Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transparent conductive film for a touch sensitive panel, comprising: providing a layered structure comprising a plurality of homogeneous layers which include at least a first transparent conductive layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a transparent support substrate between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the transparent support substrate being the thickest layer of the layered structure; forming an electrode pattern in the first transparent conductive layer by laser ablation of the first transparent layer by a laser beam incident on the first transparent layer from a side of the transparent support substrate on which the first transparent layer is provided; wherein the laser beam and transparent support substrate are configured such that the laser beam energy density is reduced by 50% or more by the transparent support substrate.

Abstract: A touch panel comprising a transparent substrate and a layer of transparent conducting material on the transparent substrate, the layer of transparent conducting material being provided in a pattern comprising a plurality of electrode cells connected along a first direction and isolated from each other in the layer by gaps between the electrode cells in a second direction. A pattern of transparent insulating material is provided on the layer of transparent conducting material so as to provide bridging portions of the transparent insulating material that span across at least a subset of the gaps between the electrode cells in the second direction. The touch panel further comprises a plurality of transparent electrically conductive tracks, each comprising a plurality of at least one of nanowires, nano tubes and nanosheets. Each track is provided over a respective one of the bridging portions to electrically connect a respective two of the electrode cells.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transparent conductive film for a touch sensitive panel, comprising: providing a layered structure comprising a plurality of homogeneous layers which include at least a first transparent conductive layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a transparent support substrate between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the transparent support substrate being the thickest layer of the layered structure; forming an electrode pattern in the first transparent conductive layer by laser ablation of the first transparent layer by a laser beam incident on the first transparent layer from a side of the transparent support substrate on which the first transparent layer is provided; wherein the laser beam and transparent support substrate are configured such that the laser beam energy density is reduced by 50% or more by the transparent support substrate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transparent conductive film for a touch sensitive panel, comprising: providing a layered structure comprising a plurality of homogeneous layers which include at least a first transparent conductive layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a transparent support substrate between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the transparent support substrate being the thickest layer of the layered structure; forming an electrode pattern in the first transparent conductive layer by laser ablation of the first transparent layer by a laser beam incident on the first transparent layer from a side of the transparent support substrate on which the first transparent layer is provided; wherein the laser beam and transparent support substrate are configured such that the laser beam energy density is reduced by 50% or more by the transparent support substrate.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a transparent conductive film for a touch sensitive panel, comprising: providing a layered structure comprising a plurality of homogeneous layers which include at least a first transparent conductive layer, a second transparent conductive layer, and a transparent support substrate between the first transparent conductive layer and the second transparent conductive layer, the transparent support substrate being the thickest layer of the layered structure; forming an electrode pattern in the first transparent conductive layer by laser ablation of the first transparent layer by a laser beam incident on the first transparent layer from a side of the transparent support substrate on which the first transparent layer is provided; wherein the laser beam and transparent support substrate are configured such that the laser beam energy density is reduced by 50% or more by the transparent support substrate.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a sensor or a filter are disclosed. In one arrangement, a donor material is provided on a support substrate. The donor material comprises carbon or a carbon compound. A collecting substrate is provided. The donor material is illuminated with laser radiation. The illumination is such that a porous material comprising carbon is formed on the collecting substrate. The collecting substrate comprises an electrode arrangement configured to provide an output dependent on an electrical property of a portion of the porous material.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for forming a seal are disclosed. In one arrangement, a first panel and a second panel are provided. A sealer material is present between the first panel and the second panel. The sealer material is in contact with the first panel and the second panel along all of a seal path. A first heating process is performed to heat metal particles derived from the sealer material along the seal path to cause fusing of the metal particles along the seal path. A second heating process is performed, separately from the first heating process, to provide a continuous weld along the seal path between the fused metal particles and the first panel and between the fused metal particles and the second panel, thereby generating a seal along the seal path.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a sensor are disclosed. In one arrangement, a method comprises forming first and second electrodes on a substrate. An electrically functional layer is applied to connect the first electrode to the second electrode. The applying of the electrically functional layer comprises at least a first step in which a composition comprising a carrier fluid and an electrically functional material is applied in a first pattern comprising a plurality of first sub-regions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for annealing a layer of semiconductor material, particularly amorphous silicon or IGZO, are provided. In one arrangement, an apparatus comprises a laser source that generates a laser beam. A beam scanning arrangement scans the laser beam, or a plurality of sub-beams generated by the laser beam, relative to the layer of semiconductor material in such a way as to selectively irradiate a plurality of regions of the layer of semiconductor material and thereby generate a corresponding plurality of regions of annealed semiconductor material, particularly polysilicon or annealed IGZO. Each of the regions of annealed semiconductor material is separated from all of the other regions of annealed semiconductor material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described that use a cylindrical drum type vacuum drum and allows accurately registered, high resolution laser patterning of thin films on discrete lengths or flexible substrate material that are unwound from an unwind reel and after processing are rewound onto a rewind reel. Length compensator units are provided either side of the drum to accommodate variations in the length of the substrate due to differential rotation of the drum and the unwind and rewind reels.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for forming fine scale structures (4, 4?, 4?, 5, 6, 7, 8) in the surface of a dielectric substrate (3) to two or more depths are disclosed. In an example, the apparatus comprises a first solid state laser (12) arranged to provide a first pulsed laser beam (13), a first mask (16) having a pattern for defining a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 8) at a first depth, a projection lens (17) for forming a reduced size image of said pattern on the surface (3) of the substrate and a beam scanner arranged to scan said first pulsed laser beam (13) in a two-dimensional raster scan relative to the first pattern to form a first set of structures (4, 6, 7, 5) at a first depth in the substrate, wherein the first or a further solid state laser is arranged to form a second set of structures (8) at a second depth in the substrate (3).

