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US 2026/0082486 A1Published application
Circuit
AssigneeChibitronics Inc.
InventorsJie Qi, Jonathan Samuelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible circuit can include an electrically non-conductive substrate, a plurality of polymer particles deposited on the substrate, and an electrically conductive metallized foil. The polymer particles can be deposited onto the substrate according to a circuit trace pattern. The circuit trace pattern can define a path of at least one conductive circuit trace configured to couple electrically to a circuit element. The electrically conductive metallized foil can be configured to adhere to the polymer particles but not to the substrate to form the at least one conductive circuit trace.
Claims20
A flexible circuit comprising:
- a substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is formed from an electrically non-conductive material;
- a plurality of polymer particles deposited onto a first region of the first surface of the substrate according to a circuit trace pattern, wherein the circuit trace pattern defines a path on the first region of the first surface of the substrate of at least one conductive circuit trace configured to couple electrically to a circuit element, wherein the plurality of polymer particles are not disposed on a second region of the first surface of the substrate, and wherein the first region of the first surface of the substrate is adjacent the second region of the first surface of the substrate;
- and
- an electrically conductive metallized foil comprising a metallized layer formed from an electrically conductive material, wherein the electrically conductive metallized foil is configured to adhere to the polymer particles deposited onto the first region of the first surface of the substrate but not adhere to the second region of the first surface of the substrate on which the polymer particles are not deposited to form the at least one conductive circuit trace on the first region of the first surface of the substrate, and wherein the metallized layer is disposed above the polymer particles and the first surface of the substrate.
1 more element
A method of forming a circuit comprising:
- depositing a plurality of polymer particles onto a first region of a first surface of a substrate according to a circuit trace pattern, wherein the substrate comprises the first surface and a second surface, wherein the substrate is formed from an electrically non-conductive material, wherein the circuit trace pattern defines a path of a conductive circuit trace configured to couple electrically to a circuit element, and wherein the polymer particles are not deposited onto a second region of the first surface of the substrate;
- placing a metallized foil over the polymer particles and the first region of the first surface of the substrate, wherein the metallized foil comprises a metallized layer formed from an electrically conductive material;
- applying heat to the metallized foil and the polymer particles to selectively adhere the metallized foil to the polymer particles deposited onto the first region of the first surface of the substrate but not to the second region of the first surface of the substrate;
- and
- removing a non-adhered portion of the metallized foil to form a conductive circuit trace on the first region of the first surface of the substrate.
2 more elements
A foil-based circuit kit comprising:
- a carrier-backed foil comprising at least a metallized layer and a carrier layer coupled to the metallized layer, wherein the carrier-backed foil is configured to adhere to a plurality of polymer particles deposited onto a first region of a first surface of a substrate but not adhere to a second region of the first surface of the substrate on which polymer particles are not deposited, wherein the substrate is formed from an electrically non-conductive material, and wherein the metallized layer is formed from an electrically conductive material;
- and
- a circuit element, wherein the circuit element is configured to be coupled to the metallized layer of the carrier-backed foil to form at least a portion of an electric circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.