High-density circuit and method of its manufacture

llllllllllllll

United States Patent m

Sedberry

US005624708A [ii] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,624,708 Apr. 29, 1997

[54] HIGH-DENSITY CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF ITS MANUFACTURE

[75] Inventor: Donald C. Sedberry, Gwynedd, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Max Levy Autograph, Inc.,
Philadelphia. Pa.

[21] Appl. No.: 331,854
[22] Filed: Oct. 31,1994

Related U.S. Application Data

[62] Division of Ser. No. 195,030, Feb. 14, 1994, Pat. No. 5,416.502, which is a division of Ser. No. 928,352, Aug. 12, 1992, Pat. No. 5,317,342, which is a division of Ser. No. 408,529, Sep. 18, 1989, Pat. No. 5,162,191, which is a division of Ser. No. 141,113, Jan. 5, 1988. Pat. No. 4.897, 676.

[51] Int. CI.6 B05D5/12

[52] U.S. CI 427/126.2; 427/314: 427/376.2

[58] Field of Search 427/126.2.314,

427/376.2

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Primary Examiner—-Benjamin Utech
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—William H. Eilberg

[57] ABSTRACT

The present invention is a high-density circuit, wherein the circuit conductors, and the spaces between conductors, are preferably less than about 0.005 inches wide, and wherein the lines are disposed over a relatively large area. The circuit is defined by a pattern of grooves in a dielectric substrate, and a conductive material is deposited in the grooves, and heated so as to form a tight bond with the substrate. The resulting circuit is stable, rugged, and capable of withstanding a wide range of adverse environmental conditions. The invention includes the circuit itself, as well as processes used in its manufacture. The invention also includes a highdensity print head, for a thermal or electrostatic printer, made from the circuit described. The rugged, high-density circuit of the present invention can generate a set of very closely-spaced conductors which are then used to produce a high-density image. The invention also includes a multilayered version of the circuit, and a method of making the circuit with multiple layers. The invention permits the production of black and white or color halftone images having very large numbers of grey scale levels, and exceptional resolution.

12 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

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