Abstract: A planar antenna providing a heating function includes a radiating element and a ground element disposed over a surface of a substrate, wherein the radiating element and the ground element are conductive. The ground element includes a conduction path between a first connection point and a second connection point. The ground element is adapted to be connected to a power source to provide a voltage between the first connection point and the second connection point, thereby producing heat by providing a current through the ground element along the conduction path.

Abstract: A planar antenna that provides a heating function is fabricated by printing a pattern of catalytic ink onto a surface of a web of flexible substrate. The printed pattern of catalytic ink defines an antenna pattern including a radiating element and a ground element. A conductive material is electrolessly plated onto the pattern of catalytic ink by transporting the web of flexible substrate through a reservoir of plating solution to form a corresponding pattern of conductive material. The electrolessly-plated ground element includes a conduction path between a first connection point and a second connection point, wherein the electrolessly-plated ground element is adapted to be connected to a power source to provide a voltage between the first connection point and the second connection point, thereby producing heat by providing a current through the ground element along the conduction path.

Abstract: A thin film deposition system includes a vacuum-preloaded gas bearing deposition head positioned in an external environment having an ambient pressure, the deposition head having an output face including a plurality of source openings through which gaseous materials are supplied and one or more exhaust openings. An exhaust pressure at the exhaust openings is less than ambient pressure, and a source pressure at the source openings is greater than that at the exhaust openings, with the pressure at the outermost source openings being greater than ambient pressure. A motion control system moves a substrate unit over the output face in the in-track direction without constraining its motion in a direction normal to the output face to a point where a center of gravity of the substrate unit is beyond the first edge of the output face.

Abstract: A thin film deposition system includes a web guide system having a plurality of web guides defining a web transport path for the web of substrate. The web guide system includes a moveable portion including first and second moveable-position web guides. A web transport control system advances the web of substrate along the web transport path at a web advance velocity. A deposition head is located along the web transport path between the first and second moveable-position web guides. A motion actuator system synchronously moves a position of the first and second moveable-position web guides such that they move forward and backward according to a defined oscillating motion pattern while maintaining a constant distance between the first and second moveable-position web guides, thereby causing a portion of the web of media adjacent to the deposition head to move forward and backward in an in-track direction.

Abstract: An electrode film includes a first electrode pattern having a first set of parallel conductive electrodes and a second electrode pattern having a second set of parallel conductive electrodes disposed on a first surface of a transparent film, wherein elements of the first electrode pattern do not cross over elements of the second electrode pattern. A third electrode pattern having a third set of parallel conductive electrodes is disposed on a second surface of the transparent film, wherein the first, second and third sets of parallel conductive electrodes are arranged in an interlaced pattern. The electrode patterns are configured to be connected to respective power sources of electrical power supplying respective waveforms to generate a time-varying electric field pattern above a surface of the electrode film.

Abstract: An inking system for use in transferring ink to a gravure printing surface in a gravure printing system includes a gravure cylinder r having a printing zone located between first and second recessed bearing contact zones. A radius of the recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the printing zone by at least 0.100 inches. An ink tray includes a floor and first and second end walls. Bearings are mounted outside of the end walls which engage with the first and second bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the gravure cylinder. Upper edges of the end walls extend into the recessed bearing contact zones.

Abstract: A modular thin film deposition system, includes a machine base, a deposition head for depositing a thin film of material onto a process surface of a substrate, a motion actuator including a fixed portion and a moveable portion, and one or more interchangeable substrate positioner modules adapted to mount on the moveable portion of the motion actuator. The interchangeable substrate positioner modules include kinematic mounting features that engage with corresponding kinematic mounting features on the moveable portion of the motion actuator. The motion actuator moves the interchangeable substrate positioner in a motion direction, thereby moving the substrate in an in-track direction in a plane parallel to the output face of the deposition head during deposition of the thin film of material onto the process surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A thin film deposition system includes a vacuum-preloaded gas bearing deposition head positioned in an external environment having an ambient pressure, the deposition head having an output face including a plurality of source openings through which gaseous materials are supplied and one or more exhaust openings. An exhaust pressure at the exhaust openings is less than ambient pressure, and a source pressure at the source openings is greater than that at the exhaust openings, with the pressure at the outermost source openings being greater than ambient pressure. A motion control system moves a substrate unit over the output face in the in-track direction without constraining its motion in a direction normal to the output face to a point where a center of gravity of the substrate unit is beyond the first edge of the output face.

Abstract: An electrode film is fabricated by using a flexographic printing system to print a first electrode pattern including a first set of parallel electrodes and a second electrode pattern including a second set of parallel electrodes onto a first surface of a transparent film using a catalytic ink, wherein elements of the first electrode pattern do not cross over elements of the second electrode pattern. The flexographic printing system prints a third electrode pattern including a third set of parallel electrodes onto a second surface of the transparent film using the catalytic ink, wherein the first, second and third sets of parallel electrodes are arranged in an interlaced pattern. A conductive metallic material is electrolessly plated onto the catalytic ink such that the elements of the first, second and third electrode patterns become conductive.

Abstract: An inking system for use in transferring ink to a gravure printing surface in a gravure printing system includes a gravure cylinder r having a printing zone located between first and second recessed bearing contact zones. A radius of the recessed bearing contact zones is less than a radius of the printing zone by at least 0.100 inches. An ink tray includes a floor and first and second end walls. Bearings are mounted outside of the end walls which engage with the first and second bearing contact zones, respectively, thereby positioning the ink tray assembly in a specified position relative to the gravure cylinder. Upper edges of the end walls extend into the recessed bearing contact zones.

