Loop-Shaped Conductive Path via Vacuum Inkjet Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for forming conductive paths using metallic ink via inkjet printing face challenges such as long solvent removal times and metal loss or particle movement during evaporation, leading to instability and non-uniformity in the conductive path shape.
Innovation Solution
A method involving inkjet printing of conductive ink with conductive particles dispersed in a polar organic solvent, where the solvent is removed in a vacuum environment at a temperature below 130°C to prevent damage to light controlling materials, and a protective layer is applied to maintain shape and stability, ensuring a uniform and stable conductive path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If solvent removal is performed at high temperature to speed up the process, then productivity is improved, but the light controlling material deteriorates or degenerates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vacuum environment as an inert atmosphere to remove solvent from metallic ink. By performing solvent removal in vacuum at low temperature (below 130°C), the process prevents thermal deterioration of light controlling materials while effectively evaporating the solvent. The vacuum environment allows solvent evaporation without requiring high temperatures, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and material protection.
2Ease of manufacture
If solvent evaporation is performed at atmospheric pressure, then the process is simple, but metal particles move around and conductive path shape becomes non-uniform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vacuum environment to prevent metal particle movement during solvent evaporation. The vacuum conditions restrain the metallic ink components, preventing unwanted migration of metal particles while the solvent evaporates. This maintains the precise conductive path shape that was deposited by inkjet printing, resolving the contradiction between process simplicity and manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If metallic ink is used to form conductive path, then electrical conductivity is achieved, but solvent removal takes long time and causes metal loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs vacuum environment to accelerate solvent removal from metallic ink without causing metal loss. The vacuum conditions enable rapid evaporation of solvent while preventing oxidation and unwanted reactions of the metal particles. This reduces the time required for solvent removal while maintaining the integrity and conductivity of the metallic ink trace, resolving the contradiction between reliability and time efficiency.
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 approach results in a conductive path with improved stability, reduced pull-back regions, and uniformity, enabling efficient electrical signal transport while minimizing defects and disconnections.
Implementation Method 1
removing the solvent from the ink material in a vacuum condition at a temperature that is lower than 130° C.
Implementation Method 2
an inkjet-printed metal pattern on a lower surface of the lower substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a display panel including a loop-shaped conductive path which is manufactured by performing a conductive ink jetting process and a high-degree vacuum removal process to effectively vaporizing a solvent in a conductive ink line at lower temperature than the boiling point at atmospheric pressure of the solvent. The conductive path manufactured as such does not allow a stain or a trace, such as a pull-back region, to be left around the conductive path. Thus, it is possible to obtain the loop-shaped conductive path having an initially intended design without being damaged during a process.