Abstract:
A protective photochromic barrier film for a light-sensitive printed electronic substrate. Light-sensitive semiconductor devices on a dielectric substrate are electrically connected by conductors. A barrier layer containing photochromic dyes covers some or all of the light-sensitive semiconductor devices. Upon exposure to visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light, the photochromic dyes change chemical structure and decrease the amount of visible or non-visible light that can impinge upon the light-sensitive electronic devices. Upon removal of the visible or non-visible light, the photochromic dyes either revert to their original structure or maintain their altered state.
Abstract:
A printed electronic device and methods for determining the electrical value of the device. A dielectric material is contact printed on a substrate using a preset force. The substrate has a pressure sensitive material that is optically responsive in direct proportion to the amount of force imparted by the contact printing. The force of the contact printing causes the pressure sensitive material to form a pattern that is quantifiable to the amount of force. The pattern is then optically inspected and compared to sets of standards in order to quantify the amount of force that was used in printing. The thickness of the printed dielectric material is then calculated based on the quantified force by comparing to another set of standards. The electrical value of the printed material is calculated based on the calculated thickness of the printed dielectric material, the surface area of the printed dielectric material, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric material.
Abstract:
In a printed electronic device and methods for determining the electrical value of the device, a dielectric material 130 is contact printed on a substrate 110 using a preset force. The substrate 110 has a pressure sensitive material 120 that is optically responsive in direct proportion to the amount of force imparted by the contact printing. The force of the contact printing causes the pressure sensitive material to form a pattern that is quantifiable to the amount of feree. The pattern is then optically inspected and compared to sets of standards in order to quantify the amount of feree that was used in printing. The thickness of the printed dielectric material is then calculated based on the quantified force by comparing to another set of standards.
Abstract:
An object (201) (such as a containment mechanism) supports both a functional electrical circuit (203) and an electrical circuit (202) to which the functional electrical circuit is responsive. In a preferred approach the functional electrical circuit has both a low power state of operation and a higher power state of operation. Upon detecting (104) that an area of connectivity of the electrical circuit has been severed (via, for example, corresponding manipulation of the object itself), the functional electrical circuit responsively operates (106) using the higher power state of operation.
Abstract:
One facilitates determination of a path that comprises a plurality of specific locations (Fig 1, Bl 101). in an optional though preferred embodiment these specific locations comprise locations where a given functional ink will preferably be printed using a continuous printing spray. Also in an optional though preferred embodiment this path will also avoid at least one predetermined area (Fig 1. Bl 102) where such a functional ink should not be printed. In a preferred approach this process generally provides for identifying these specific locations and further identifying, when applicable, the one or more predetermined areas to be avoided. This process then preferably uses a processor to effect at least one (and preferably both) of using a genetic algorithm to identify a preferred path that includes the plurality of specific locations and using an A* algorithm to process a candidate path to provide a selected path that includes the plurality of specific locations while also avoiding the at least one predetermined area (Fig 1, Bl 104).
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for forming controlled stress fractures in metal produces electrically isolated, closely spaced circuit sub-entities for use on a metallized printed wiring board. A polymeric substrate (10) has a layer of metal (11) adhered to the surface, and the metal layer is formed into entities (12). Each entity (12) has a fracture initiating feature (14, 54) formed into it, which serves to initiate and/or direct a stress crack that is induced in the metal. The entities (12) are fractured in a controlled manner by subjecting the substrate (10) and the entities to mechanical stress by a rapid thermal excursion, creating a stress fracture in the entity extending from the fracture initiating feature. The stress fracture divides each entity (12) into two or more sub-entities (42) that are electrically isolated from each other by the stress fracture.
Abstract:
An inverter circuit (500) having a drive transistor (102) that operably couples to a voltage bias input (101) (and where that drive transistor controls the inverter circuit output by opening and closing a connection between the output (105) and ground (104)) is further operably coupled to a feedback switch (401). In a preferred approach the feedback switch is itself also operably coupled to the voltage bias input and the output and preferably serves, when the drive transistor is switched "off", to responsively couple the voltage bias input to the drive transistor in such a way as to cause a gate terminal of the drive transistor to have its polarity relative to a source terminal of the drive transistor reversed and hence permit the inverter circuit to operate across a substantially full potential operating range of the drive transistor.