Patent ID: 6901852

Claim:
A method for forming a multi-level electrically conductive structure comprising: providing a print screen having a preselected thickness, a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one preconfigured print pattern therethrough; providing a squeegee having a preselected hardness and having a generally tapering cross-section and terminating in a working edge; arranging a substrate having at least one lower-level surface and at least one upper-level surface so as to be opposite the bottom surface of the print screen; introducing an electrically conductive, screen printable substance onto at least a portion of the top surface of the print screen; biasing the squeegee against the top surface of the print screen toward the substrate, resulting in a reference angle being formed between the bottom surface of the print screen ahead of the working edge of the squeegee and the at least one upper-level surface; sweeping the squeegee in a predetermined forward direction so as to urge at least a portion of the electrically conductive, screen printable substance through the at least one preconfigured print pattern and onto at least a portion of the at least one lower-level surface to form a first portion of at least one continuous electrically conductive structure while maintaining the reference angle within a preselected range; continuing the biasing and the sweeping of the squeegee so as to urge additional screen printable substance through the at least one preconfigured print pattern to form a second portion of the at least one continuous electrically conductive structure vertically spanning a region intermediate the at least one lower-level surface and the at least one upper-level surface; continuing the biasing and the sweeping of the squeegee so as to urge additional screen printable substance through the at least one preconfigured print pattern to form a third portion of the at least one continuous electrically conductive structure upon at least a portion of the at least one upper-level surface; and exposing the substrate having the at least one continuous electrically conductive structure to an elevated temperature.