METHOD PRODUCING A CONDUCTIVE PATH ON A SUBSTRATE

1 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate comprising:

depositing on said substrate a layer of material having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 5 microns, including metal particles having a diameter in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers;

employing a patterning laser beam to selectably sinter regions of said layer of material, thereby causing said metal particles to together define a conductor at sintered regions; and

removing portions of said layer of material other than at said sintered regions.

2 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and wherein said depositing comprises depositing employing a second laser beam.

3 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and wherein said layer of material comprises conductive ink.

4 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 3 and also comprising drying said conductive ink prior to said employing a patterning laser beam.

5 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and wherein said patterning laser beam is a continuous laser beam and has a power level between 40-100 mW.

6 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and wherein said removing comprises removing portions of said layer of material other than at said sintered regions without damaging other components on said substrate.

7 . A method of producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and also comprising, prior to said depositing:

defining at least two areas on said substrate forming part of said conductive path; and

employing an ablating laser beam, to ablate portions of a non-conductive layer formed over said substrate in said at least two areas.

8 . A system for producing a conductive path on a substrate comprising:

an optical assembly including:

a patterning laser, operative to generate a patterning laser beam; and

an ablating laser, operative to generate an ablating laser beam; and

a substrate positioning assembly, movable relative to said optical assembly, operative to position said optical assembly relative to a substrate,

said patterning laser beam being operative to selectably sinter regions of a layer of material having a thickness in the range of 0.1 to 5 microns, including metal particles having a diameter in the range of 10 to 100 nanometers, deposited on said substrate, thereby causing said metal particles to together define a conductor at sintered regions; and

said ablating laser beam, being operative, below a threshold at which said sintered regions would be ablated, to ablate portions of said layer of material other than at said sintered regions.

9 . A system for producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 1 and wherein said substrate positioning assembly is moveable in both x and y directions relative to said optical assembly.

10 . A system for producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 8 and wherein said patterning laser is a continuous wave laser.

11 . A system for producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 8 and wherein said ablating laser is a pulsed laser.

12 . A system for producing a conductive path on a substrate according to claim 8 and also comprising a blower.