Patent ID: 11926524
Assignee: IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  H | IPC B

Claim 29:
30. A method of fabricating a conductive pattern or circuit in a substrate having a length, width, and thickness comprising:
a. providing a substrate with a predetermined pattern or circuit of three-dimensional structural features in the thickness of the substrate to create three-dimensional open or closed channels in directions of any of the length, width, and thickness of the substrate, the channels having surfaces; and
b. coating at least some of said channel surfaces of selected said channels with one or more layers, each layer created by:
i. controlling of flow of a viscous or solution-form liquid comprising a solute of electrically-conductive materials and a solvent through the selected said channels to control at least partial filling of the selected channels with the liquid by control of:
1. flow direction;
2. flow volume;
3. flow rate; and
4. concentration of the electrically-conductive materials in the liquid;
and

ii. removing substantially the solvent;

c. to leave the one or more layers of the solute of the electrically-conductive materials at a controlled thickness and coverage of the surfaces of the selected said channels to create a conductive pattern or circuit based on the coating of the channels;
d. further comprising transferring the conductive three-dimensional pattern or circuit to a second substrate by:
i. placing a polymer solution over the conductive three-dimensional pattern or circuit in the substrate;
ii. curing the polymer solution in place effective to;
1. create a second substrate;
2. promote adherence at least substantially of the conductive three-dimensional pattern to the second substrate; and

iii. transferring the conductive three-dimensional pattern to the second substrate by separating the second substrate from the first substrate.