3m Innovative Properties Company

Other

Kara A Meyers

Mikhail L Pekurovsky

Saagar A Shah

Ankit Mahajan

Kayla C Niccum

Shawn C Dodds

Teresa M Goeddel

Thomas J Metzler

Jonathan W Kemling

James N Dobbs

Tyler J Rattray

Samad Javid

Roger W Barton

Matthew R D Smith

Jeremy K Larsen

Matthew S Stay

Nicholas T Gabriel

Ronald P Swanson

Robert B Secor

James Zhu

Lyudmila A Pekurovsky

Kevin T Reddy

Gino L Pitera

Michael A Kropp

Christopher Bland Walker, Jr

Joseph B Eckel

Graham M Clarke

Ann M Gilman

Vivek Krishnan

Scott L Ciliske

Eric A Vandre

Joseph B Farley

Brittni M Schiewer

Ankit Mahajan, Jr

Jessica Chiu

Thomas P Klun

Richard John Pokorny

Dong-Wei Zhu

Ross E Behling

Jitendra Singh Rathore

Christopher G Walker

Daniel J Theis

David J Rowe

Benjamin R Coonce

Chad M Amb

David C Mercord

Richard C Webb

Hyacinth L Lechuga

Anish Kurian

Yugeun P Yang

Howard M Kaplan

Chris A Pommer

Kevin T Grove

Daniel B Taylor

Angela S McLEAN

Michelle Ji

Wayne D Meredyk

Thomas A Mahler

Paul J Cordes

Pranati Mondkar

Joseph E Hernandez

Angela S Mclean

Methods and apparatuses for roll coating are provided. The roll coating system () includes a coating roll () having a deformable inner layer () with a surface thereof covered by a deformable outer layer (), the inner layer being softer than the outer layer. A substrate () is conveyed to the nip () between the coating roll and a back-up roll (). A metered coating material is transferred from the coating roll to a patterned surface structure () of the substrate at the nip to form a conformal coating on the patterned structure of the substrate.

Roll coating using metered coating roll including deformable layers

A method comprises: providing a layer of curable adhesive material () on a substrate (); forming a pattern of microstructures () on the layer of curable adhesive material (); curing a first region () of the layer of curable adhesive material () at a first level and a second region () of the layer of curable adhesive material () at a second level greater than the first level; providing a solid circuit die () to directly attach to a major surface of the first region () of the layer of curable adhesive material (); and further curing the first region () of the layer of curable adhesive material () to anchor the solid circuit die () on the first region () by forming an adhesive bond therebetween. The pattern of microstructures () may include one or more microchannels (), the method further comprising forming one or more electrically conductive traces in the microchannels (), in particular, by flow of a conductive particle containing liquid () by a capillary force and, optionally, under pressure. The at least one microchannel () may extend from the second region () to the first region () and have a portion beneath the solid circuit die (). The solid circuit die () may have at least one edge disposed within a periphery of the first region () with a gap therebetween. The solid circuit die () may have at least one contact pad () on a bottom surface thereof, wherein the at least one contact pad () may be in direct contact with at least one of the electrically conductive traces in the microchannels (). Forming the pattern of microstructures () may comprise contacting a major surface of a stamp () to the layer of curable adhesive material (), the major surface having a pattern of raised features () thereon. The curable adhesive material () may be cured by an actinic light source such as an ultraviolet (UV) light source ('), wherein a mask may be provided to at least partially block the first region () of the layer of curable adhesive material () from the cure. The stamp () may be positioned in contact with the curable adhesive material () to replicate the pattern of raised features () to form the microstructures () while the curable adhesive material () is selectively cured by the actinic light source such as the ultraviolet (UV) light source (). The first region () of the layer of curable adhesive material () may be cured at the first level to allow a bottom surface of the solid circuit die () to be fluidly-sealed by the major surface of the first region (). The second region of the layer of curable adhesive material () may be cured at the second level such that the second region () is fully cured. The further curing may be any suitable curing such as thermal curing, radiation curing (e.g., by actinic radiation, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation) or self-curing at room temperature without using a thermal or radiation curing source.

Circuits including micropatterns and using partial curing to adhere dies

Methods and systems of using pocket roller () to place objects on a continuously moving web () are provided. The objects are received in an array of pockets () on a major surface of a roller sleeve (). The roller sleeve () engages with an adhesive surface () of the continuously moving web () to place the objects on the web ().

