Electronic-circuit printing using low-cost ink
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsSiyuan Ma, James David Holbery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method to manufacture an article comprises applying an ink to a substrate. The ink includes a liquid vehicle, a plurality of solid metal particles, a plurality of gallium-containing particles, and a thermally activated flux. The method further comprises curing the ink by heating the substrate to within an activation temperature range of the flux. The article manufactured by this method comprises a substrate, an electronically conductive film arranged on the substrate, and an adherent barrier layer covering both the substrate and the film. The film includes a plurality of solid metal particles with a gallium-based liquid metal bridging the plurality of solid metal particles.
Claims13
An article comprising:
- a substrate;
- an electronically conductive film arranged on the substrate, the electronically conductive film including a plurality of copper particles and eutectic gallium-indium, the eutectic gallium-indium bridging the plurality of copper particles, the plurality of copper particles being wettable and/or alloyable by the eutectic gallium-indium, wherein a ratio of mass of the eutectic gallium-indium to mass of the plurality of copper particles is within a range of 0.1:20 to 20:0.1;
- a flux material configured to remove an oxide from a surface of the eutectic gallium-indium when heated to an activation temperature;
- and
- a barrier layer covering the substrate and the electronically conductive film.
An ink comprising:
- a liquid vehicle;
- a plurality of copper particles in an amount between 0.1% and 30% by mass of the ink;
- a plurality of gallium-containing particles comprising eutectic gallium-indium, the gallium-containing particles are configured to, on dissolution of a surface oxide of the plurality of gallium-containing particles, wet and/or alloy the plurality of copper particles, the plurality of gallium-containing particles included in an amount between 0.1% and 30% by mass of the ink;
- and
- a thermally activated flux configured to, within an activation temperature range, dissolve the surface oxide of the plurality of gallium-containing particles, thereby enabling the plurality of gallium-containing particles to interact with the plurality of copper particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.