摘要 |
A polymer Thick Film ("PTF") laminate, in which selected (and advantageously all) of the layers are deployed using UV-curable inks. In one embodiment of the invention, the UV-curable PTF layers are deployed in an exemplary monolithic and membranous EL structure, in which UV-cured urethane envelope layers encapsulate UV-cured urethane electroluminescent layers. When deployed in layer form during manufacture and subsequently exposed to UV radiation, the inventive inks cure in a few seconds without any appreciable layer height shrinkage. Manufacturing cycle time is significantly optimized over traditional heat curing processes. Flexible circuitry is also disclosed herein. The flexible circuitry may be embodied using the UV-curable urethane inks disclosed herein, although the flexible circuitry is not limited to UV-curable or urethane embodiments. Successive insulating layers are deployed. The insulating layers have conductive pathways deployed thereon. The conductive pathways may be connected in any way desired on a single layer or between layers. Apertures may be left in insulating layers to receive surface mounted components ("SMCs") that are in conductive communication with conductive pathways deployed on the layer beneath. Active zones may also be deployed between conductive pathways on a layer. Such active zones comprise inks that, when cured, have predesigned electrical characteristics (such as resistance, capacitance, inductance, semiconductance, etc.) when the conductive pathways are energized. In another embodiment, selected layers in the flexible circuitry comprise conductive pathways, active zones and insulating zones all deployed next to one another to form a single multi-function layer. Use of such multi-function layers enables conductive pathways, active zones and insulating zones to be designed into the flexible circuitry with a dimension that is not limited to the general plane of the deployed layer. |