48 results about "Roll-to-roll processing" patented technology

This invention comprises deposition of thin film photovoltaic junctions on metal substrates which can be heat treated following deposition in a continuous fashion without deterioration of the metal support structure. In a separate operation an interconnection substrate structure is produced in a continuous roll-to-roll fashion. In this way the interconnection substrate structure can be uniquely formulated from polymer-based materials since it does not have to endure high temperature exposure. Cells comprising the metal foil supported photovoltaic junctions are then laminated to the interconnection substrate structure. Conductive interconnections are deposited to complete the array. The conductive interconnections can be accomplished with a separately prepared interconnection component. The interconnected array is produced using continuous roll-to-roll processing which avoids the need to use the expensive and intricate material removal operations currently taught in the art to achieve electrical interconnections among arrays of photovoltaic cells.

One aspect of the invention relates to a new dual-layered construction that provides advantageous oxygen barrier properties. Another aspect of the invention is a multilayer film that has advantageous oxygen and/or moisture barrier properties. The film may be fully-organic. The film may also be primarily water-based. At least some embodiments of the film can be produced using wide-web, roll-to-roll processing. Specific example applications for uses of the film include dried food, pharmaceuticals, liquids, lidstock, cheese, meat, health & beauty, and coffee packaging, among many others. Another aspect of the invention is a water-based, fast curing coating composition that provides a high barrier against oxygen and moisture permeation. In one embodiment, the coating comprises special PVDC copolymer compositions with good oxygen barrier (OTR<1 CC/M<2 >day) and high moisture barrier (MVTR<0.5 G/M<2 >day). As one example, the coating may be used to produce a flexible, high clarity, barrier film for packaging.

This invention comprises deposition of thin film photovoltaic junctions on metal substrates which can be heat treated following deposition in a continuous fashion without deterioration of the metal support structure. In a separate operation an interconnection substrate structure is produced in a continuous roll-to-roll fashion. In this way the interconnection substrate structure can be uniquely formulated from polymer-based materials since it does not have to endure high temperature exposure. Cells comprising the metal foil supported photovoltaic junctions are then laminated to the interconnection substrate structure. Conductive interconnections are deposited to complete the array. The conductive interconnections can be accomplished with a separately prepared interconnection component. The interconnected array is produced using continuous roll-to-roll processing which avoids the need to use the expensive and intricate material removal operations currently taught in the art to achieve electrical interconnections among arrays of photovoltaic cells.

The present invention provides methods of electroplating a film or films onto a top surface of a continuously moving roll-to-roll sheet. In one aspect, the invention includes continuously electroplating a film onto a conductive surface using an electroplating unit as the roll-to-roll sheet moves therethrough, detecting a thickness of the film electroplated onto a portion of the roll-to-roll sheet and generating a thickness signal corresponding thereto. In this aspect, when continuously electroplating, the thickness of the film is adjusted toward a predetermined thickness value using the thickness signal for a subsequent portion of the roll-to-roll sheet that follows the portion of the roll-to-roll sheet.

A process for making a partially transparent photovoltaic cell or a partially transparent photovoltaic module comprising series-connected or parallel-connected photovoltaic cells comprises the step of forming a patterned back electrode(s) by screen printing, jet printing, roll-to-roll processing or depositing through a shadow mask with openings. The pattern of the back electrode is determined at the same time when the back electrode is disposed, such that the complexity and cost of the process can be reduced.

A precursor structure for fabricating light sources, the light sources fabricated therefrom, and the method of fabricating the precursor structure are disclosed. A precursor substrate includes a flexible printed circuit board on which dies are bonded and a separation ridge. The flexible printed circuit board has a bottom heat-conducting layer, an insulating layer, and a circuit layer. The insulating layer and the circuit layer include a plurality of openings that expose the top surface of the heat-conducting layer. The separation ridge extends above the circuit layer and the dies and is configured to prevent contact with the dies and any structures constructed above the dies when the precursor substrate is in contact with a surface positioned over the die and in contact with the separation ridge. The structure is well suited for roll-to-roll processing equipment.

In a flexible substrate for roll-to-roll processing having improved thermal, mechanical, and chemical stabilities, a method of manufacturing the same, and an organic light emitting display apparatus including the same, the flexible substrate for roll-to-roll processing includes a base film formed of an organic material and an inorganic mesh pattern formed of inorganic material. The base film includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the first surface comprising first trenches extending in a first direction and second trenches extending in a second direction. The inorganic mesh pattern buries the first trenches and the second trenches.

A deposition method and a system are provided to deposit a CdS buffer layer on a surface of a solar cell absorber layer of a flexible workpiece from a process solution including all chemical components of the CdS buffer layer material. CdS is deposited from the deposition solution while the flexible workpiece is heated and elastically shaped by a heated shaping plate to retain the process solution on the solar cell absorber layer. The flexible workpiece is elastically shaped by pulling a back surface of the flexible workpiece into a cavity area in the heated shaping plate using an attractive force.

The production of liquid crystal displays (LCDS) on plastic substrates is desirable over glass substrates so that the finished product is thinner, lighter, and more robust. Plastic substrates can enable the use of new and different processing techniques which are not possible on glass such as roll-to-roll processing. This invention discusses an advancement which is laser cutting a plastic substrate and display layer. One aspect of the invention is laser cutting and welding together two or more plastic substrates and LCD layer therebetween from a larger sheet or roll of plastic LCDs.