Methods and systems of using pocket roller to place objects on moving web

A method includes placing an electronic device on a pliable mating surface on a major surface of a mold such that at least one contact pad on the electronic device presses against the pliable mating surface. The pliable mating surface is on a microstructure in an arrangement of microstructures on the major surface of the mold. A liquid encapsulant material is applied over the electronic device and the major surface of the mold, and then hardened to form a carrier for the electronic device. The mold and the carrier are separated such that the microstructures on the mold form a corresponding arrangement of microchannels in the carrier, and at least one contact pad on the electronic device is exposed in a microchannel in the arrangement of microchannels. A conductive particle-containing liquid is deposited in the microchannel, which directly contacts the contact pad exposed in the microchannel.

Methods for registration of circuit dies and electrical interconnects

A pattern of microchannels is formed on a major surface of a substrate on the side opposite an adhesive surface thereof. Through holes extend through the substrate and are connected to the pattern of microchannels. Solid circuit dies are adhesively bonded to the adhesive surface of the substrate. The contact pads of the solid circuit dies at least partially overlie and face the through holes. Electrically conductive channel traces are formed to electrically connect to the solid circuit dies via the through holes.

Methods and devices using microchannels for interconnections

Devices including electrical connections to embedded electronic components and methods of making the same are provided. The devices include a flexible electronic component buried inside a substrate. The free end of the flexible electronic component can be extracted to stick out of the major plane of the substrate as a projecting contact.

Electrical connections to embedded electronic components

An article includes a solid circuit die on a first major surface of a substrate, wherein the solid circuit die includes an arrangement of contact pads, and wherein at least a portion of the contact pads in the arrangement of contact pads are at least partially exposed on the first major surface of the substrate to provide an arrangement of exposed contact pads; a guide layer including an arrangement of microchannels, wherein the guide layer contacts the first major surface of the substrate such that at least some microchannels in the arrangement of microchannels overlie the at least some exposed contact pads in the arrangement of exposed contact pads; and a conductive particle-containing liquid in at least some of the microchannels. Other articles and methods of manufacturing the articles are described.

Flexible circuits on soft substrates

A method for manufacturing an electronic device includes providing a substrate with a first major surface having a microchannel, wherein the microchannel has a first end and a second end; dispensing a conductive liquid in the microchannel to cause the conductive liquid to move, primarily by capillary pressure, in a first direction toward the first end of the microchannel and in a second direction toward the second end of the microchannel; and solidifying the conductive liquid to form an electrically conductive trace electrically connecting a first electronic device at the first end of the microchannel to a second electronic device at the second end of the microchannel.

Forming electrical interconnections using capillary microfluidics

A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material. An elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate; the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Composite articles including a stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

Stretchable conductors

Methods and apparatuses for applying coatings on a moving web are provided. A coating die and a back-up roll engage with each other. The back-up roll includes a shell rotatably supported by a pressurized air layer. When a coating material is dispensed from the coating die onto the web to form a liquid coating, the pressure of the air layer is controlled such that the shell translates in space to balance forces from the air layer and the coating bead, while the web is being translated to drive the shell.

Die coating on air supported shell

Wet-on-wet coating processes are provided to produce multilayer articles. First and second coating materials are sequentially applied on to a structured substrate surface to form a skin layer directly over the structured substrate surface and a bulk layer over the skin layer. The conformability of the skin layer can be adjusted to provide desired surface and bulk properties.

Multilayer articles via wet-on-wet processing

A printing system () including a printing roll () is provided. The printing roll () includes an elastically deformable and compressible inner layer () and a thin outer shell () to cover the inner layer (). The thin outer shell () includes a pattern of raised print features () to receive ink material thereon. The inner layer () is softer and thicker than the thin outer shell (), and optionally, the thin outer shell () is removable from the inner layer (). The inner layer () of the printing roll () has a thickness, a compression force deflection value and an elastically-deformable compressibility such that the raised print features () of the printing roll () do not slide or deform with respect to the printed web () in an amount to generate a substantially visible dot gain.

Printing system and method including printing roll having elastically deformable and compressible thick inner layer

Methods and apparatuses for applying coatings () on a moving web () are provided. A slot die () and a back-up roll () engage with each other. The back-up roll has a deformable inner layer () with a surface thereof covered by a deformable outer layer (). The slot die and the flexible web at a contacting area are impressed into the back-up roll with an engagement depth D, which enables formation of a coating having a substantially uniform thickness.

Method of slot die coating over deformable back-up roll

Flexible electrical connectors are provided to electrically connect electronic devices. The flexible electrical connector includes a removable adhesive tape strip having an adhesive surface thereof and an electrically conductive trace disposed on the adhesive tape strip. The flexible electrical connector engages an electronic device to form an electrical contact where the adhesive tape strip has an adhesive surface removably adhesively bonded to the substrate of the electronic device to at least partially cover the electrical contact.

Removable electrical connectors and devices

Growing community of inventors

Oakdale, MN, United States of America

Kara A Meyers