Deposition by solid raw material supply

Abstract

The method may include providing a fluid material, solidifying the fluid material, providing a substrate, and depositing the solidified fluid material on the substrate. The step of providing the fluid material may include providing a mold and filling the mold with the fluid material. The step of solidifying the fluid material may include solidifying the fluid material in the mold and removing the solidified fluid material from the mold. The step of providing a substrate may include preparing the substrate for deposition of the solidified fluid material and adjusting the temperature of the substrate. The step of depositing the solidified fluid material on the substrate may include fixing the substrate and loading the solidified fluid material into a deposition tool. The fluid material may include a liquid phase component and a solid phase component. The solid phase component may include particles suspended in the liquid phase component. The liquid phase component may include a gallium alloy.

Description

[[BACKGROUND]]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 961,686, filed on January 15, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The principles of the invention of the present patent disclosure generally relate to deposition of materials onto a substrate, and more specifically to deposition from a solid feedstock. [[SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION]]

[0003] The method may comprise the steps of: providing a fluid material; solidifying the fluid material; providing a substrate; and depositing the solidified fluid material onto the substrate. The step of providing a fluid material may comprise providing a mold and filling the mold with the fluid material. The step of solidifying the fluid material may comprise solidifying the fluid material in the mold and removing the solidified fluid material from the mold. The step of providing a substrate may comprise preparing a substrate for deposition of the solidified fluid material and adjusting the temperature of the substrate. The step of depositing the solidified fluid material onto the substrate may comprise securing the substrate and loading the solidified fluid material into a deposition tool. The fluid material may comprise a liquid phase component and a solid phase component. The solid phase component may comprise particles suspended in the liquid phase component. The liquid phase component may comprise a gallium alloy. The solid phase component may comprise gallium oxide. The gallium oxide may comprise gallium oxide particles. The gallium oxide may comprise a network of gallium oxide structures. The network of gallium oxide structures may comprise interconnected gallium oxide structures. The fluid material may comprise a conductive gel. The fluid material may comprise a non-Newtonian material. The deposited and solidified fluid material forms a pattern of traces on the substrate.

[0004] The apparatus may comprise a base configured to hold a substrate in place, and a supply head configured to supply solidified fluid material to the substrate at a deposition site. Here, the base and the supply head are configured to move the deposition site on the substrate. The material has a width. The supply head is configured to reduce the width of the material as it is supplied to the substrate. The material can form a trace pattern on the substrate.

[0005] The method may include the steps of supplying a deformable conductive material in a solid state to a deposition site on a substrate, depositing the deformable conductive material on the substrate at the deposition site, and converting at least a portion of the deformable conductive material into a non-solid state. The method may further include the step of moving the deposition site to form a pattern of the deformable conductive material on the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Elements of similar structure or function are generally represented throughout the drawings by similar reference numbers or parts thereof for illustrative purposes. The drawings are intended solely to facilitate the description of the various embodiments described herein. The drawings do not illustrate all aspects of the teachings disclosed herein and do not limit the claims. Not all components, connections, etc., are shown, and not all components have reference numbers, in order to prevent the drawings from becoming obscured. However, patterns of component configurations are readily apparent from the drawings.

[0007] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the method according to this disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary embodiment of the method according to this disclosure.

[0009] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an exemplary embodiment of the deposition apparatus according to this disclosure.

[0010] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing some exemplary internal details of the deposition apparatus shown in Figure 3, according to this disclosure.

[0011] Figure 5 is a partial cutaway view showing an alternative embodiment of the deposition apparatus according to this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing another exemplary embodiment of the deposition apparatus according to this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 7 is a plan view of a product manufactured using embodiments of the apparatus and methods described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Some of the present invention principles of this disclosure relate to a method for depositing a material that may be fluid at the operating temperature and / or manufacturing temperature onto a substrate, as well as a deposition apparatus for enabling such deposition. In some embodiments, the apparatus may incorporate computer numerical control (CNC) techniques for use with such method, material, and / or apparatus.

[0015] In some embodiments, the operating temperature and / or manufacturing temperature may be room temperature or near it. This temperature may be about 20°C, and may generally be within the ranges of 18-22°C, 10-30°C, and / or any other suitable range.

[0016] In some embodiments, the “fluid” material may have particles. These particles can move easily, change their relative positions, and be pushed back by pressure, i.e., they can flow. Specific examples include, but are not limited to, liquids, pastes, foams, and non-Newtonian materials such as gels and Bingham plastics.

[0017] In some embodiments, the fluid material may include a deformable conductor made from a gallium alloy and deposited as a circuit trace on an elastic substrate. One example is a conductive gel traded as Metal Gel. Several examples of this gel are disclosed in International Patent Application PCT / US2017 / 019762, filed on 27 February 2017, which is incorporated by reference. This International Patent Application was published on 8 September 2017 as International Publication 2017 / 151523A1, which is also incorporated by reference. Several examples of this gel are also disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 947,744, filed on 6 April 2018, which is incorporated by reference. This U.S. Patent Application was published on 30 August 2018 as U.S. Patent Application Publication 2018 / 0247727, which is also incorporated by reference.

