Fabrication of circuit elements using additive techniques

1. An additive manufacturing method comprising:

forming a structure using a combination of a first non-conductive material of a first type and a second non-conductive material of a second type, the structure including the first non-conductive material in contact with the second non-conductive material, the structure including a void disposed between the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material;

wherein forming the structure using the combination of the first non-conductive material of the first type and the second non-conductive material of the second type includes controlling movement of at least one printer head of a 3-D fabricator tool to apply at least one of the first non-conductive material or the second non-conductive material;

filling the void with an electrically conductive material;

removing the first non-conductive material from the structure; and

wherein removing the first non-conductive material from the structure exposes a first lengthwise portion of the electrically conductive material in contact with a first surface of the second non-conductive material while a second lengthwise portion of the electrically conductive material extends through the second non-conductive material.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein forming the structure using the combination of the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material includes:

producing the structure and the void via application of multiple layers of the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material via the at least one printer head.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the at least one printer head of the 3-D fabricator tool includes a first 3-D printer head; and

wherein forming the structure using the combination of the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material includes:

controlling movement of the first 3-D printer head to apply the first non-conductive material, the first non-conductive material being a first fluid plastic; and

controlling movement of a second 3-D printer head to apply the second non-conductive material, the second non-conductive material being a second fluid plastic.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein exposed surfaces of the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material define the void in the structure prior to filling the void with the electrically conductive material.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein removing the first non-conductive material from the structure includes:

applying a liquid solution to the first non-conductive material in the structure, the liquid dissolving away the first non-conductive material from the structure.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein removal of the first non-conductive material from the structure exposes a portion of the second non-conductive material and the electrically conductive material filling the void.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material in the structure are solids;

wherein the electrically conductive material cures into a solid; and

wherein the second non-conductive material in the structure provides support for the electrically conductive material after removal of the first non-conductive material from the structure.

8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is initially a fluid material; and

wherein filling the void with the electrically conductive material includes: subsequent to creating the structure using the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material, forcing the fluid material into the void.

9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein forming the structure includes: creating a first port in the structure, the first port providing access to a first terminal end of the void.

10. The method as in claim 9 , wherein forming the structure includes: creating a second port in the structure, the second port providing access to a second terminal end of the void; and

wherein filling the void includes: injecting the electrically conductive material into the first port through the void to the second port.

11. The method as in claim 10 , wherein the injected electrically conductive material solidifies in the void subsequent to the injection.

12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein removing the first non-conductive material from the structure exposes a second surface of the second non-conductive material.

13. The method as in claim 12 , wherein removing the first non-conductive material from the structure exposes a first surface of the electrically conductive material.

14. The method as in claim 13 , wherein a second surface of the electrically conductive material is in contact with the first surface of the second non-conductive material after removing the first non-conductive material from the structure.

15. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is in contact with the first non-conductive material and the second non-conductive material after filling the void with the electrically conductive material and prior to removal of the first non-conductive material.

16. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the void is a passageway and incudes a first port and a second port prior to removal of the first non-conductive material, the first port disposed at a first terminal end of the passageway, the second port disposed at a second terminal end of the passageway; and

wherein filling the void includes: injecting the electrically conductive material into the first port through the void to the second port.

17. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first lengthwise portion of the electrically conductive material extends in a different direction than the second lengthwise portion of the electrically conductive material.

18. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive material is metallic ink.