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser scanning system and associated method. In a disclosed arrangement the method comprises using a laser source to produce a laser beam; using a scanning module to scan the laser beam over the surface of a substrate; and using a redirecting unit at a position in a beam path of the laser beam between the scanning module and the substrate to control the direction of incidence of the laser beam onto the substrate, wherein: the laser beam is scanned over a predetermined region on the substrate in such a way that each portion of the region is exposed by the laser beam from a plurality of different directions of incidence.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for manufacturing a conductive thin film are provided. In one arrangement, compositions of nanowires having different mean aspect ratios are mixed together and applied as a layer on a substrate. In other arrangements a single composition of nanowires is processed in order to increase an aspect ratio variance and the processed composition is applied as a layer on a substrate. The layers thus applied provide an improved balance of electrical conductivity to transparency and are expected to provide improved isotropy in the inplane conductivity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser scanning system and associated method. In a disclosed arrangement the method comprises using a laser source to produce a laser beam; using a scanning module to scan the laser beam over the surface of a substrate; and using a redirecting unit at a position in a beam path of the laser beam between the scanning module and the substrate to control the direction of incidence of the laser beam onto the substrate, wherein: the laser beam is scanned over a predetermined region on the substrate in such a way that each portion of the region is exposed by the laser beam from a plurality of different directions of incidence.

Abstract: A method of forming patterns in coatings on opposite sides of a transparent substrate by direct write laser patterning comprising the steps: a) providing a first transparent coating on a first side of the substrate, the first coating being formed of a material having a relatively high laser ablation threshold energy density; b) mounting the substrate on a stage or locating the substrate on a chuck, c) using a first laser beam to form a first pattern in the first transparent coating by laser ablation; d) providing a second transparent coating on the second side of the substrate after formation of said first pattern, the second coating being formed of a material having a relatively low laser ablation or modification threshold energy density; using a second laser beam to form a second pattern in the second transparent coating by laser ablation or modification, the energy density of the second laser beam being lower than that of the first laser beam such that ablation of the second transparent coating is carried

Abstract: An apparatus and method is described that allows accurately registered, high resolution patterning of thin films on discrete lengths of flexible substrate material that are unwound from a drum and after processing are rewound onto another drum. Discrete lengths of the substrate—are clamped to a chuck and the chuck moved in a direction parallel to the length of the substrate. Accommodating units are provided for accommodating length changes in the substrate both upstream and downstream of the chuck. A processing head is moved across the width of the substrate when clamped to the chuck and pattern formation is by one, or a combination, of laser ablation, laser exposure or ink jet printing using either or both subtractive and additive processes.

Abstract: A method for dividing a thin film device having a first lower electrode layer, a second active layer and a third upper electrode layer, all three layers being continuous over the device, into separate cells which are to be electrically interconnected in series, at least the dividing of the cells being carried out in a single pass of a process head across the device, the process head performing at least the following steps in the single pass: a) making a first cut through the first, second and third layers; b) making a second cut through the second and third layers, the second cut being adjacent to the first cut; c) making a third cut through the third layer, the third cut being adjacent to the second cut and on the opposite side of the second cut to the first cut; wherein at least one of the first and second cuts is formed using two laser beams sequentially during the single pass of the process head across the device, the first laser beam forming a cut through at least one of the layers and the second laser b

Abstract: A novel method and apparatus for performing the method is disclosed the apparatus comprises a laser (17), at least one ink jet print head (14), means for holding a transparent substrate having a transparent conductive layer, means (22) for adjusting the relative positions of the laser and at least one ink jet print head to the transparent conducting layer (2) and a controller to control the laser and ink jet print head whereby in a first step to inkjet print one or more coarse metal borders (15) onto the deposited TCM layer and in a second step by means of a single laser ablation process, ablating tracks in both the metal border and underlying TCM layer to form a plurality of discrete electrical busbars (12) and optionally also to form electrodes in the remainder of the TCM layer.

Abstract: A method for dividing a thin film device having a first lower electrode layer, a second active layer and a third upper electrode layer, all three layers being continuous over the device, into separate cells which are to be electrically interconnected in series, at least the dividing of the cells being carried out in a single pass of a process head across the device, the process head performing at least the following steps in the single pass: a) making a first cut through the first, second and third layers; b) making a second cut through the second and third layers, the second cut being adjacent to the first cut; c) making a third cut through the third layer, the third cut being adjacent to the second cut and on the opposite side of the second cut to the first cut; wherein at least one of the first and second cuts is formed using two laser beams sequentially during the single pass of the process head across the device, the first laser beam forming a cut through at least one of the layers and the second laser b

Abstract: A method of fabricating a two-layer capacitive touch sensor panel comprising the following steps: a) depositing a first transparent electrically conductive layer on a transparent cover sheet; b) forming a pattern in the transparent electrically conductive layer to create a first set of discrete electrode structures; c) depositing a transparent dielectric layer over the discrete electrode structures; d) depositing a second transparent electrically conductive layer onto the transparent dielectric layer; e) forming a pattern in the transparent electrically conductive layer to create further discrete electrode structures by laser ablation, this pattern either not penetrating or penetrating only part way through the dielectric layer so as to avoid damaging the first set of discrete electrode structures; f) forming electrical connections or vias between the two transparent electrically conductive layers through the dielectric layer; and g) forming electrical connections between the transparent electrically conducti