Patent US6379745B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6379745B1
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Low temperature method and compositions for producing electrical conductors
Assignee: PARALEC LLC
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Filing: 1997-09-12
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Granted: 2002-04-30
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Expires: 2017-09-12
Abstract
Abstract A composition of matter having a metal powder or powders of specified characteristics in a Reactive Organic Medium (TOM). These compositions can be applied by any convenient printing process to produce patterns of electrical conductors on temperature-sensitive electronic substrates. The patterns can be thermally cured in seconds to form pure metal conductors at a temperature low enough to avoid damaging the substrate.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul H. Kydd
- 👤 Gregory A. Jablonski
- 👤 David L. Richard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 02:45
CPC Classifications
B; B05; B05D; B05D5/00; B05D5/12; H; H01; H01B; H01B1/00; H01B1/20; H01B1/22; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/09; H05K1/092; H05K1/097; H10; H10W; H10W70/00; H10W70/01; H10W70/05; H10W70/098; H10W70/60; H10W70/62; H10W70/66; H10W70/666; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/012; H10W72/20; H10W72/251; H10W72/50; H10W72/551; H10W72/552; H10W72/5522
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
45 words
A compositionl of matter comprising a reactive organic medium and a metal powder mixture, wherein said composition can be applied on a substrate and heated in an oven to consolidate the composition to a solid pure metal conductor at a temperature below about 450° C.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
45 words
A compositionl of matter comprising a reactive organic medium and a metal powder mixture, wherein said composition can be applied on a substrate and heated in an oven to consolidate the composition to a solid pure metal conductor at a temperature below about 450° C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
41 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein said reactive organic medium is selected from the group consisting of a metallo-organic decomposition compound, a reactive compound which can react with said metal powder mixture to produce a metallo-organic decomposition compound, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The composition of claim 1 wherein said reactive organic medium is comprised of one or more reactive organic compounds each having a different decomposition temperature, wherein the reactive organic medium has a decomposition temperature which is different from each of said reactive organic compounds.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
The composition of claim 1 in which the metal powder mixture is comprised of: a) 0-100% by weight metal flakes having a diameter of about 5 microns and a thickness of less than 1 micrometer; and, b) 0-100% by weight colloidal metal particles having a diameter less than 0.1 micrometers wherein said metal particles are not significantly aggregated into larger particles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The composition of claim 1 in which the metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, palladium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, platinum, iron, cobalt, nickel, indium, tin, antimony, lead, and bismuth.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for producing solid pure metal conductors on a substrate comprising the steps of: A) applying a conductor precursor in a pattern on to the substrate; B) heating said substrate with said patterned precursor in an oven to a critical temperature less than about 450° C. for a time less than about five minutes; wherein said applied conductor precursor pattern is converted into a consolidated, bonded pure metal conductor wherein said conductor precursor is comprised of a reactive organic medium and a metal powder mixture.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for producing solid pure metal conductors on a substrate comprising the steps of: A) applying a conductor precursor in a pattern on to the substrate; B) heating said substrate with said patterned precursor in an oven to a critical temperature less than about 450° C. for a time less than about five minutes; wherein said applied conductor precursor pattern is converted into a consolidated, bonded pure metal conductor wherein said conductor precursor is comprised of a reactive organic medium and a metal powder mixture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 6 in which said conductor precursor is applied to said substrate by a technology selected from the group consisting of: screen printing, stencil printing, gravure printing, impression printing, offset printing, lithographic printing, dispensing, doctor blading, ink jet printing, xerographic copying, and electrostatic printing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 6 in which said conductor precursor is a copper-based composition and in which the oven atmosphere is nitrogen with less than 20 parts per million by volume of oxygen.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 8 in which water vapor is added to the nitrogen to the extent of approximately 5 mole percent during the period in which said conductor precursor is being heated but not before or after the heating phase.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method claim 6 in which the substrate contains a polymer which is sensitive to temperatures above about 450 ° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 6 in which the substrate contains a semiconductor which is sensitive to temperatures above about 450 ° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 6 in which said conductor precursor is applied to metal conductors and dielectric insulators to make electrical connections between the conductors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method of claim 6 in which said conductor precursor is applied in step A) to a photoimageable dielectric material which has been patterned by photolithography to define channels which are to become conductors, whereby said channels are filled with said conductor precursor by doctor blading or printing, wherein upon the heating of step B) simultaneously crosslinks the dielectric material and consolidates said applied conductor precursor pattern.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 6 in which said conductor precursor are applied in step A) to a continuous web of substrate material and cured in step B) as a continuous web in an oven, further comprising the step of: C) cutting said continuous web of substrate material into a final product.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 6 in which said substrate is a semiconductor device.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-04-29 | 2005-10-29 | 2006-04-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-04-29 | 2009-10-29 | 2010-04-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-04-29 | 2013-10-29 | 2014-04-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |