructed solely for illustrative purposes, and that other arrangements applying many of the principles described above can be readily prepared to best suit each potential usage scenario.

Claims

1. A multi-layer structure, A substrate film; several functional elements and / or integrated circuits provided on said substrate film, preferably including optical, mechanical, opto-electrical, electrical and / or specifically electronic elements, such as conductors, insulators, components, and / or the several functional elements and / or integrated circuits including at least one first conductive element, at least one second conductive element, and at least one auxiliary conductive element, optionally traces; the substrate film is provided with at least one bonding position reinforcement element at a bonding position relative to the substrate film; A multilayer structure, wherein at the bonding location, the bonding location reinforcing element is configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and a second conductive element that is optionally at least partially present on an opposite side of the auxiliary conductive element on the substrate film, and further wherein the bonding location reinforcing element is configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate film comprises a formable material.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate film comprises a selected three-dimensional, optimally thermoformed, non-flat shape.

4. The structure of claim 3 , wherein the bond location enhancement elements are configured to control the deformation of the substrate within a vicinity of the three-dimensional non-planar shape.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the binding site enhancement element is or includes at least one of the functional elements.

6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the bond location enhancement element comprises a resistor, a ferrite bead, a light source, or a capacitor.

7. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the structure includes a plurality of bonded location reinforcement elements that provide a collective action.

8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the bond location reinforcement element comprises a thermoplastic material.

9. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the bonding location reinforcement element comprises a multilayer substructure including at least one conductive layer and at least one insulating layer, the layers being arranged co-directionally with the substate film at the bonding location.

10. 10. The structure of claim 9, wherein the multi-layer substructure includes at least one insulating layer disposed between outer conductive layers.

11. 11. The structure of claim 10, wherein the outer conductive layer defines at least one upper extension element and at least one lower extension element, the upper extension element configured to extend between the first conductive element and the second conductive element and provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and further wherein the auxiliary conductive element includes a first portion and a second portion, and the lower extension element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first portion and the second portion.

12. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the multi-layer substructure includes castellations at one or more edges of the multi-layer substructure.

13. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the insulating layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

14. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an adhesive material.

15. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the bond location reinforcement element is shaped to provide a gap between the substrate film and the bond location reinforcement element at the bond location.

16. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the bond location enhancement element is associated with a bond maintenance element, the bond maintenance element comprising an adhesive material.

17. 17. The structure of claim 16, wherein the bond maintenance elements are adapted to extend along the substrate film beyond the boundaries of the bond location enhancement elements and / or the auxiliary conductive elements.

18. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the coupling location enhancement element includes at least one passive SMD component.

19. 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the bond location enhancement element is further configured to provide a topography transformation such that a topography of at least one of the first conductive element, the second conductive element, and the auxiliary conductive element is changed from a first topography to a second topography at the bond location.

20. 1. A method for manufacturing a multi-layer structure, comprising: Obtaining a substrate film; providing several functional elements on the substrate film, the functional elements including at least one first conductive element, at least one second conductive element, and at least one auxiliary conductive element; The substrate film further includes a bonding location reinforcement element at a bonding location relative to the substrate film, the bonding location reinforcement element configured to provide an electrical connection between the first conductive element and the second conductive element, and the bonding location reinforcement element configured to inhibit bonding between the first conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location and bonding between the second conductive element and the auxiliary conductive element at the bonding location.

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