[0018] Other suitable fluid materials may include conductive or electroactive materials formed from conductive metals such as gold, nickel, silver, platinum, and copper; semiconductors based on silicon, gallium, germanium, antimony, arsenic, boron, carbon, selenium, sulfur, and tellurium; semiconductor compounds containing gallium arsenide, indium antimonide, and oxides of many metals; organic semiconductors; and conductive nonmetallic substances such as graphite. Examples of suitable non-electroactive compositions include many other types of gels such as silica gel, and chafing fuels such as Sterno.

[0019] In some embodiments, the inventive principles described herein may be realized in materials having at least a partial composition, structure, or behavior that is non-solid at room temperature or other ambient temperatures for use and / or manufacture.

[0020] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present disclosure. The method 100 shown in Figure 1 may be used, for example, to deposit a material, such as one of the materials disclosed herein, onto a substrate. The method may begin in step 110. Step 110 may include the step of providing a material that may be fluid at the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment. In this example, the environment may be a manufacturing facility kept at room temperature. In a second step 120, the material may be solidified by placing the material in a second environment where the temperature is controlled to be at or below the freezing point of the material. In a third step 130, a substrate material may be provided on which the user of the method 100 wishes to deposit a fluid material. In a fourth step 140, the solidified material from the second step 120 may be deposited on the substrate material provided in the third step 130.

[0021] In some embodiments, the deposited material may form a trace pattern on the substrate. In some embodiments, the trace pattern may refer to a single trace or a portion thereof.

[0022] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present disclosure. The embodiment shown in Figure 2 may include additional steps useful for handling fluid materials in more complex embodiments of Method 100. A first step 110 optionally includes a substep 111 for providing a mold and a substep 112 for filling the mold with material. A second step 120 may optionally include a substep 121 for solidifying the material in the mold and a substep 122 for removing the solidified material from the mold. A third step 130 may optionally include a substep 131 for preparing a substrate for a fourth step 140. For example, deposition may be more successful if the surface of the substrate is cleaned and / or modified in some way. For example, the substrate material may be textured by, for example, media blasting, molding, etching or other processes. In other examples, the substrate may be primed or coated with another material to enhance the adhesion of the solidified material, and / or the surface of the substrate may be softened or hardened by chemical treatment such as tempering or thermal treatment. In yet another example, the substrate may be subjected to a process to change its surface energy, for example, via corona discharge treatment or plasma discharge treatment. In addition, optionally, the third step 130 may include a substep 132 for heating or cooling the substrate material to a desired temperature. The fourth step 140 may optionally include a substep 141 for fixing the substrate and a substep 142 for loading the solidified material onto a tool to control the deposition parameters. As an example, deposition may be performed by ablating the solidified material onto the substrate using pressure and relative motion between two materials. In such an example, parameters useful for control are pressure and the rate of relative motion.

[0023] The above method 100 can be carried out using various techniques and principles depending on the specific combination of the solidified material and the substrate material.

[0024] In some embodiments, a material may be considered to be in a solid state if it is completely or partially solidified or frozen to the extent that it can be handled as a solid. In some embodiments, a material may be considered to be in a solid state if it can be handled without being placed in a container.

[0025] For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments of the method and apparatus are described in the context of a fluid material implemented as a gel. However, the principles of the present invention are not limited to use with gels and may be applied to any other fluid material.

[0026] In some exemplary embodiments, the fluid material may be a conductive gel. The conductive gel is formed into a rod or wire shape and is fully or partially solidified or frozen to the extent that the rod can be handled as a solid. The rod or wire may be supplied to a deposition site on a substrate where the gel from the rod can be deposited onto the substrate. The deposition site may move along the substrate, for example, to form a pattern of conductive gel on the substrate. The rod or wire may be supplied to the deposition site via a supply tube, a roller arrangement, a mechanical clamp, a claw, a chuck, or any other suitable mechanism that can supply the rod or wire to the deposition site when the material from the rod is transferred to the substrate.

[0027] In some embodiments, a fully or partially frozen rod or wire of conductive gel can be fully or at least partially liquefied or melted at the deposition site by heat generated by contact between the rod or wire and a substrate. Contact heat may be caused, for example, by pressure between the rod or wire and the substrate when the rod or wire contacts the surface of the substrate with a force that is at least partially perpendicular to the substrate. Contact heat may also be caused by friction or other interaction with the surface of the substrate, for example, when the rod or wire is dragged, pushed, pulled or otherwise moved along the surface of the substrate while in contact with the substrate. In different embodiments, contact heat can be caused by any or a combination of any of the above, and / or any or a combination of other mechanisms that can generate contact heat.

[0028] In some embodiments, a fully or partially frozen rod or wire of conductive gel can be fully or at least partially liquefied or melted at or near the deposition site by heat conducted to the gel, for example, via a heated nozzle or feed tube, ring or other thermally conductive mechanical contact that can contact the rod or wire at or near the deposition site.

