Flexible Circuit Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention provides a circuit creation technology that improves conductive line manufacture by adding active and elemental palladium onto the surface of a substrate. The palladium is disposed in minute amounts on the surface and does not form a conductive layer by itself, but facilitates subsequent deposition of a metal onto the surface, according to the pattern of the palladium, to form the conductive lines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 depositing a palladium precursor solution onto a substrate, wherein the palladium precursor solution includes a palladium carboxylate, a Lewis base ligand, and a solvent;   evaporating at least a portion of the solvent in the palladium precursor solution to leave a palladium precursor on the substrate; and   decomposing the palladium precursor on the substrate to produce a pattern of active palladium, wherein the active palladium forms a non-conductive layer on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the palladium carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of palladium propionate, palladium acetate, palladium oxalate, and palladium iso-butyrate. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the palladium carboxylate has two to five carbon atoms. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Lewis base ligand is an aliphatic amine or an aromatic amine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Lewis base ligand is selected from the group consisting of cyclopentylamine, tri-ethylamine, pyridine carboxylate, pyridine, aniline, tetramethylethylenediamine, dimethylamine, and di-isopropylamine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent is an organic polar solvent. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of glycol ether, methanol, amylacetate, gamma-butyrolactone, water, ethylene glycol, di-ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, isobutyl acetate, dimethylformamide (DMF), tetramethyl urea, toluene, hexane, xylene, cyclohexanone, terpeneol, 2,2-dimethoxy propane, chloroform, dichloromethane, ethylene carbonate, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, butyl acetate, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol diethyl ether, iso amyl acetate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active palladium is monatomically disposed on the substrate in the form of single isolated atoms. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the active palladium has a surface concentration of less than about 6×10 −10  gram atoms of palladium per square millimeter. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depositing the palladium precursor solution onto the substrate comprises depositing the palladium precursor solution onto the substrate using a printer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein depositing the palladium precursor solution onto the substrate establishes a pattern of palladium precursor solution on the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pattern of active palladium on the substrate results from the pattern of palladium precursor solution on the substrate established by the depositing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pattern of active palladium on the substrate is established by selectively decomposing the palladium precursor on the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein selectively decomposing the palladium precursor on the substrate comprises using at least one of a laser beam, ion beam, or e-beam. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaporating at least a portion of the solvent in the palladium precursor solution comprises supplying heat to at least one of the substrate or palladium precursor solution. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein decomposing the palladium precursor on the substrate comprises providing energy from an energy source to at least one of the palladium precursor or substrate. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the energy source is selected from the group consisting of thermal sources, lasers, infrared sources, ultraviolet sources, ion beams, e-beams, microwave sources, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a flexible substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a non-flat substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyimid, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, ceramic materials, metallic materials, plastic, glass, silicon, cellulose, graphite, and paper.