Patterned Nano-Engineered Thin Films On Flexible Substrates For Sensing Applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016231097-A1
Application number	US-201514830934-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 20, 2015
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sensing assembly for sensing a condition. The sensing assembly comprises a substrate and a thin-film circuit element disposed on the substrate. The thin-film circuit element is exposed to the condition and outputting an analog signal in response to the condition. The thin-film circuit element having a plurality of discrete layers operably joined together to output the analog signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sensing assembly for sensing a condition, said sensing assembly comprising:
a substrate; and a thin-film circuit element disposed on said substrate, said thin-film circuit element being exposed to the condition and outputting an analog signal in response to the condition, said thin-film circuit element having a plurality of discrete layers operably joined together to output said analog signal.

2 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a rigid substrate.

3 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a flexible substrate.

4 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of discrete layers of said thin-film circuit element is an annealed layer.

5 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said circuit element is chosen from the group consisting of inductor, capacitor, resister, sensor, and actuator.

6 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a polymeric layer encapsulating said substrate and said thin-film circuit element.

7 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of discrete layers of said thin-film circuit element is made of a material configured to modify said analog signal.

8 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of discrete layers are deposited via layer-by-layer deposition and lithographic patterning to define a predetermined film composition.

9 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the condition is a strain condition and said plurality of discrete layers are configured to be responsive to the strain condition.

10 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the condition is a pH condition and said plurality of discrete layers are configured to be responsive to the pH condition.

11 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of discrete layers comprises at least a pair of conductive layers and an insulative layer disposed therebetween to provide a capacitive function.

12 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of discrete layers comprises at least one layer having coils to provide an inductive function.

13 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising conductive elements electrically coupled with said thin-film circuit element to permit electrical coupling of integrated circuit chips, said integrated circuit chips operable to receive said analog signal.

14 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said thin-film circuit element comprises a plurality of thin-film circuit elements, said plurality of thin-film circuit elements being formed simultaneously via lithographic patterning.

15 . The sensing assembly according to claim 1 wherein said thin-film circuit element comprises a plurality of thin-film circuit elements, each of said plurality of thin-film circuit elements being operable to output a discrete analog signal representative of a discrete condition.

16 . A method of fabricating a sensing assembly comprising:
providing a substrate; spin coating an adhesion promoter and a polyimide on said substrate as discrete layers; curing said polyimide layers; patterning cooper electrodes on said polyimide; patterning photo resist on at least a portion of said polyimide layer using optical lithography; and removing at least a portion of said polyimide layer to form a circuit element.

Assignees

• Univ Michigan Regents

Inventors

• Lynch Jerome P
• Burton Andrew R

Classifications

• H05K1/185

  associated with components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the PCBs; associated with components incorporated in internal layers of multilayer circuit boards · CPC title

• H05K3/4644

  by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits (making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602) · CPC title

• H05K3/1275

  by other printing techniques, e.g. letterpress printing, intaglio printing, lithographic printing, offset printing · CPC title

• G03F7/70

  Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor (photo-masks G03F1/00) · CPC title

• H05K1/028

  Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence) · CPC title