3D (three-dimensional) ink-jet printing includes techniques for evaporating a carrier liquid during printing while at least a portion of dispersant remains in the printed layer; evaporating dispersant in a first layer prior to sintering the first layer and/or prior to printing a second layer; leveling an upper-layer of a printed object using a horizontal roller; and printing layers of an object, each layer with both object and support portions, resulting in an object with support, in particular, support for negative angles and molds.
B22F 3/105 - Sintering only by using electric current, laser radiation or plasma
B28B 17/00 - SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER - Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for shaping the material; Auxiliary measures taken in connection with such shaping
B28B 1/00 - Producing shaped articles from the material
B29C 64/118 - Processes of additive manufacturing using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
2.
TITANIUM INKS, METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THE SAME TO MAKE TITANIUM ARTICLES
Ti ink compositions for printing, such as ink jet printing, are disclosed. The ink compositions comprise a liquid dispersion of Ti hydride powder having a mean particle size of less than 10.0 microns; a liquid carrier; and at least one surfactant. Methods of making and using the disclosed inks are also disclosed. For example, a finished Ti product can be produced by printing the disclosed ink composition, such as by ink jet printing, to form a green article, heating the green article to dehydrogenate it and form a Ti containing part. The method may further comprise sintering the Ti containing part to produce a sintered Ti product. In an embodiment, the method comprises printing one or more support materials for the ink composition, that comprises solid particles of a metal oxide, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a polymer, or combinations thereof.
B22F 1/02 - Special treatment of metallic powder, e.g. to facilitate working, to improve properties; Metallic powders per se, e.g. mixtures of particles of different composition comprising coating of the powder
H05K 1/09 - Use of materials for the metallic pattern
3.
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PRINTING 3D OBJECT BY INKJET
3D (three-dimensional) ink-jet printing includes techniques for evaporating a carrier liquid during printing while at least a portion of dispersant remains in the printed layer; evaporating dispersant in a first layer prior to sintering the first layer and/or prior to printing a second layer; leveling an upper-layer of a printed object using a horizontal roller; and printing layers of an object, each layer with both object and support portions, resulting in an object with support, in particular, support for negative angles and molds.
C09D 11/101 - Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing
An ink composition for use as a support ink in three dimensional (3D) printing processes comprises a dispersion of solid particles in liquid carrier, compatible with an inkjet print head, wherein after removing the liquid carrier, the solid particles serve as support material for a Three Dimensional (3D) printed object, wherein the support material is separable from the 3D printed object.
There is disclosed an ink composition for three dimensional (3D) printing. The ink composition comprises: a liquid dispersion of tungsten carbide (WC) particles and cobalt (Co) particles, and, a carrier vehicle for the dispersion of tungsten carbide particles and the dispersion of cobalt particles. The ink composition is of a viscosity usable with ink jet print heads for 3D printing.
C09D 11/101 - Inks specially adapted for printing processes involving curing by wave energy or particle radiation, e.g. with UV-curing following the printing
C22C 29/08 - Alloys based on carbides, oxides, borides, nitrides or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e. g. oxynitrides, sulfides based on carbides or carbonitrides based on carbides, but not containing other metal compounds based on tungsten carbide
Some aspects of the invention are related to a solar cell, for producing electricity from solar radiation. The solar cell may include a substrate, for example, polycrystalline silicon and an electrically conductive structure disposed on the substrate. The electrically conductive structure may include a bus bar and one or more finger electrodes positioned such that at least a portion of a finger electrode overlaps the bus bar.
Inkjet head cleaning and storage includes cleaning an orifice plate by inserting a tip of a shaped wiper into a slit of a printing mask, such that one or more shoulders of a handling end of the shaped wiper are in contact with respectively one or more edges of the slit. The shoulders of the shaped wiper facilitate the tip applying a predetermined pressure to an orifice surface during wiping. Preventing sediment buildup during extended periods of non-printing includes placing at least the orifice plate of the printing head in a protecting liquid that avoids evaporation of the volatile liquid from the nozzles. An innovative "night plate" can be used to seal the slit of a printing mask and ink purged from the printing head used to fill a gap between the printing head and the mask, thereby covering at least the orifice plate with the purged ink.
A method for evaluating performance of a plurality of nozzles of a printing head includes repeatedly operating each of the nozzles to print test marks on a surface of a substrate, each of the test marks printed by that nozzle being printed at a different time. At least once during the repeated operation of each of the nozzles, at least some of the test marks are erased from the surface. The test marks that were printed by that nozzle are inspected for a feature that is indicative of the performance of that nozzle.
A printing head assembly with integrated purge mechanism is disclosed. The printing head assembly comprises: (a) a liquid dispensing head comprising one or more dispensing nozzles enclosed in a nozzle plate, driven by at least first and second pressures, and (b) a shielding mask including an opening in front of the one or more nozzles, wherein the opening being configured such that when printing liquid is dispensed from the head driven by the first pressure, the liquid being dispensed in pulses through the opening in the shielding mask, and (ii) when purge printing liquid is dispensed from the head driven by the second pressure, the liquid being drawn to a capillary gap formed between the shielding mask and the nozzle plate thereby removing the purge printing liquid from the nearby nozzles.
