Circuit writer

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, an apparatus and method are disclosed for preparing electrically conductive traces on a circuit board using an additive technology, rather than a subtractive technology as in wet processing.
The traces are directly written in a serial process, rather than in a parallel process as with silk-screening techniques, with each trace being able to be individually insulated.
Hence, cross-overs are customary and permit via-less electrical contact to components, while at the same time simulating multilayer boards prepared by other processes.
The intrinsic freedom to follow substantially any pattern is particularly important in that complicated circuits can be easily and quickly breadboarded, usually in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks.
Furthermore, the apparatus in the preferred mode is computer controlled, and can be operated according to instructions provided by computer generated routing and computer aided engineering programs.
Furthermore, jumpers can be easily programmed for existing boards.
Also, due to the automated direct writing capabilities, small production runs which are generally very expensive on a per board basis for parallel production processes, can be very economically and quickly accommodated.
The method of the invention includes the steps of (i) calibrating a stage, e.
g.
a stage is calibrated so that positions on the substrate correspond to positions pre-programmed into a trace routing engine; (ii) extruding a trace onto the substrate by a first extrusion element under programmed control of the trace routing engine, the trace consisting of a first material; (iii) hardening the trace; (iv) layering a second material on the hardened trace under programmed control of the trace routing engine, the second material encapsulating the hardened trace, (v) hardening the second material, (vi) repeating steps (ii) through (v) until the circuit determined by the trace routing engine is complete, and (vii) curing the first and second materials to form a circuit of insulated conductive traces