# US 2014/0197159 A1 · Magnetic field for sintering conductive material with nanoparticles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197159 A1 - Document ID: US20140197159A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/156,205 - Filed: 2014-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Applicants: Xenon Corporation - Inventors: C. Richard PANICO; Louis R. PANICO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197159A1 ## CPC - H05B 3/34: flexible, e.g. heating nets or webs - H05B 6/10: Induction heating apparatus, other than furnaces, for specific applications - H05B 2203/013: Heaters using resistive films or coatings - H05B 2203/017: Manufacturing methods or apparatus for heaters - H05B 2214/04: Heating means manufactured by using nanotechnology - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Conductive particle sintering systems including a conveyor for conveying a low-temperature substrate with a conductive ink having metallic nanomaterial on the substrate, the conveyor for conveying the substrate along a first direction; and at least one source of alternating magnetic field configured to provide sufficient energy to the conductive ink to cause the nanomaterial in the ink to be sintered; such that the at least one source of magnetic field is positioned above and/or below the substrate and oriented in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. Also disclosed are methods using such sintering systems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sintering system, comprising: a conveyor for conveying a low-temperature non-metallic substrate with a conductive ink having small metallic particles on the substrate, the conveyor for conveying the substrate along a first direction; and at least one source of alternating magnetic field configured to provide sufficient energy to the conductive ink to cause the nanomaterial in the ink to be sintered; wherein the at least one source of alternating magnetic field is positioned above and/or below the substrate and oriented to provide energy in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic flux concentrator for concentrating energy from at least one of the sources of alternating magnetic field. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the at least one source of alternating magnetic field includes an induction coil. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor includes a stop-and-go system or a continuous running system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field is delivered as one or more pulses. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein one magnetic field source is oriented in a first position above or below the substrate, and another magnetic field source is oriented in a second position downstream that is the opposite of the first position relative to the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor is configured to convey the substrate along the first direction and along a direction along the same axis that is opposite to the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the two or more sources of alternating magnetic field is configured to provide the same or different frequencies. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the speed of the conveyor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, further comprising a controller for controlling the energy provided by the one or more sources in response to sensor information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, wherein the source of magnetic energy is movable along a direction lateral to the first direction and/or perpendicular to the plane of the conveyor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The sintering system of claim 1, further comprising a source of radiant heating that is energized by the source of magnetic energy. ### Claim 13 A method of sintering comprising: moving along a first direction a workpiece having low-temperature non-metallic substrate and a conductive ink, including small metallic particles, formed on the substrate; and providing energy from one or more sources of alternating magnetic field to the conductive ink, wherein the energy is provided in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the energy sinters the metallic particles such that the conductivity of the ink increases relative to the conductivity of the conductive ink before sintering. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising concentrating the energy from one or more sources of alternative magnetic field using a magnetic flux concentrator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling the amount of energy based on the output of a sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising moving in a stop-and-go manner or in a continuous manner. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising delivering the magnetic field as one or more pulses. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the low-temperature substrate is moved along a first direction and/or along a direction along the same axis that is opposite to the first direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising providing energy from at least two sources of alternating magnetic field with different frequencies.