Flexible conductive track arrangement and manufacturing method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsFRANCISCUS THEODORUS AGRICOLA, ALFONS WOUTER GROENLAND
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Abstract
A flexible conductive track arrangement has a pre-flexing condition in which the arrangement is generally planar. Conductive tracks are formed from a metal layer and they are covered above and below by insulator layers. The elongate conductive tracks are generally planar but locally corrugated perpendicularly to the general plane. This enables improved binding performance, for example to form tight windings using the conductive tracks.
Claims17
A flexible conductive track arrangement, comprising:
- a set of conductive tracks formed from a metal layer;
- a first insulator layer above the conductive tracks;
- and
- a second insulator layer below the conductive tracks, wherein the conductive tracks extend in the first plane and are locally corrugated perpendicularly to the first plane.
A conductor arrangement, comprising:
- a carrier;
- and
- a flexible conductive track arrangement comprising a set of conductive tracks formed from a metal layer a first insulator layer above the conductive tracks, and a second insulator layer below the conductive tracks, wherein the conductive tracks extend in the first lane and are locally corrugated perpendicularly to the first plane, the flexible conductive track arrangement being wound around the carrier.
A device for sensing or stimulating neurons, the device comprising:
- a signal source;
- a sensor or a stimulation unit;
- and
- a conductor comprising a carrier and a flexible conductive track arrangement comprising a set of conductive tracks formed from a metal layer, a first insulator layer above the conductive tracks, and a second insulator layer below the conductive tracks, wherein the conductive tracks extend in the first plane and are locally corrugated perpendicularly to the first plane, the flexible conductive track arrangement being wound around the carrier, and wherein the conductor arrangement is connected to the signal source and the sensor or the stimulation unit.
The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the sensor or the stimulation unit are integrated in the flexible conductor track arrangement.
A method of forming a flexible conductive track arrangement, comprising:
- providing a first substrate;
- providing an etch stop layer over the substrate;
- providing a stepped layer over the etch stop layer;
- forming a first insulator layer above the stepped layer;
- forming a metal layer over the first insulator layer and patterning it to form elongate conductive tracks;
- forming a second insulator layer over the metal layer;
- bonding the structure to a second substrate using a dissolvable adhesive, on the opposite side to the first substrate;
- etching the first substrate away to the etch stop layer;
- etching the etch stop layer and the stepped layer;
- and
- dissolving the adhesive to remove the second substrate, wherein the elongate conductive tracks are substantially planar but locally corrugated perpendicularly to the general plane with a shape corresponding to the stepped layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.