Electrical circuits with very high conductivity and high fineness, processes for fabricating them, and devices comprising them

An electrical circuit, comprising:

• an insulating substrate having one or more grooves of a depth of more than 6 .mu.m engraved into a surface of said substrate, each said groove being completely filled by at least two superimposed components, including:
• a conductive material placed in a lower portion of said groove;
• and
• a protective material placed over said conductive material for sealing said groove;
• and
• a conducting layer covering at least part of a surface of said substrate, said conducting layer having a geometrical form corresponding to an electrical circuit layout, said conducting layer being electrically connected with said conductive material,
• wherein said conductive material is disposed in the form of a precursory material and wherein said precursory material introduced into each groove is brought into its final form by polymerization.

An electric circuit, comprising:

• an insulating substrate having one or more grooves of a depth of more than 6 .mu.m engraved into a surface of said substrate, each said groove being completely filled by at least two superimposed components, including:
• a conductive material placed in a lower portion of said groove;
• and
• a protective material placed over said conductive material for sealing said groove;
• and
• a conducting layer covering at least part of a surface of said substrate, said conducting layer having a geometrical form corresponding to an electrical circuit layout,
• wherein said conductive material is applied into said groove without forming a relief on the surface of said substrate, said electrical circuit further comprising:
• means for electrically coupling said conducting layer and said conductive material,
• wherein said protective material is conductive, wherein said electrically coupling means includes said protective material for electrically coupling said conductive material with said conducting layers, and
• wherein said electrically coupling means includes a conductive strip disposed onto the surface of said substrate for electrically coupling said conductive material with said conducting layer.

An electrical circuit, comprising:

• an insulating substrate having one or more grooves of a depth of more than 6 .mu.m engraved into a surface of said substrate, each said groove being completely filled by at least two superimposed components, including:
• a conductive material placed in a bottom portion of said groove;
• and
• a protective material placed over said conductive material for sealing said groove;
• and
• a conducting layer covering at least part of a surface of said substrate, said conducting layer having a geometrical form corresponding to an electrical circuit layout, said conducting layer being electrically connected with said conductive material,
• wherein said conductive material is applied into said groove without forming a relief on the surface of said substrate, and
• wherein said conducting layer further includes
• a notch made through said conducting layer and in said substrate to create a discontinuity in said conducting layer by exposing said substrate.

An electrical circuit, comprising:

• an insulating substrate having one or more grooves of a depth of more than 6 .mu.m engraved into a surface of said substrate, each said groove being completely filled by at least two superimposed components, including:
• a conductive material placed in a bottom portion of said groove;
• and
• a protective material placed over said conductive material for sealing said groove;
• and
• a conducting layer covering at least part of a surface of said substrate, said conducting layer having a geometrical form corresponding to an electrical circuit layout, said conducting layer being electrically connected with said conductive material,
• wherein said substrate is flat, and wherein said grooves are rectilinear and parallel to each other and interacting with said conducting layer,
• wherein said conducting layer is deposited on the substrate to coat said substrate,
• wherein said conductive material is applied into said groove without forming a relief on the surface of said substrate,
• wherein said protective material is conductive;
• and
• a conductive strip disposed onto the surface of said substrate for electrically coupling said conductive material with said conducting layer, at least one groove being associated with one strip.

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said coating step is performed prior to step (a).

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said coating step is performed after step (a), but before step (b).

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said coating step is performed after step (c), but before step (d).

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said coating step is performed after step (e).

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said conductive material is a conductive wire, and wherein step (b) further includes covering said conductive wire with a conductive precursory material appropriate for applying into said groove.

A process of fabricating an electrical circuit on the surface of an insulating substrate, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) engraving a groove in the surface of said substrate;
• (b) disposing a conductive material into said groove;
• (c) treating said conductive material to place it in a final state;
• (d) filling said groove with a protective material after step (c);
• (e) treating said protecting material to place it in a final state after step (d);
• and
• (f) coating said substrate with a conductive layer,
• wherein said conductive material is introduced as precursory material and then treated to impart its final properties,
• wherein precursory material not residing in said groove is defined as excess precursory material, the process further comprising the step of
• removing excess precursory material before their respective treating steps.