Apparatus comprising electronic and/or optoelectronic circuitry and method for realizing said circuitry

• US 7,248,756 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thin Film Electronics ASA
• Original Assignee: Thin Film Electronics ASA
• Inventors: Nordal, Per-Erik, Ebbesen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US10/984,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20050081913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/12, 600/380, 345/67
• US Class Current: 385/14
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the material, structure or properties of the fibres, filaments, yarns, threads or other warp or weft elements used
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/25 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/267 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/292 Conjugate, i.e. bi- or multicomponent, fibres or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/46 Flat yarns, e.g. tapes or films
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/547 with optical functions other than colour, e.g. comprising light-emitting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 27/00 Woven pile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 9/00 Open-work fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/16 incorporating synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/06 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02431 with electronic components, e.g. sensors or switches
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3608 Fibre wiring boards, i.e. where fibres are embedded or attached in a pattern on or to a substrate, e.g. flexible sheets optical ribbon cables in support members G02B6/4401
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3628 for mounting fibres to supporting carriers G02B6/3608, G02B6/3616 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/065 : the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 : Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 : Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 : characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0281 : Conductive fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/00 : Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one organic light-emitting element covered by group H10K50/00

Abstract

An apparatus/method for producing fabric-like electronic circuit patterns created by methodically joining electronic elements using textile fabrication-like methods in a predetermined arrangement.

Claims

1. An apparatus with a web of circuitry, comprising:

a first plurality of circuit elements extending in a first direction; and

a second plurality of circuit elements extending in a second direction, the second direction being non-parallel to the first direction,

wherein the second plurality of circuit elements are interlaced with the first plurality of circuit elements,

wherein a plurality of intersections between the first and second plurality of circuit elements form an active region, each intersection of the plurality of intersections exhibiting circuit device characteristics, the active region operating as an electrical or optical device, and

wherein at least one circuit element of one or both of the first and second plurality of circuit elements is a transmission line.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of circuit elements form a fabric-like structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission line is formed from at least one of a twisted pair filament conductor, a coaxial line conductor, and a flat conductor pair.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second plurality of circuit elements is a single-component fiber or a multi-component fiber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each component of the fiber is one of electrically conductive, semi-conductive, super-conductive, and insulative.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein one or more components of the fiber are capable of being activated by one or more of light, heat, chemicals, electric field, and magnetic field.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein one or more of the components of the fiber are optically conductive.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second plurality of circuit elements is a multi-component fiber and the multi-component fiber is multi-component in a cross section of the fiber or along the axis of the fiber or both.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second plurality of circuit elements are arranged and configured to form at least one of a memory, display, and sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second plurality of circuit elements are configured to be arranged in two or three dimensions.

11. An apparatus with a web of circuitry, comprising:

a first plurality of circuit elements extending in a first direction; and

a second plurality of circuit elements extending in a second direction, the second direction being non-parallel to the first direction,

wherein the second plurality of circuit elements are interlaced with the first plurality of circuit elements,

wherein a plurality of intersections between the first and second plurality of circuit elements form an active region associated with circuitry, the active region operating as an optical device, and

wherein at least one circuit element of one or both of the first and second plurality of circuit elements is a transmission line.