Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for making and using highly sustainable circuit assemblies are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the highly sustainable circuit assembly includes a substrate layer; and a pattern of contact points supported by the substrate layer. The pattern of contact points can be configured to correspond to at least one terminal of an electrical component. The pattern of contact points can include a deformable conductive material. The deformable conductive material can be a non-hazardous, readily reclaimable, readily recyclable material.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for making and using circuit assemblies having a pattern of deformable conductive material formed therein are disclosed herein. In various aspects, a circuit assembly can include a substrate layer; a first pattern of deformable conductive material formed on a surface of the substrate layer using a removable stencil; and a first stacked layer configured to cover at least a portion of the first pattern of deformable conductive material.

Abstract: A construction for a TFEL panel includes a solid encapsulating layer for the active area of a TFEL panel that has a hardness that does not exceed 40 duromeers (Shore A). A gel material is spread over the active area and cured to the desired degree of hardness. At this degree of hardness the panel retains its self-healing characteristics and the panel's durability is much improved over designs using oil-filled cavitites.

Abstract: A thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) edge emitter module and packaging assembly is composed of a TFEL edge emitter module including an electroluminescent (EL) stack having a linear array of spaced-apart pixels with light-emitting front edges, an enclosure defining a sealed cavity which encloses at least a portion of the EL stack so as to sealably enclose the array of pixels in a contaminant-free environment, a thermally expansive and contractive liquid substantially filling the sealed cavity, and a cavity capacity expansion and contraction mechanism disposed in the enclosure in communication with the cavity and the liquid therein. In response to thermal expansion of the volume of the liquid filling the cavity, the capacity expansion and contraction mechanism is operable to change from a first condition toward a second condition and thereby increase the liquid-holding capacity of the enclosure cavity.