Liquid Crystal Cell Electrodes With Subtractive Adhesive Ablation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing adaptive lenses face challenges in achieving precise electrical connections due to the difficulty in dispensing electrically-conductive adhesive materials, leading to discontinuous connections and defective integration.

Innovation Solution

A subtractive method involving the formation of electrode layers and the precise ablation of these layers along with the electrically-conductive adhesive material, allowing for the creation of electrodes without additional adhesive materials and ensuring precise electrical connectivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electrically-conductive adhesive material is dispensed in the form of a dot or line on electrodes of stacked adaptive lenses, then electrical connections are provided, but precise positioning is difficult and discontinuous connections occur leading to defective integration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connection reliabilityVSAvoidpositioning precision of conductive material

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of selectively depositing conductive material only where electrodes are present (additive approach), the patent applies conductive adhesive material across the entire electrode surface and then removes it from areas where it should not be present (subtractive approach). This inversion of the process sequence enables precise positioning by defining connection areas through removal rather than deposition, solving the positioning precision problem while maintaining connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts or removes the electrically-conductive adhesive material from specific areas where electrodes are not present, after initially applying it across the entire surface. This extraction process creates precise connection areas by eliminating excess material, thereby achieving both reliable electrical connections and high positioning precision that were previously contradictory.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Use of energy by moving object

If multiple adaptive lenses are stacked together to work with non-polarised light and achieve high optical power, then optical performance is improved, but integration becomes defective due to imprecise electrical connections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoptical powerVSAvoidintegration reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional approach by first applying conductive material broadly and then removing it to define precise connection areas. This subtractive methodology ensures that when multiple adaptive lenses are stacked to achieve high optical power, the electrical connections between them are precisely positioned and reliable, thereby enabling successful integration without the defects that previously plagued multi-lens assemblies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method enables the efficient, simple, and reliable manufacturing of optical devices with continuous and reliable electrical connectivity, facilitating the assembly of multiple optical devices with high optical power capabilities.

Implementation Method 1

ablating the formed layer of the electrode material and the disposed electrically-conductive adhesive material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectLaser ablation: Laser Ablation

Data Source

PatentUS12265305B2Subtractive method for providing connections to electrodes in liquid crystal cells

Publication Date: 2025.04.01 PIXIERAY OY

AI summary

A method for manufacturing an optical device includes forming a first layer of a first electrode material on a surface of a first substrate of the optical device; disposing electrically-conductive adhesive material on region(s) of the first layer corresponding to the first region of the surface of the first substrate; ablating disposed ECA material from portion(s) of the first region, ablating the formed first layer of first electrode material to create a first electrode; forming a second layer of a second electrode material on the surface of the second substrate of the optical device; ablating the formed second layer of second electrode material to create a second electrode; and forming a third layer of active material(s) between the first substrate and the second substrate.