Metal Drop Ejection for Conductive Traces on Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming electrical circuits using melted metal drops on substrates face challenges such as adhesion issues, stress generation due to thermal differences, and substrate damage, leading to unreliable and destructive printing processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for operating a metal drop ejecting 3D printer that adjusts operational parameters, including ejection frequency, overlap percentage, and melting temperature, to form conductive metal traces on substrates with precise dimensions and sufficient conductivity, using a controller to identify suitable bulk metal and substrate properties, and operating the ejector, melter, and actuator to maintain appropriate conditions for trace formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If melted metal drops are ejected onto substrates using direct write methods, then electrical traces can be formed, but the substrate may be damaged due to thermal stress and adhesion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature before metal drop ejection begins. This preliminary heating action prepares the substrate surface to reduce thermal shock when hot metal drops contact it, thereby preventing substrate damage while ensuring reliable trace adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate temperature is controlled and adjusted to an optimal range before and during the printing process. By changing the thermal parameter of the substrate, the system achieves better adhesion between metal traces and substrate while minimizing thermal stress that could cause damage.
2Reliability
If high melting temperature metal is used to ensure proper trace formation, then conductivity is improved, but substrate damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is preheated to a controlled temperature before metal deposition. This preliminary action reduces the temperature differential between the hot metal drops and the substrate, allowing high-conductivity metal traces to be formed without causing thermal damage to the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The heated substrate acts as an intermediary that mediates between the hot metal drops and the substrate structure. By controlling the substrate temperature, it absorbs and distributes the thermal energy from metal drops, preventing localized overheating while ensuring proper trace formation.
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
The system effectively forms conductive metal traces with appropriate dimensions and conductivity without overheating or damaging the substrate, achieving reliable and efficient electrical circuit creation.
Implementation Method 1
An electrical current is passed through the conductor to produce an electromagnetic field that causes the meniscus of the melted metal at a nozzle of the chamber to separate from the melted metal within the chamber and be propelled from the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
These printers have a source of solid metal, such as a roll of wire or pellets, that are fed into a heating chamber where they are melted
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating a three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing apparatus selects operational parameters for operation of the printer to form conductive metal traces on substrates with dimensions within appropriate tolerances and with sufficient conductive material to carry electrical currents without burning up or becoming too hot. The method identifies the material of the substrate and the bulk metal being melted for ejection and uses this identification data to select the operational parameters. Thus, the method can form conductive traces and circuits on a wide range of substrate materials including polymeric substrates, semiconductor materials, oxide layers on semiconductor materials, glass, and other crystalline materials.