# US 11,027,462 B2 · Polydimethylsiloxane films and method of manufacture

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- Number: US 11,027,462 B2
- Document ID: US11027462B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/808,371
- Filed: 2017-11-09
- Published: 2018-05-10
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-11-09
- Assignees: The Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University
- Applicants: The Board of Trustees of Western Michigan University
- Inventors: Michael James Joyce; Margaret Joyce; Paul Dan Fleming, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027462B2

## CPC

- B29C 41/26: by depositing flowable material on a rotating drum
- B29C 41/42: Removing articles from moulds, cores or other substrates {(B29C33/444 and B29C37/0017 take precedence)}
- C08J 3/247: {Heating methods}
- C08J 5/18: Manufacture of films or sheets
- C08J 7/04: Coating
- C08J 7/043: Improving the adhesiveness of the coatings per se, e.g. forming primers (adhesives in the form of films or foils characterised by the primer layers between the polymer carriers and the adhesives C09J7/50)
- C08J 7/044: Forming conductive coatings; Forming coatings having anti-static properties
- C08J 7/056: Forming hydrophilic coatings
- D21H 19/00: Coated paper (coated fibreboard D21J1/08); Coating material (recording sheets characterised by the coating used to improve ink, dye or pigment receptivity B41M5/50)
- D21H 19/20: comprising macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D21H 19/54: Starch
- D21H 19/56: Macromolecular organic compounds or oligomers thereof obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- D21H 19/60: Polyalkenylalcohols; Polyalkenylethers; Polyalkenylesters
- D21H 19/82: superposed {(D21H19/84 takes precedence)}
- H01B 3/46: silicones
- H05K 3/0055: {After-treatment, e.g. cleaning or desmearing of holes}
- H05K 3/007: {Manufacture or processing of a substrate for a printed circuit board supported by a temporary or sacrificial carrier (H05K1/187, H05K3/20 and H05K3/4682 take precedence)}
- B29C 59/10: by electric discharge treatment
- B29C 59/14: by plasma treatment {(plasma tubes per se H01J)}
- B29C 71/04: by wave energy or particle radiation {, e.g. for curing or vulcanising preformed articles (during moulding, e.g. in a mould B29C35/08)}
- B29C 2035/0822: {using IR radiation}
- B29C 2035/0827: {using UV radiation}
- B29K 2083/00: Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
- B29K 2995/0062: water-soluble
- B29L 2031/3425: {Printed circuits}
- C08J 2383/04: Polysiloxanes
- H05K 2203/0143: Using a roller; Specific shape thereof; Providing locally adhesive portions thereon
- H05K 2203/016: Temporary inorganic, non-metallic carrier, e.g. for processing or transferring
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- D21H: PULP COMPOSITIONS; PREPARATION THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES D21C OR D21D; IMPREGNATING OR COATING OF PAPER; TREATMENT OF FINISHED PAPER NOT COVERED BY CLASS B31 OR SUBCLASS D21G; PAPER NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A method of producing a printed electronic device on a thin PDMS film which includes coupling a first layer of a water-soluble polymer to a substrate and drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer. The method further includes coupling a second layer of a crosslinkable PDMS polymer to the first layer of the water-soluble polymer and curing the second layer of the crosslinkable PDMS polymer to form the thin PDMS film. The method also includes printing one or more functional layers on the thin PDMS film and drying the one or more functional layers on the thin PDMS film to form the printed electronic device coupled to the substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A roll-to-roll processing method of producing a thin PDMS film, the steps comprising:
coupling a first layer of a water-soluble polymer to a substrate;
drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer;
subsequent to drying the first layer, coupling a second layer of a crosslinkable PDMS polymer to the first layer of the water-soluble polymer; and
drying and crosslinking the second layer of the crosslinkable PDMS polymer to form the thin PDMS film coupled to the substrate through the water-soluble polymer;
wherein the thin PDMS film has a thickness of less than 500 μm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the thin PDMS film has a thickness of less than 50 μm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the thin PDMS film has a thickness of less than 25 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer is performed with a drying oven comprising an IR dryer, a thermal dryer, a steam cylinder dryer, a hot-air dryer, and/or a vacuum dryer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer is selected from sodium alginate, carboxymethylated cellulose, ethylated starch, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxylated soy protein, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 6

A method of producing a printed electronic device on a thin PDMS film, the steps comprising:
coupling a first layer of a water-soluble polymer to a substrate;
drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer;
subsequent to drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer, coupling a second layer of a crosslinkable PDMS polymer to the first layer of the water-soluble polymer;
curing the second layer of the crosslinkable PDMS polymer to form the thin PDMS film;
printing one or more functional layers on the thin PDMS film; and
drying the one or more functional layers on the thin PDMS film to form the printed electronic device coupled to the substrate;
wherein the substrate is removable upon dissolution of the water-soluble polymer to produce the printed electronic device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of wetting the substrate in a water source to dissolve the first layer of the water-soluble polymer to remove the printed electronic device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the thin PDMS film has a thickness of less than 100 μm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the thin PDMS film has a thickness of less than 50 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising treating the thin PDMS film with a corona discharge treatment, a UV/ozone treatment, an addition of an adhesion layer, dielectric barrier discharge, an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP), or combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein drying the first layer of the water-soluble polymer is performed with a drying oven comprising an IR dryer, a thermal dryer, a steam cylinder dryer, a hot-air dryer, and/or a vacuum dryer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of treating the thin PDMS film having a surface energy to raise its surface energy to enable adhesion to the one or more functional layers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the water-soluble polymer is selected from sodium alginate, carboxymethylated cellulose, ethylated starch, polyvinyl alcohol, carboxylated soy protein, or combinations thereof.