Method of forming structures using drop-on-demand printing

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for forming a structure on a substrate. The structure may be a circuit element. The method uses a digital specification 910 for forming the structure, including specifications for printing and curing. The structure is printed (step 112 ) using a drop-on-demand printer 400 , wherein the printing dispenses at least one material on the substrate 420 according to the digital specification 910 . The structure is cured (step 130 ) by irradiating the dispensed material from one or more electromagnetic radiation sources 520, 525 in the printer 400 , wherein curing parameters are specified by the digital specification 910 to obtain a desired electrical property when the structure is a circuit element. The curing specification may specify the intensity of the irradiation and the location of irradiation points in the print region.

1 . An apparatus for forming a circuit element on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a computer arranged to select a digital specification for forming the circuit element;   a drop-on-demand printer coupled to the computer and configured to print the circuit element by depositing at least one material on the substrate according to the digital specification; and   at least one electromagnetic radiation source coupled to the computer and configured to cure the circuit element by irradiating the deposited material with electromagnetic radiation according to curing parameters specified by the digital specification to thereby obtain a desired electrical property of the circuit element.   
   
   
       2 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the drop-on-demand printer includes an ink-jet print head assembly, the ink-jet print head assembly comprising:
 at least one cartridge for storing material to be dispensed;   a print head corresponding to each cartridge for dispensing the material onto a substrate; and   a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources each configured to cure the dispensed material by irradiation of the dispensed material.   
   
   
       3 . An apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the ink-jet print head assembly further comprises means for receiving signals that control a firing of nozzles of print heads and to initiate radiation pulses of the plurality of radiation sources. 
   
   
       4 . An apparatus for forming a structure on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
 a computer arranged to select a digital representation for the structure and to identify at least one region in the digital representation;   a drop-on-demand printer coupled to the computer and configured to print the identified region by depositing at least one material on the substrate according to the digital representation; and   at least one electromagnetic radiation source coupled to the computer and configured to cure the region according to the digital representation by irradiating the deposited material with electromagnetic radiation according to an intensity of the irradiation and a location of irradiation points in the region specified by the digital representation.   
   
   
       5 . A system for forming a circuit element on a substrate, the system comprising:
 a data storage containing one or more digital specifications for circuit elements;   a drop-on-demand printer in communication with the data storage for forming a selected circuit element, the printer comprising:
 one or more print heads for dispensing material from one or more cartridges to thereby deposit the material on the substrate using a drop-on-demand technique according to a digital specification for the selected circuit element; and 
 one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation arranged to cure the deposited material by irradiating the deposited material with electromagnetic radiation according to curing parameters specified by the digital representation to thereby obtain a desired electrical property of the selected circuit element. 
   
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the printer includes a print head assembly that comprises the one or more print heads and the one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation. 
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 5 , wherein the printer includes a positioning system to control a position of the substrate relative to the one or more print heads and the one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation. 
   
   
       8 . A system for forming a structure on a substrate, the system comprising:
 a data storage containing one or more digital specifications for structures;   a drop-on-demand printer in communication with the data storage for forming a selected structure, the printer comprising:
 one or more print heads for dispensing material from one or more cartridges to thereby deposit the material on the substrate using a drop-on-demand technique according to a digital specification for the selected structure; and 
 one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation arranged to cure the deposited material by irradiating the deposited material with electromagnetic radiation according to an radiation intensity and locations of irradiation points on the substrate specified by the digital specification for the selected structure.