[0029] In some embodiments, a fully or partially frozen rod or wire of conductive gel can be fully or at least partially liquefied or melted at the deposition site by heat transfer via bulk flow of a material (e.g., convection, advection, diffusion, etc.), such as flow of a fluid like a gas, liquid or other material at or near the deposition site. Examples include jets of heated air or other gas, heated water or other liquid.

[0030] In some embodiments, a rod or wire of a fully or partially frozen conductive gel can be fully or at least partially liquefied or melted at the deposition site by heat from a radiation source such as an infrared (IR), ultrasonic (U / S), radio frequency (RF), and / or laser heat source.

[0031] Other possible heat sources for completely or at least partially liquefying or melting the conductive gel include electrical heating, such as resistive heating caused by an electric current flowing through the gel and / or substrate. For example, the current flows through the rod or wire of the fully or partially frozen conductive gel between two contacts located on either side of the rod or wire, or at two different locations along the length of the rod or wire. Alternatively, the current may flow between one contact on the rod or wire and another contact that contacts the substrate if the substrate is conductive, or a contact that contacts the conductive gel previously deposited on the substrate. In another example, heat may be generated by a discharge between the rod or wire of the conductive gel and a nearby electrode, and / or between the rod or wire and the substrate, and / or between two electrodes located near the deposition site. In some embodiments, the electrical contacts are integrated with one or more clamps, claws, or other mechanical devices that hold, feed, roll, or otherwise interact with the fully or partially frozen conductive gel.

[0032] In some embodiments, all or part of the heat required to completely or partially solidify or freeze a conductive gel may be provided through the substrate, for example, by spot heating the substrate at the deposition location and time of deposition, and / or by preheating the substrate before deposition, using a suitable heating technique including any of the above for heating the conductive gel.

[0033] In different embodiments, the size of the feed material may be larger than, smaller than, or the same as, some of the features to be deposited on the substrate. In some embodiments, rods, wires, or other shapes of the fully or partially solidified or frozen conductive gel may be sharpened, tapered, or reshaped to allow for the deposition of features that are smaller or more precise than could be achieved with the rods, wires, or other shapes of the feed material.

[0034] Any heating techniques, including those described above, can be used in combination. For example, a rod or wire of a fully or partially frozen conductive gel may be heated to nearly liquefy or melt before contact with a substrate, and then heat from the substrate or other source may provide additional heat to completely or more partially liquefy or melt the gel.

[0035] In some embodiments, a fully or partially frozen conductive gel is deposited on a substrate in at least partially solid form, and then at least partially liquefied or melted by any suitable heat source after deposition.

[0036] In some embodiments, a rod or wire of a fully or partially frozen conductive gel may be shaped to form a nib by bringing it into contact with an abrasive or cut surface such as sandpaper or microplane, for example, by cutting it with one or more straight or helical blades, such as a pencil sharpener. The abrasive or cut surface may be formed in a trough or V-shape, through which the end of the rod or wire may be pulled to form a point.

[0037] In addition to rod or wire shapes, conductive gels or other deformable conductive materials can be formed into any other suitable shape and can be completely or partially frozen to the extent that they can be handled as solids. Examples include sheets, tubes, granules, pellets, and / or extrusions of any cross-section.

[0038] In some embodiments, there may be no actual contact between the fully or partially solidified or frozen feedstock. For example, the feedstock may be fully or at least partially liquefied or melted before contact, for example, by forming droplets, which can then be transferred to the substrate via electrostatic or other propulsive force.

[0039] While some embodiments are described in which the raw materials are completely or partially solidified and then completely or at least partially liquefied via a thermal process, in other embodiments the raw materials are completely or partially solidified and then completely or partially liquefied via a chemical or other process, for example, by the application of one or more solidifying and / or liquefying agents.

[0040] In any of the above examples, the substrate material may be a polymer sheet or film, for example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or another thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer. In other examples, the substrate may be a partially cured thermosetting or thermoplastic film or sheet, for example, a step B epoxy resin film. The substrate may be flexible and / or stretchable, resilient, or elastic. Conversely, the substrate may be rigid and / or hard or robust. The substrate may further exhibit a wide range of tackiness, from highly tacky to almost nonexistent, to exhibit adhesive properties.

[0041] A wide variety of devices can be configured to achieve the above method using the intended fluid and substrate material. To illustrate some of the principles of the present invention, several exemplary embodiments of the device are described below with respect to specific implementation details such as CNC machines, temperature ranges, dimensions, and tolerances, but the principles of the present invention are not limited to these exemplary details.

