The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 20, 2018
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2016
Essential Products, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
David John Evans, V, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Xinrui Jiang, San Jose, CA (US);
Andrew E. Rubin, Los Altos, CA (US);
Matthew Hershenson, Los Altos, CA (US);
Xiaoyu Miao, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Joseph Anthony Tate, San Jose, CA (US);
Jason Sean Gagne-Keats, Cupertino, CA (US);
Rebecca Schultz Zavin, Portola Valley, CA (US);
ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS, INC., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments include a method of integrating metal elements separated by gaps with a structure that conceals the metal elements and gaps. The method includes treating a metal substrate to a plasma electrolytic oxidation process to form a ceramic layer from a portion of the metal substrate, thereby providing the ceramic layer and an underlying metal portion of the metal substrate. The method further includes etching gap(s) in the underlying metal portion of the metal substrate to form metal elements separated by the gap(s), and backfilling the gap(s) with a non-conductive substance. As such, the metal elements, the non-conductive substance filling the gap(s), and the ceramic layer collectively form a structure whereby the ceramic layer at least partially conceals the metal elements and the gap(s).