Producing electrical circuit patterns using multi-population transformation

1. A method for producing an electrical circuit, comprising:

providing a substrate having a first pattern of features;

defining a second pattern comprising a net of interconnected circuit elements;

specifying a different respective transformation rule for each of a plurality of element types;

modifying the second pattern by applying the respective transformation rule to each of the circuit elements, thereby aligning each of the circuit elements with the features in the first pattern; and

printing the modified second pattern on the substrate.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the features in the first pattern comprise holes in the substrate, and

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern comprise hole pads, and

wherein modifying the second pattern comprises shifting the hole pads into alignment with the holes.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern further comprise contact pads, having respective predefined locations, and

wherein modifying the second pattern comprises anchoring the contact pads in the respective predefined locations while shifting the hole pads relative to the contact pads.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern further comprise connecting elements extending between the hole pads and the contact pads, and

wherein modifying the second pattern comprises applying a geometrical transformation to the connecting elements, responsive to the shifting the hole pads relative to the contact pads, thereby maintaining connectivity between the hole pads and the contact pads via the connecting elements.

5. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the respective predefined locations of the contact pads are defined by a solder mask, and

the method further comprises applying the solder mask the substrate after printing the modified second pattern.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein modifying the second pattern comprises applying a geometrical transformation to connecting elements in the second pattern in order to maintain connectivity of the net in the modified second pattern.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein applying the geometrical transformation comprises adjusting a length and an angular skew of one or more of the connecting elements.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein applying the geometrical transformation comprises applying morphological dilation and erosion in order to modify the connecting elements.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the modified second pattern comprises producing conductors on the substrate by direct writing in accordance with the modified second pattern.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein

modifying the second pattern comprises generating a map for use by a direct patterning subsystem; and

printing the modified second pattern comprises the direct patterning subsystem writing the second pattern onto the substrate.

11. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of element types comprises hole pads, contact pads, and connecting elements; and

wherein each of the circuit elements belongs belong to one of the plurality of element types.

12. An apparatus for producing an electrical circuit, comprising:

a processor, which is configured to:

receive data with respect to a first pattern of features on a substrate,

receive a second pattern comprising a net of interconnected circuit elements,

receive a different respective transformation rule for each of a plurality of element types, and

modify the second pattern by applying the respective transformation rule to each of the circuit elements, thereby aligning each of the circuit elements with the features in the first pattern; and

a patterning subsystem, which is configured to print the modified second pattern on the substrate.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the features in the first pattern comprise holes in the substrate, and

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern comprise hole pads, and

wherein the processor is configured to modify the second pattern so as to shift the hole pads into alignment with the holes.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 ,

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern further comprise contact pads, having respective predefined locations, and

wherein the processor is configured to anchor the contact pads in the respective predefined locations and to shift the hole pads are relative to the contact pads.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 ,

wherein the circuit elements in the second pattern further comprise connecting elements extending between the hole pads and the contact pads, and

wherein the processor is configured to apply a geometrical transformation to the connecting elements, responsive to a shift of the hole pads relative to the contact pads, in order to maintain connectivity between the hole pads and the contact pads.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the respective predefined locations of the contact pads are defined by a solder mask, which is applied to the substrate after printing the modified second pattern.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to apply a geometrical transformation to connecting elements in the second pattern in order to maintain connectivity of the net in the modified second pattern.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the geometrical transformation comprises adjusting a length and an angular skew of one or more of the connecting elements.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to apply morphological dilation and erosion to modify the connecting elements.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the patterning subsystem is configured to produce conductors on the substrate by direct writing in accordance with the modified second pattern.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the modified pattern as a map for use by the patterning subsystem in writing the second pattern onto the substrate.

22. The apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the plurality of element types comprises hole pads, contact pads, and connecting elements, and

wherein each of the circuit elements belongs to one of the plurality of element types.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations of:

receiving data with respect to a first pattern of features on a substrate,

receiving a second pattern comprising a net of interconnected circuit elements,

receiving a different respective transformation rule for each of a plurality of element types,

modifying the second pattern by applying the respective transformation rule to each of the circuit elements, thereby aligning each of the circuit elements with the features in the first pattern, and

instructing a patterning subsystem to print the modified second pattern on the substrate.

24. An electrical circuit, comprising:

a substrate;

a set of features disposed on the substrate in a first pattern; and

a net of interconnected circuit elements disposed on the substrate in alignment with the features in the first pattern,

wherein locations of the circuit elements are determined by modifying a second pattern, which defines the net of interconnected circuit elements, in accordance with a different respective transformation rule for each of a plurality of element types of the circuit elements, such that the circuit elements are aligned with the features.