[0042] Figure 3 shows an exemplary CNC deposition machine or apparatus 200 capable of fixing a substrate 240 and depositing a solidified fluid material 250, also referred to as feed material 250. The CNC deposition machine 200 generally comprises a feed head 210, a base 230, and a gantry 235. The base 230 and gantry 235 form a multi-axis frame that supports the feed head 210 and can move relative to the substrate 240 (e.g., a printed circuit 400 as shown in Figure 7). The axis motors 201 of the multi-axis frame and the feed head 210 may be controlled using signals from a computer communicatively coupled to the CNC deposition machine 200, for example, via data and power cables (not shown), wireless communication protocols, etc. If necessary, the CNC deposition machine 200 may have a larger or smaller form factor and can provide movement of the feed head 210 and / or substrate 240 along two to six axes. For example, in some embodiments, the CNC deposition machine 200 may be any size between 1 and 20 feet on each side (i.e., the X, Y, and Z axes), depending on the intended application. A CNC deposition machine 200 with a small form factor, such as for desktop applications (i.e., 3 feet or less on each side), may have a range of motion of, for example, 10 to 25 inches on the Z axis, 15 to 36 inches on the X axis, and 15 to 36 inches on the Y axis.

[0043] The multi-axis frame allows the feed head 210 to be selectively moved relative to the substrate 240 (located on the work surface 231 of the base 230) along one or more of the X, Y, and Z axes (i.e., three acting degrees of freedom) under computer (i.e., processor) control. In other implementations, the CNC deposition machine 200 can incorporate additional acting degrees of freedom, up to six or more, in addition to the X, Y, and Z axes. In some embodiments, the axes may refer to linear axes, rotary axes, or any other motion configuration.

[0044] A multi-axis frame can move the feed head 210 along each operating degree of freedom within its operating envelope using multiple axis motors 201 (e.g., stepping motors) and linear couplings 202 (e.g., linear rails, tracks, rods, screws, feeds, etc.). For example, one or more axis motors 201 and linear couplings 202 can be provided to selectively control each free axis. As an example, the axis motors 201 may provide a resolution of 0.001 inches or more on each axis to achieve dimensional accuracy better than ±0.005 inches.

[0045] In one example, the gantry 235 of a multi-axis frame includes a linear cross-member 236 coupled to and supported by the base 230 via a pair of parallel vertical support members 237. As shown, the linear cross-member 236 is coupled perpendicularly (i.e., at a 90-degree angle) to the vertical support members 237 at each end, so that the longitudinal axis of the linear cross-member 236 is substantially parallel to the working surface 231 (i.e., top or surface) of the base 230. The feed head 210 may be coupled to a mounting plate 238 so that a drive motor can move relative to the base 230 along the Z-axis (i.e., up and down). For example, the feed head 210 (or an intermediate motor structure coupled to the feed head 210) may be slidably coupled to the mounting plate 238 via a first set of linear couplings and controlled via a first axis motor. In another example, the supply head 210 is fixed to the mounting plate 238, and no movement along the Z axis is provided to the supply head 210. The supply head 210 can control the Z position of the supply material 250 relative to the substrate 240, and such Z-axis movement may not be necessary as this may be sufficient for deposition.

[0046] The mounting plate 238 may then be coupled to the linear crossing member 236 and configured to move relative to the base 230 along the X axis via a second set of linear couplings 202 under the power of a second axis motor 201. To provide movement along the Y axis, each vertical support member 237 may be slidably coupled to the base 230 via a third set of linear couplings 202 to move relative to the base 230 under the power of a third axis motor which can be positioned on the vertical support member 237 or within the base 230 (as shown). Positioning a set of vertical support members 237 along the Y axis may also displace the linear crossing member 236 and the devices coupled thereto.

[0047] The structural components of the multi-axis frame, such as the gantry 235 and base 230, and their subcomponents, may be fabricated using high-strength and / or rigid components manufactured using various processes and techniques. Suitable metals include, for example, aluminum, magnesium, steel, titanium, iron, and their alloys. Suitable non-metallic materials include plastics (reinforced or unreinforced), such as nylon, polypropylene, polystyrene, fluoropolymers, and structural polymers including epoxy.

[0048] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the feed head 210 includes a drive motor (not shown) that rotates at least two feed wheels 211a and 211b configured to receive solidified material 250. The solidified material 250 is preformed into a feed material format having a projected width, e.g., D1, and is loaded into the feed head as shown via a removable lid 225, which optionally includes a gasket 226. The feed wheels 211a and 211b have complementary circumferential grooves 212a and 212b that take the external shape of the solidified material 250 and advance the feed material through the feed head 210. Optionally, at least two guide wheels 213a and 213b can be provided to further stabilize the feed material 250, for example, if the feed material is rectangular in shape during the deposition process and is subjected to shear forces, or for other reasons. Guide wheels 213a and 213b have complementary grooves 214a and 214b that are similar to or identical to the grooves 212a and 212b provided on the supply wheels 211a and 211b.