Abstract: An electrical element is fabricated including an optically-detectable pattern of embedded information. An initial physical design is received for an electrical element that performs an electrical function, together with a pattern of information to be embedded in the electrical element. An encoding region is designated within the initial physical design of the electrical element. Information-encoding patterns are determined for one or more thin-film layers in the encoding region to form an optical layer structure that encodes the pattern of information. The initial physical design and the information-encoding patterns are combined into a modified physical design which is used to fabricate the electrical element. The fabricated electrical element performs the electrical function and forms an optically-detectable interference image including the embedded pattern of information when illuminated by incident light.

Abstract: A thin film deposition system includes a vacuum-preloaded gas bearing deposition head positioned in an external environment. The deposition head has a vertically-oriented output face including a plurality of source openings through which gaseous materials are supplied and one or more exhaust openings. An exhaust pressure at the exhaust openings is less than an ambient pressure, and a source pressure at the source openings is greater than the exhaust pressure, with the pressure at the outermost source openings being greater than the ambient pressure. A substrate positioner applies a vertical force onto a substrate unit, the vertical force passing through a center of gravity of the substrate unit. A motion control system moves the substrate positioner, thereby moving the substrate unit relative to the output face in an in-track direction without constraining the motion of the substrate unit in a direction normal to the output face of the deposition head.

Abstract: An electrode film is fabricated by using a flexographic printing system to print a first electrode pattern including a first set of parallel electrodes and a second electrode pattern including a second set of parallel electrodes onto a first surface of a transparent film using a catalytic ink, wherein elements of the first electrode pattern do not cross over elements of the second electrode pattern. The flexographic printing system prints a third electrode pattern including a third set of parallel electrodes onto a second surface of the transparent film using the catalytic ink, wherein the first, second and third sets of parallel electrodes are arranged in an interlaced pattern. A conductive metallic material is electrolessly plated onto the catalytic ink such that the elements of the first, second and third electrode patterns become conductive.

Abstract: An electrical element includes an optically-detectable pattern of embedded information. A plurality of thin-film layers is applied on the surface of the substrate wherein one or more of the thin-film layers is at least partially transparent. The plurality of thin-film layers overlaps in an encoding region to form an optical layer structure, wherein at least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure contributes to an electrical function of the electrical element. At least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure includes an information-encoding pattern which contributes to an optically-detectable interference image when illuminated by incident light, and wherein the optically-detectable interference image corresponds to at least a portion of the pattern of embedded information.

Abstract: A material deposition system for depositing a material on a surface of a substrate includes a deposition head having an output face configured to simultaneously supply a plurality of gaseous materials in a sequence of gas zones. The gas zones include a deposition zone located between first and second inert zones. The deposition zone includes a first reactant zone adjacent to the first inert zone, a last reactant zone adjacent to the second inert zone, and one or more purge gas zones. A motion actuator moves a substrate over the output face with a repeating motion profile that prevents a region of active deposition on the substrate from being exposed to the external environment prior to having achieved a final material deposition amount. The repeating motion profile include a forward motion portion and a backward motion portion which is less than the forward distance by an ooch distance.

Abstract: A pattern of information is detected in a thin-film electrical element including a plurality of thin-film layers on a substrate, the plurality of thin-film layers overlapping in an encoding region to form an optical layer structure. At least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure includes an embedded information-encoding pattern. The thin-film electrical element is illuminated with an incident light beam from a light source thereby producing an optically-detectable interference image including the embedded pattern of information. An image capture system is used to capture an image of the optically-detectable interference image, and a data processing system is used to analyze the captured image to detect the embedded pattern of information. One or more actions are initiated in response to the detected pattern of information.

Abstract: A compositionally-graded thin film is formed on a substrate by atomic layer deposition. A mixing system provides a homogeneous gaseous mixture having a controllable ratio of first and second reactive gaseous species. The first and second reactive gaseous species each react with a third reactive gaseous species but do not react with each other. A deposition unit includes first and second reactive gas zones. The homogeneous gaseous mixture is provided to the first reactive gas zone, and the third reactive gaseous species is provided to the second reactive gas zone. The mixing system is controlled to change the ratio of the first and second reactive gaseous species as a function of time as the substrate is moved relative to the deposition unit such that the deposited material has a variable composition as a function of height above the substrate.

Abstract: An electrical element includes an optically-detectable pattern of embedded information. A plurality of thin-film layers is applied on the surface of the substrate wherein one or more of the thin-film layers is at least partially transparent. The plurality of thin-film layers overlaps in an encoding region to form an optical layer structure, wherein at least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure contributes to an electrical function of the electrical element. At least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure includes an information-encoding pattern which contributes to an optically-detectable interference image when illuminated by incident light, and wherein the optically-detectable interference image corresponds to at least a portion of the pattern of embedded information.

Abstract: A pattern of information is detected in a thin-film electrical element including a plurality of thin-film layers on a substrate, the plurality of thin-film layers overlapping in an encoding region to form an optical layer structure. At least one of the thin-film layers in the optical layer structure includes an embedded information-encoding pattern. The thin-film electrical element is illuminated with an incident light beam from a light source thereby producing an optically-detectable interference image including the embedded pattern of information. An image capture system is used to capture an image of the optically-detectable interference image, and a data processing system is used to analyze the captured image to detect the embedded pattern of information. One or more actions are initiated in response to the detected pattern of information.

Abstract: An electrical element is fabricated including an optically-detectable pattern of embedded information. An initial physical design is received for an electrical element that performs an electrical function, together with a pattern of information to be embedded in the electrical element. An encoding region is designated within the initial physical design of the electrical element. Information-encoding patterns are determined for one or more thin-film layers in the encoding region to form an optical layer structure that encodes the pattern of information. The initial physical design and the information-encoding patterns are combined into a modified physical design which is used to fabricate the electrical element. The fabricated electrical element performs the electrical function and forms an optically-detectable interference image including the embedded pattern of information when illuminated by incident light.