A method for fabricating electric contacts for a semiconductor substrate includes depositing a first line of a first conducting material on the semiconductor substrate and depositing a second line of a second conducting material on the substrate, so as to cross the first line. The first conducting material and the second conducting material may differ from one another in that the first conducting material and the second conducting material penetrate into the substrate to different depths when subjected to a heat treatment. Furthermore, materials may differ from one another in that an electrical connection formed between the substrate and the first conducting material when subjected to the heat treatment differs in its contact resistivity from an electrical connection formed between the substrate and the second conducting material when subjected to the heat treatment. Alternatively, the method may include depositing a first line of a conducting material on the substrate, the first line including a zone of reduced thickness, and depositing a second line of a conducting material on the substrate, so as to cross the first line at the zone of the reduced thickness.
H05K 3/10 - Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
H01L 31/02 - SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS - Details thereof - Details
11.
ALIGNMENT OF MATERIAL DEPOSITION SYSTEM WITH SUBSTRATE
A method for depositing material in a predetermined pattern on a moving substrate includes sensing an orientation and a velocity of the moving substrate. The method further includes rotating a material deposition unit in accordance with the orientation of the moving substrate and translating the material deposition unit in accordance with the orientation and location of the moving substrate. Concurrently with the rotating and translating the material deposition unit, the material deposition unit deposits the material in the predetermined pattern on the moving substrate so as to align the predetermined pattern with the substrate.
A printing device for dispending material on a heated substrate is provided. The device may include a printing head having one or more nozzles and a heat shield that partially masks a side of the printing head that faces the heated substrate when printing so as to reduce heat transfer from the substrate to the printing head. The shield includes a slot aligned with the one or more nozzles to enable passage of material from the one or more nozzles to the heated substrate.
B41J 2/05 - Ink jet characterised by the jet generation process generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers produced by the application of heat
13.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINT UNIT INSPECTION AND CALIBRATION
A system and method for inspecting a printing system is provided. A first part of a pattern and a test pattern may be printed on a substrate. In some embodiments, the substrate may be rotated. An image of the test pattern may be acquired. An acquired image of the test pattern may be analyzed. An action may be performed based on an analysis of an image of the test pattern. A second part of a pattern may be deposited and may cover some or all of the test pattern.
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and method of depositing material on a polycrystalline semiconductor substrate. The method may comprise detecting characteristics of polycrystalline semiconductor substrate, generating image data of a customized pattern of lines based on the characteristics of the substrate and depositing material from one or more nozzles on the substrate according to the image data of the customized pattern. The the characteristics may include grain boundaries of the substrate and spatial variations in sheet resistance and/or the minority carrier lifetime of the substrate.
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of printing lines. A method may include positioning a plurality of print units according to a predefined spacing parameter. A method may include depositing material on a substrate by a plurality of print units to form a respective plurality of parallel lines according to a predefined spacing parameter. A printing unit may be positioned at an angle with respect to a predefined scan direction such that a predefined width of a printed line is achieved. A substrate may be rotated between scans such that a plurality of lines in a respective plurality of directions is printed in a scan direction.
A system and method of translating substrates is provided. A plurality of substrates may be translated according to a respective plurality of routes. In some embodiments, a plurality of routes may be associated with a common segment in a processing zone. A plurality of routes may enable translating a plurality of items through a common processing zone. A route may be associated with a plurality of spatial precisions. A route may comprise a first segment from a starting point to an ending point of an operational track and a second segment from an ending point to a starting point of the operational track.
B41J 3/407 - Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed for marking on special material
B41J 11/00 - Devices or arrangements for supporting or handling copy material in sheet or web form
H05K 3/12 - Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using printing techniques to apply the conductive material
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of printing lines. The method may include depositing material on a substrate from a plurality of nozzles to form a multi-layered line of a desired cross section area or a desired height by dispensing the material in at least two layers in a single scan. Each layer may be printed by different nozzles and the number of layers in the line is determined based on the desired cross section area or height.
H05K 3/12 - Apparatus or processes for manufacturing printed circuits in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern using printing techniques to apply the conductive material
B41J 2/155 - Arrangement thereof for line printing
18.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NOZZLE COMPENSATION IN NON-CONTACT MATERIAL DEPOSITION
A method of printing is provided where printing is using a first printing unit (220) having redundant nozzles (221, 222, 223). Then, the method may include stopping the printing with the first printing unit while continuing the printing with active nozzles of a second printing unit (210, 230). The method may include inspecting the first printing unit and identifying faulty nozzles, then designating the faulty nozzles (225) as inactive and designating inactive nozzles (221, 222, 223) of the first printing unit as a new active nozzle. According to some embodiments the method may include moving the first printing unit to an inspection zone prior to inspecting while continuing the printing with active nozzles of a second printing unit and moving the first printing unit back to the printing zone after inspection and continuing the printing with the first printing unit.
Embodiments of the invention art directed to an inkjet printing system (200) which, includes two or more print units (250) capable of moving with respect to each other during printing, each of the print unite having one or more print heads (220) together forming a head arrangement; and a controller (270) to control movement of the print units (250) to dynamically change the head arrangement during the printing.
patents