[0049] Referring to Figure 4, during operation, the feed wheel and optional guide wheels rotate to advance the feed material 250 in the feed head 210 toward the substrate 240 at a feed speed which can be determined by factors such as the desired pressure or force applied between the feed material and the substrate, the relative translational speed between the two (e.g., in the X and / or Y directions), and the deposition method. The feed speed can vary from 0.01 mm / s to about 5 mm / s with respect to translational speeds between 1 mm / s and 100 mm / s, for example. As the feed material 250 advances, it can pass through a rotatable nose 215. The nose 215 may include a material removal system exemplified as at least one blade 216a, 216b optionally connected to at least one blade support 228. The blade support 228 is angled with respect to the feed direction and can rotate synchronously with the nose 215 by the operation of a drive system. The drive system includes, for example, a nose pulley 227 driven by a belt 217 and a drive pulley 218 attached to the shaft 219 of a motor 220 connected to a feed head 210. This allows the blades 216a, 216b to remove material from the feed material 250, reducing its initial width to a desired output diameter D2. Before exiting the envelope of the nose 215, the feed material 250 may pass through a seal 221 made of elastic material. The seal 221 ensures that the removed feed material 222 does not accumulate on the substrate 240 but remains within the envelope of the nose 215, which may consist of a volume sufficient for the removal of the material. The volume may be bounded by a removable catch basin 223. The catch basin 223 is configured to be easily removable, for example, using an elastic O-ring 224 with an interference fit, a magnet (not shown), a screw coupling system (not shown), etc.

[0050] The internal components of the feed head 210 may be made of a material having low thermal conductivity so as not to melt the feed material 250 during operation, and / or may be cooled, for example, by injecting liquid nitrogen (LN2) into the internal volume of the feed head, as shown in this example. In this example, the liquid nitrogen injection system 260 comprises a storage device such as a tank 261, a regulator 262, a hose 263, and an injector 264 communicating with the internal volume of the feed head 210. The LN2 may be injected at a rate sufficient to keep the feed material 250 in contact with the components below the solidification temperature of the feed material.

[0051] In one example, the supply head 210 can translate over the substrate 240, and the supply material 250 is supplied at a speed sufficient to maintain continuous contact with the substrate, for example. This allows the supply material 250 to be deposited on the substrate through several mechanisms. For example, if the substrate 240 and the supply material 250 have similar temperatures, the supply material can undergo ablative deposition on the substrate. In another example, if the substrate 240 has a temperature above the melting point of the supply material 250, the supply material undergoes a phase change at the interface between the substrate and the supply material tip, thereby being deposited on the substrate via a combination of ablation and wetting.

[0052] Therefore, the base 230 may include at least one thermal management device 232. The thermal management device 232 can provide cooling or heating of the work surface 231 to achieve the desired deposition mechanism. Some examples are Peltier devices that provide both cooling and heating functions in one unit, or separate well-known heating and cooling systems such as thermoelectric heaters, liquid heating systems, LN2 cooling systems, and refrigerant-based cooling systems.

[0053] Regardless of the deposition mechanism, at least one trace 241 having a width W substantially similar to the diameter D2 of the feed material is obtained on the substrate 240. D2 may be selected to achieve the properties required for the intended use of the deposited trace 241 (see Figure 3). Blades 216a, 216b may be translated laterally (perpendicular to the feed direction) or perpendicular to their relative angle from the feed direction to yield the selected value of D2.

[0054] Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the apparatus in Figures 3 and 4. This allows the apparatus 200 to be housed in a temperature control chamber 280 instead of internally cooling the components of the supply head 210. The temperature control chamber 280 can be cooled using a system 270 similar to the system 260 used to cool the internal components of the supply head 210, such as the LN2 tank 271, regulator 272, hose 273, and injector 274. While the embodiments in Figures 3 and 4 allow the LN2 to be injected directly into the supply head 210, this embodiment allows the LN2 to be injected into the internal volume 281 of the temperature control chamber 280 at a rate sufficient to maintain the feed material 250 in contact with the components of the apparatus below the solidification temperature of the feed material.

[0055] Figure 6 shows yet another example of an apparatus similar to those described in Figures 3 and 4, utilizing similar components and operating principles. In this example, an injection nozzle 285 is shown coupled to a feed head 210 by an arm 290. The arm 290 has several segments 291, 292, and in addition, spherical joints 293, 294 that connect the segments to each other and connect the nozzle 285. The nozzle 285 can inject hot air to help melt the feed material 250 and / or inject LN2 to help keep the feed material below its solidification temperature. Alternatively, the nozzle 285 can inject any fluid or fluid medium as needed for a variety of different effects. In another example, the nozzle can inject a chemical that can liquefy at least a portion of the feed material. The nozzle 285 and arm 290 may further be reconfigurable and / or repositionable to direct the injected fluid on different elements of the apparatus 200, or, for example, on the substrate 240 and any of its elements.

[0056] Figure 7 shows a printed circuit 400 in plan view, using the apparatus and method described above to form traces 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, and 408 from a solidified fluid material such as the conductive metal gel described above as the feed material 250. It may be advantageous for the traces obtained on the circuit to have a width W of approximately 80 microns (0.08 mm) to approximately 2000 microns (2 mm). Thus, the apparatus 200 may be configured to yield a second diameter D2 of approximately 80 microns to 2000 microns in this example. Various diameters D1 and D2 and corresponding trace widths W can be realized by utilizing the principles described above and their derivatives or equivalents.

