Patent ID: 6814778
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: B23K,B41J,H01L,H05K

Abstract:
A method for generating a stream of liquid metal droplets for deposition on at least a portion of a stationary substrate comprising:producing a continuous stream of liquid metal droplets; counting a number of the liquid metal droplets in the continuous stream; selectively directing the stream of liquid metal droplets in one dimension of a first dimension, a second dimension, and a combination of a first dimension and a second dimension using a raster scanning process comprising: electrically charging the liquid metal droplets; deflecting at least a portion of the electrically charged liquid metal droplets in the one dimension of a first dimension, a second dimension, and a combination of a first dimension and a second dimension, by passing each droplet of the portion of electrically charged liquid metal droplets through an electric field, each of at least two different droplets of the portion of electrically charged liquid metal droplets passing through the electric field, the field having different magnitudes, different directions, or both during the passing of the at least two different droplets, the at least two different droplets having different deflections during and after the passing; catching at least some of the liquid metal droplets for preventing the at least some of said the liquid metal droplets from contacting the stationary substrate; and recycling at least some of the liquid metal droplets from location of the catching of at least some of the liquid metal droplets.