ELECTRONIC STICKERS WITH RE-USABILITY ENHANCEMENTS

• US 20170135212A1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chibitronics Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: Chibitronics Private Limited
• Inventors: HUANG, Andrew Shane, QI, Jie
• Granted Patent: US 9,999,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 9/02 Electrically-conducting adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/04 using electrically conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/092 Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0154 Polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0228 Cutting, sawing, milling or shearing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/066 Transfer laminating of insulating material, e.g. resist as a whole layer, not as a pattern transferring an insulating pattern H05K2203/0537
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/20 by affixing prefabricated conductor pattern H05K1/187, H05K3/046, H05K3/4658, H05K3/4682 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/22 Secondary treatment of printed circuits H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4611 by laminating two or more circuit boards H05K3/4652 takes precedence

Abstract

Electronic sticker technology that enables assembly of circuits at ambient temperature without the use of any special tools.

Claims

1. An electronic sticker comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a first wiring element bonded to the flexible substrate with an anisotropic conductive tape film, the anisotropic conductive tape film conducting current through a thickness of the anisotropic conductive tape film but not through a width or length of the anisotropic conductive tape film.

2. The electronic sticker of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate is polyimide.

3. The electronic sticker of claim 2, wherein the first wiring element is metal wire, metal foil tape, metal fabric, metal thread, metal foils, metal inks, suspensions of conductive nanoparticles, carbon-based inks or conductive film.

4. A method of manufacturing an electronic sticker comprising:

cutting an anisotropic adhesive into an anisotropic adhesive panel, the anisotropic adhesive panel having a first side and a second side;

protecting the first side of the anisotropic adhesive panel with a first wax paper;

protecting the second side of the anisotropic adhesive panel with a second wax paper, the second wax paper having a lower surface energy than the first wax paper;

die-cutting the anisotropic adhesive panel using a full-release technique, the die-cutting forming a pattern featuring alignment holes;

holding a fully-assembled electronics circuit module in place on a flexible substrate with a vacuum chuck that has been machined with cavities to accommodate a profile on a first side of the flexible substrate, the vacuum chuck containing pins that pierce both the flexible substrate and the anisotropic adhesive panel;

peeling back the second wax paper, semi-exposing the anisotropic adhesive panel;

aligning the semi-exposed anisotropic adhesive panel to the pins of the vacuum chuck;

laminating the anisotropic adhesive panel and the fully-assembled electronics circuit module to the flexible substrate with a roller;

holding the anisotropic adhesive panel, the fully-assembled electronics circuit module and the flexible substrate in an oven.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the roller applies a temperature of at least 30°

C.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the roller further applies a pressure of at least 15 psi.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the roller is applied for a period of at least five seconds.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the holding in the oven is at approximately 40°

C.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the holding in the oven for at least half an hour.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the vacuum chuck is heated.