[0057] In some embodiments, if at least part of the transfer of the solidified material 250 to the substrate 240 is the result of an ablation technique, a load of up to 10 N may be sufficient to produce a viable trace from the metal gel alloy on various polymer substrates. The minimum force required to achieve a functionally viable deposition can vary widely depending on factors such as the temperatures of the feed material 250 and the substrate 240. When the substrate is supplied at a temperature substantially higher than or raised to the solidification temperature of the feed material, and the feed material is at a temperature below but close to its solidification temperature, melting can occur almost instantaneously at the contact between the two materials, so the required force may be negligible or substantially 0 N. Therefore, in some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 200 may be configured to provide a force of 0 to 10 N between the solidified material 250 and the substrate 240.

[0058] The principles of the present invention as described herein can be realized by using any material having at least a partial composition, structure, or behavior that is non-solid, and then supplying the material to a deposition process in a form that is more solid or solid-like than the deposited form.

[0059] By adding additional components, the apparatus can be modified to accordingly change the deposition mechanism of the raw material 250 onto the substrate 240, as described above. The apparatus is merely an example capable of performing novel deposition methods for the types of materials described herein.

[0060] Several additional exemplary embodiments are described in the following numbered sections.

[0061] (1) A method comprising the steps of providing a fluid material, solidifying the fluid material, providing a substrate, and depositing the solidified fluid material onto the substrate.

[0062] (2) The method according to (1) above, wherein the step of providing a fluid material includes the steps of providing a mold and filling the mold with the fluid material.

[0063] (3) The method according to (1) above, wherein the step of solidifying the fluid material includes the steps of solidifying the fluid material in a mold and removing the solidified fluid material from the mold.

[0064] (4) The method according to (1) above, wherein the step of providing the substrate includes the steps of preparing the substrate for deposition of a solidified fluid material and adjusting the temperature of the substrate.

[0065] (5) The method according to (1) above, wherein the step of depositing a solidified fluid material onto a substrate includes the steps of fixing the substrate and loading the solidified fluid material onto a deposit tool.

[0066] (6) The method according to (1) above, wherein the fluid material comprises a liquid phase component and a solid phase component.

[0067] (7) The method according to (6) above, wherein the solid phase component includes particles suspended in the liquid phase component.

[0068] (8) The method according to (6) above, wherein the liquid phase component includes a gallium alloy.

[0069] (9) The method according to (8) above, wherein the solid phase component contains gallium oxide.

[0070] (10) The method according to (9) above, wherein the gallium oxide comprises gallium oxide particles.

[0071] (11) The method according to (9) above, wherein the gallium oxide comprises polymerized gallium oxide structures.

[0072] (12) The method according to (9) above, wherein the gallium oxide includes a network of gallium oxide structures.

[0073] (13) The method according to (12) above, wherein the network of gallium oxide structures comprises linked gallium oxide structures.

[0074] (14) The method according to (1) above, wherein the fluid material includes a gel.

[0075] (15) The method according to (1) above, wherein the fluid material includes a conductive gel.

[0076] (16) The method according to (1) above, wherein the fluid material includes a non-Newtonian material.

[0077] (17) The method according to (1) above, wherein the deposited and solidified fluid material forms a trace pattern on the substrate.

[0078] (18) A product formed by the method of (1) above.

[0079] (19) comprising a base configured to fix a substrate and a supply head configured to supply solidified fluid supply material to the substrate at the deposition site, The base and supply head are configured to move the deposition area on the substrate.

[0080] (20) The apparatus described in (19) above, wherein the apparatus is configured to move the deposition area by maintaining the substrate in a fixed position and moving the supply head.

[0081] (21) The apparatus described in (19) above, wherein the apparatus is configured to move the deposition area by moving the substrate while maintaining the supply head in a fixed position.

[0082] (22) The apparatus according to (19) above, wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain the supplied material in a solid form within the supply head.

[0083] (23) The apparatus according to (22) above, wherein the supply head includes a temperature control device configured to maintain the supply material in a solid state within the supply head.

[0084] (24) The temperature control device is the apparatus described in (23) above, including a refrigerant control device.

[0085] (25) The apparatus according to (22) above, comprising a chamber configured to maintain a supply head at a temperature in which the supply material remains in a solid form.

[0086] (26) The apparatus according to (19) above, wherein the feed material has width, and the feed head is configured to reduce the width of the feed material when the feed material is supplied to the substrate.

[0087] (27) The apparatus as described in (26) above, wherein the width includes the diameter.

[0088] (28) The apparatus according to (26) above, wherein the feed head is configured to reduce the width of the feedstock by removing material from the feedstock.

[0089] (29) The apparatus according to (28) above, wherein the supply head includes one or more blades configured to remove material from the supply raw material.

[0090] (30) The apparatus according to (29) above, wherein one or more blades are configured to rotate around the feed material when the feed material is supplied to the substrate.

