Pin-deposition of conductive inks for microelectrodes and contact via filling

• US 7,036,220 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Krulevitch, Peter A., Hamilton, Julie K., Benett, William J., Maghribi, Mariam N., Tovar, Armando R., Davidson, J. Courtney
• Primary Examiner(s): PERT, EVAN T
• Application Number:
  US10/742,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20050136639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 438/612, 298/46
• US Class Current: 29/846
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0195 Tool for a process not provided for in H05K3/00, e.g. tool for handling objects using suction, for deforming objects, for applying local pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0338 Transferring metal or conductive material other than a circuit pattern, e.g. bump, solder, printed component
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4053 by thick-film techniques
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

A method of metalization of an integrated microsystem. The method comprises providing a substrate and applying a conductive material to the substrate by taking up small aliquots of conductive material and releasing the conductive material onto the substrate to produce a circuit component.

Claims

1. A method of metalization in an integrated microsystem, comprising the steps of:

providing a poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate,

forming at least one conducting line in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate,

forming at least one hole in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate with said hole connected to said at least one conducting line, and applying a conductive material to said at least one hole in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate by taking up at least one aliquot of conductive material and releasing said conductive material into said at least one hole in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate to produce a circuit component.

2. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said circuit component is a metal electrode.

3. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said circuit component is a via for multilevel metallization.

4. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises conductive ink.

5. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said conductive material comprises electrode metal.

6. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said step of applying a conductive material to said substrate is accomplished using a precision pin tip to take up at least one aliquot of conductive material, positioning said pin tip over said substrate, and releasing said conductive material into said at least one hole in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate to produce said circuit component.

7. The method of metalization of claim 6 wherein said circuit component is a metal electrode.

8. The method of metalization of claim 6 wherein said circuit component is a via for multilevel metallization.

9. The method of metalization of claim 6 wherein said conductive material comprises conductive ink.

10. The method of metalization of claim 6 wherein said conductive material comprises electrode metal.

11. The method of metalization of claim 1 wherein said step of applying a conductive material to said substrate is accomplished using a precision pin tip to take up at least one aliquot of conductive ink or electrode metal, positioning said pin tip over said substrate, and releasing said conductive ink or electrode metal into said at least one hole in said poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate to produce a metal electrode or fill a via for multilevel metallization.

12. A method of metalization in an integrated polymer microsystem, comprising the steps of:

providing a flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate,

forming at least one conducting line in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate,

forming at least one hole in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate with said hole connected to said at least one conducting line, and

applying a conductive material to said at least one hole in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate by taking up at least one aliquot of conductive material and releasing said conductive material into said at least one hole in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate to produce a circuit component.

13. The method of metalization of claim 12 wherein said circuit component is a metal electrode.

14. The method of metalization of claim 12 wherein said circuit component is a via for multilevel metallization.

15. The method of metalization of claim 12 wherein said conductive material comprises conductive ink.

16. The method of metalization of claim 12 wherein said conductive material comprises electrode metal.

17. The method of metalization of claim 16 wherein said step of applying a conductive material to said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate is accomplished using a precision pin tip to take up at least one aliquot of conductive ink or electrode metal, positioning said pin tip over said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate, and releasing said conductive ink or electrode metal into said at least one hole in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate.

18. The method of metalization of claim 17 wherein said step of applying a conductive material to said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate includes producing three-dimensional microfluidic channels in said flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate and filling said three-dimensional microfluidic channels with conductive ink.