In a method for manufacturing an integral imaging device, a layer of curable adhesive is first applied on a flexible substrate and half cured such that the curable adhesive is solidified but is capable of deforming under external forces. Then the curable adhesive is printed into a lenticular lens having a predetermined shape and size using a roll-to-roll processing device and fully cured such that the curable adhesive is capable of withstanding external forces to hold the predetermined shape and size. Last, a light emitting diode display is applied on the flexible substrate opposite to the lenticular lens such that an image plane of the light emitting diode display coincides with a focal plane of the lenticular lens.

An apparatus for roll-to-roll processing includes a first roller for converting the transmission of a roll of flexible material from a first direction to a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction, a second roller spaced apart from the first roller and extending transversely with respect to the first roller for converting the transmission of the roll of flexible material from the second direction to a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and a third roller spaced apart from the second roller and extending perpendicularly with respect to the first roller for converting the transmission of the roll of flexible material from the third direction to a fourth direction, wherein the roll of flexible material includes a first side and a second side, and wherein the first roller, the second roller and the third roller contact the same one of the first side and the second side of the roll of flexible material.

A display device includes a waveguide assembly comprising a waveguide configured to outcouple light out of a major surface of the waveguide to form an image in the eyes of a user. An adaptive lens assembly has a major surface facing the output surface and a waveplate lens and a switchable waveplate assembly. The switchable waveplate assembly includes quarter-wave plates on opposing sides of a switchable liquid crystal layer, and electrodes on the quarter-wave plates in the volume between the quarter-wave plates. The electrodes can selectively establish an electric field and may serve as an alignment structure for molecules of the liquid crystal layer. Portions of the adaptive lens assembly may be manufactured by roll-to-roll processing in which a substrate roll is unwound, and alignment layers and liquid crystal layers are formed on the substrate as it moves towards a second roller, to be wound on that second roller.

The invention discloses a high barrier film and a composite film, the high barrier film comprises a polymer substrate and a barrier layer, one side or both sides of the polymer substrate is/ are provided with the barrier layer, at least one side outer surface of the high barrier film is provided with a hardened layer, and the hardened layer is light cured resin. The high barrier film capable of improving scratch resistance and puncture resistance is provided and aims at shortcomings of being easy to rupture and scratch in roll-to-roll processing and transportation and handling processes of high barrier films in the prior art, a stable high water and oxygen barrier property can be ensured.

This disclosure features embedded electrooptical displays such as liquid crystal displays and methods of making the same. The displays are embedded in light curable material on one or both sides thereof. Processes for embedding the displays include injection molding and continuous roll-to-roll processing. The light curable material forms a protective covering over the display. Electrical interconnects connected to electrodes of the display can protrude from the protective layer. Once the display is embedded it can resist contact with moisture and mechanical damage. The protective layer can be clear or it can contain additives such as pigments or additives for UV protection. The embedded display with the protective layer may be molded into different shapes during the embedding process or thermoformed after the embedding process into different shapes. This permits the embedded display to be adapted into a variety of different electronic devices such as cell phones, smart phones, MP-3 players, a computer mouse, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell encapsulant sheet which makes it possible to suitably produce flexible solar cell modules in which the solar cell encapsulant sheet is well adhered to a solar cell element by encapsulating a solar cell element by roll-to-roll processing in a continuous manner without the need to perform a crosslinking process and without causing wrinkles and curls. The present invention provides a solar cell encapsulant sheet including a fluoropolymer sheet and an adhesive layer that includes a maleic anhydride-modified olefin resin on the fluoropolymer sheet, the maleic anhydride-modified olefin resin being a resin in which an α-olefin-ethylene copolymer that includes 1 to 25% by weight of α-olefin units is graft-modified with maleic anhydride, and a total amount of maleic anhydride being 0.1 to 3% by weight.

A hermetically sealed electronic device and method of fabrication are provided. A base layer of a wafer is created using a substrate formed from ultra-thin glass or ceramic using panel or roll to roll processing. One or more layers are bonded to the base layer. The wafer is singulated into a plurality of electronic devices having a top surface and a plurality of sides. A hermetic sealant is applied to each electronic device to completely encase the top surface and the sides while bonding to the base layer. At least one of the layers is a metallization layer formed by metal deposition. Full metallization may be applied over the entire wafer and a pattern subsequently transferred to the full metallization by one of laser and chemical etching. The electronic device may further include at least one electronic component attached to one of the layers and encased by the hermetic sealant.

Provided is a method for producing a metal-clad laminate of a thermoplastic liquid crystal polymer film (TLCP film) and a metal sheet(s) bonded to at least one surface of the film using roll-to-roll processing. The metal sheet has a surface with a ten-point average roughness (Rz) of 5.0 μm or less to be bonded to the TLCP film. The method includes preparing the laminate, dry-treating the laminate by subjecting the laminate passed through a dry zone satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2):

• • (1) a drying temperature of lower than the melting point of the TLCP film,
  • (2) for a drying period of 10 seconds or longer, and
  • heat-treating the dried laminate by subjecting the laminate passed through a heating zone on a temperature condition of not lower than the melting point of the TLCP film successively after the dry treatment.