[0091] (31) The apparatus according to (28) above, wherein the supply head is configured to collect material removed from the supply raw material.

[0092] (32) The apparatus according to (31) above, wherein the supply head includes a capture tank configured to collect material removed from the supply raw material.

[0093] (33) The apparatus as described in (19) above, wherein the apparatus is configured to direct the fluid medium toward the supply material when the supply material is supplied to the substrate.

[0094] (34) The apparatus according to (33) above, further comprising a nozzle configured to direct a fluid medium toward a supply material.

[0095] (35) The apparatus according to (34) above, wherein the nozzle is configured to direct a fluid medium toward the feed material before the feed material is deposited on the substrate.

[0096] (36) The apparatus according to (34) above, wherein the nozzle is configured to direct the fluid medium towards the feed material after the feed material has been deposited on the substrate.

[0097] (37) The apparatus described in (34) above, wherein the nozzle is connected to the supply head by an arm.

[0098] (38) The apparatus described in (19) above, wherein the supplied raw material forms a trace pattern on a substrate.

[0099] (39) Products formed by the apparatus described in (19) above.

[0100] (40) A method comprising the steps of supplying a solidified fluid supply material to a substrate at a deposition site, and moving the deposition site on the substrate.

[0101] (41) The method according to (40) above, further comprising the step of depositing a supply material onto a substrate at a deposition site.

[0102] (42) The method according to (41) above, wherein the supply material is at least partially ablated at the deposition site.

[0103] (43) The method according to (41) above, wherein the supply material is converted to a fluid at least partially at the deposition site.

[0104] (44) The method according to (41) above, wherein the supply material is at least partially melted at the deposition site.

[0105] (45) The method according to (40) above, wherein the raw material is supplied to the substrate by a supply head.

[0106] (46) The method according to (45), further comprising the step of maintaining the supplied raw material in a solid form in a supply head.

[0107] (47) The method according to (46), further comprising the step of controlling the temperature of the raw material being supplied in the supply head.

[0108] (48) The method according to (47), wherein the step of controlling the temperature of the supply material includes the step of controlling the flow of refrigerant to the supply head.

[0109] (49) The method according to (40), wherein the supply material has width, and further comprises the step of reducing the width of the supply material when the supply material is supplied to the substrate.

[0110] (50) The method according to (49) above, wherein width includes diameter, and the step of reducing the width of the feed material includes the step of reducing the diameter of the feed material.

[0111] (51) The method according to (49) above, wherein the step of reducing the width of the supply raw materials includes the step of removing material from the supply raw materials.

[0112] (52) The method according to (51) above, wherein the material is removed from the feed material using one or more blades.

[0113] (53) The method according to (52) above, comprising the step of rotating one or more blades around the supply material when the supply material is supplied to the substrate.

[0114] (54) The method according to (51) above, further comprising the step of collecting the material removed from the supply raw materials.

[0115] (55) The method according to (40) above, further comprising the step of directing a fluid medium toward a supply material.

[0116] (56) The method according to (55) above, further comprising the step of cooling the supply material using a fluid medium.

[0117] (57) The method according to (55) above, further comprising the step of heating the supply material using a fluid medium.

[0118] (58) The method according to (55) above, wherein the fluid medium is directed toward the supply material before the supply material is deposited on the substrate.

[0119] (59) The method according to (55) above, wherein the fluid medium is directed toward the supply material after the supply material has been deposited on the substrate.

[0120] (60) Products formed by the method described in (40) above.

[0121] (61) A method comprising the steps of supplying a deformable conductive material in a solid form to a deposition site on a substrate; depositing the deformable conductive material on the substrate at the deposition site; and converting at least a portion of the deformable conductive material into a non-solid form.

[0122] (62) The method according to (61), further comprising the step of reshaping the deformable conductive material when the deformable conductive material is supplied to the deposition site.

[0123] (63) The method according to (62), wherein the step of reshaping the deformable conductive material includes the step of reducing the deformable conductive material in at least one dimension.

[0124] (64) The method according to (62), wherein the deformable conductive material is substantially cylindrical in shape, and the step of reducing the deformable conductive material includes the step of sharpening the deformable conductive material.

[0125] (65) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material is at least partially ablated at the deposition site.

[0126] (66) The method according to (61), further comprising the step of moving the deposition site to form a pattern of deformable conductive material on the substrate.

[0127] (67) The method according to (61) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is thermally converted into a non-solid form.

[0128] (68) The method according to (67) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid state by heat from contact pressure.

[0129] (69) The method according to (67) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid state by heat from kinetic friction.

[0130] (70) The method according to (67) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid state by heat from the substrate.

[0131] (71) The method according to (67) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid state by heat from an external heat source.

[0132] (72) The method according to (61) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is chemically converted into a non-solid form.

[0133] (73) The method according to (61), wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid form by applying a liquefaction agent to the deformable conductive material.

[0134] (74) The method according to (61) above, wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is converted into a non-solid form before being deposited on a substrate.

[0135] (75) The method according to (61), wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is deposited on a substrate and then converted into a non-solid form.

[0136] (76) The method according to (61), wherein a portion of the deformable conductive material is deposited on the substrate and at the same time converted to a non-solid state, at least partially.

[0137] (77) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material is thermally maintained in a solid state.

[0138] (78) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material is chemically maintained in a solid state.

[0139] (79) The method according to (61) above, wherein a deformable conductive material is maintained in a solid state by a solidifying agent.

[0140] (80) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material is liquid at ambient temperature.

[0141] (81) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material comprises a gel at ambient temperature.

[0142] (82) The method according to (61) above, wherein the deformable conductive material includes a non-Newtonian material at ambient temperature.

[0143] (83) Products formed by the method described in (61) above.

[0144] The foregoing description of the present invention is provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive and is not intended to limit the invention to the exact form disclosed. The breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Modifications and variations include any relevant combination of the disclosed features. The embodiments have been selected and described to best illustrate the principles of the invention and its practical applications. This will enable other those skilled in the art to understand the invention with respect to various embodiments suitable for a particular intended use, and with various modifications. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0145] The embodiments disclosed herein may be described in the context of various implementation details, but the principles of this disclosure are not limited to these or any other specific details. Some functions are described as being implemented by a given set of components, but in other embodiments, the function may be distributed among different systems and components at different locations and may have various user interfaces. Certain embodiments are described as having certain components, processes, steps, or combinations thereof. However, these terms encompass embodiments in which certain processes, steps, or combinations thereof may be implemented using multiple components, processes, steps, or combinations thereof, or in which multiple processes, steps, or combinations thereof may be integrated into a single process, step, or combination thereof. References to components or elements may refer to only a portion of the components or elements. The use of terms such as “first” and “second” in this disclosure and claims is intended to distinguish what they modify and does not indicate any spatial or temporal order unless evident from the context. A reference to a first may not imply the existence of a second. Furthermore, the various details and embodiments described above can be combined to generate additional embodiments according to the inventive principles of this disclosure.

[0146] Various details and embodiments described herein may be used in conjunction with any of those described herein, including U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018 / 0247727 (incorporated herein by reference), published on 30 August 2018, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0056277 (incorporated herein by reference), published on 21 February 2019, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0066628 (incorporated herein by reference), published on 27 February 2020.

[0147] The principles of the present invention as disclosed herein can be modified in configuration and detail without departing from the concept of the invention, so such changes and modifications shall be deemed to fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A step of obtaining a raw material for a conductive gel in a frozen state, The steps include: moving the supplied material of the frozen conductive gel on the substrate to deposit the conductive gel on the substrate; and forming a pattern of the conductive gel on the substrate by the deposit step. A method characterized by comprising the step of changing the phase of the conductive gel from the frozen state after or during the deposit step.

2. The step of obtaining the supply material of the conductive gel in the frozen state is: The steps include providing a mold and The steps include filling the mold with the supply material for the conductive gel, The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of solidifying the supply material of the conductive gel in the mold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after changing the phase of the conductive gel from the frozen state, the conductive gel comprises a liquid phase component and a solid phase component.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the solid phase component includes particles suspended in the liquid phase component.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the liquid phase component includes a gallium alloy.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the solid phase component includes gallium oxide.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the gallium oxide comprises gallium oxide particles.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the gallium oxide includes a network of gallium oxide structures.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the network of the gallium oxide structure includes connected gallium oxide structures.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel comprises a non-Newtonian material.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing the conductive gel with a sealing material when changing the phase of the conductive gel.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of sealing the conductive gel includes the step of forming the sealing material in a sealing layer.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of forming the sealing material on the sealing layer includes the step of positioning the conductive gel between the substrate and the sealing layer.

14. The conductive gel is a conductive shear-reducing gel composition. The conductive gel comprises a bulk gallium alloy and dispersed microstructures formed from gallium oxide within the bulk gallium alloy. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel comprises linked gallium oxide structures.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the conductive gel onto the substrate further includes the step of maintaining the contact pressure between the frozen conductive gel and the supply material and the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of controlling the contact pressure or force between the frozen conductive gel supply material and the substrate while moving the frozen conductive gel supply material on the substrate.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the supply material of the conductive gel in a frozen state includes the step of forming the supply material of the conductive gel into a rod or wire.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of sharpening or modifying the rod or wire to have a tapered end in order to form a narrower pattern on the substrate.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of changing the phase of the conductive gel from the frozen state includes the step of liquefying or melting the conductive gel in the frozen state at the deposition site by applying heat or energy from an energy source including infrared energy, ultrasonic energy, radio frequency energy, laser energy, or electrical energy.

20. The step of depositing the conductive gel onto the substrate includes the step of bringing the supply material of the frozen conductive gel into contact with the substrate via a movable supply head. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of moving the supply material of the frozen conductive gel on the substrate includes the step of moving the supply head relative to the substrate.

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