Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising organic semiconductor material (14) has one or more barrier layers (16) disposed at least partially thereabout to protect the organic semiconductor material (14) from environment-driven changes that typically lead to inoperability of a corresponding device. If desired, the barrier layer can be comprised of partially permeable material that allows some substances therethrough to thereby effect disabling of the encapsulated organic semiconductor device after a substantially predetermined period of time. Getterers (141) may also be used to protect, at least for a period of time, such organic semiconductor material.

Abstract: An energizable design image portion (203) of a provided design pattern is printed on a provided substrate (201) using a functional ink comprised of at least one energy emissive material. A passive design image portion (202) of that design pattern is then also printed on that substrate using at least one graphic arts ink. In a preferred embodiment this apparatus may further comprise electrically conductive electrodes (204) on the substrate to permit selective energization of the energy emissive material to thereby induce illumination of the energizable design image portion of the design pattern.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus, includes a plurality of electronic modules, each having a maximum thickness of no more than 90 microns, each comprising a substrate having a two sided edge connection pattern. The electronic modules are arranged adjacent to each other. Each pad of a first set of connection pads on a first electronic module is conductively connected to an opposing pad of a second set of connection pads of a second electronic module. The first set of connection pads is separated from the second set of connection pads by electrically conductive material that is less than 15 microns thick.

Abstract: An RFID antenna is fabricated to operate in three dimensions. An antenna including a first conductive trace and at least one second conductive trace is formed on an unfolded packaging substrate having a first surface and at least one second surface. An integrated circuit is connected across the conductive traces. The unfolded packaging substrate is formed into a three-dimensional package having multiple sides. For example, the unfolded packaging substrate is folded into a cube-shaped container having six sides. The integrated circuit is formed on a first side, while portions of the first and second conductive traces may be formed on both the first side and at least one second side. In this manner, the antenna is three-dimensional and operable to more effectively communicate with a three-dimensional electromagnetic field.

Abstract: An integrated electrically-responsive lenticular display apparatus (300) includes a lenticular lens (301) integrally combined with at least one electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern (202). The electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern (202) is a printed electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern. The printed pattern may be printed directly onto the lenticular lens (301) or onto a substrate (502), which then attaches to the lenticular lens (301). The electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern (202) can be interleaved with another pattern (203). The other pattern (203) may include another electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern or a non-electrically-responsive light-emissive pattern.

Abstract: One facilitates determination of a path that comprises a plurality of specific locations (201). In an optional though preferred embodiment these specific locations comprise locations where a given functional ink will preferably be printed using a continuous printing spray. Also in an optional though preferred embodiment this path will also avoid at least one predetermined area (701) where such a functional ink should not be printed. In a preferred approach this process (100) generally provides for identifying (101) these specific locations and further identifying (102), when applicable, the one or more predetermined areas to be avoided.

Abstract: A power source (201) and a printed transistor circuit (202) are combined with one another in a stacked and integral configuration. In a preferred though optional configuration this combination can further comprise a substrate (200) of choice. The power source can comprise a technology of choice such as, but not limited, to, a battery or a photovoltaic element. These elements can be combined (104) using a joining technology of choice such as, but not limited to, laminating these elements together or printing one upon the other.

Abstract: A printed transistor has a first gate (202) printed and disposed on a first side of a printed deposit of semiconductor material (201) and a second printed gate (301) disposed on an opposite side of the printed deposit of semiconductor material. By one approach these elements are provided using a serial printing process. By another approach these elements are provided through use of a lamination process.

Abstract: An inverter circuit (500) having a drive transistor (102) that operably couples to a voltage bias input (101) (and where that drive transistor controls the inverter circuit output by opening and closing a connection between the output (105) and ground (104)) is further operably coupled to a feedback switch (401). In a preferred approach the feedback switch is itself also operably coupled to the voltage bias input and the output and preferably serves, when the drive transistor is switched “off,” to responsively couple the voltage bias input to the drive transistor in such a way as to cause a gate terminal of the drive transistor to have its polarity relative to a source terminal of the drive transistor reversed and hence permit the inverter circuit to operate across a substantially full potential operating range of the drive transistor.

Abstract: A functional ink (200) suitable for use as a dielectric layer (303) in a printed semiconductor device (300) comprises a dielectric carrier (201) and a plurality of dielectric particles (202) sized less than about 1,000 nanometers that are disposed within the dielectric carrier. In a preferred approach the dielectric carrier comprises a dielectric resin and the dielectric particles comprise a ferroelectric material (such as, but not limited to, BaTiO3. So provided, this functional ink can be applied to a substrate (301) of choice through a printing technique of choice to thereby provide a resultant printed semiconductor device, such as a field effect transistor, having a relatively thin dielectric layer comprised of this functional ink.

Abstract: A printing platform receives (102) (preferably in-line with a semiconductor device printing process (101)) a substrate having at least one semiconductor device printed thereon and further having a test structure printed thereon, which test structure comprises at least one printed semiconductor layer. These teachings then provide for the automatic testing (103) of the test structure with respect to at least one static (i.e., relatively unchanging) electrical characteristic metric. The static electrical characteristic metric (or metrics) of choice will likely vary with the application setting but can include, for example, a measure of electrical resistance, a measure of electrical reactance, and/or a measure of electrical continuity. Optionally (though preferably) the semiconductor device printing process itself is then adjusted (105) as a function, at least in part, of this metric.

Abstract: An apparatus (200) such as a semiconductor device comprises a gate electrode (201) and at least a first electrode (202). The first electrode preferably has an established perimeter that at least partially overlaps with respect to the gate electrode to thereby form a corresponding transistor channel. In a preferred approach the first electrode has a surface area that is reduced notwithstanding the aforementioned established perimeter. This, in turn, aids in reducing any corresponding parasitic capacitance. This reduction in surface area may be accomplished, for example, by providing openings (203) through certain portions of the first electrode.

Abstract: An object (201) (such as a containment mechanism) supports both a functional electrical circuit (203) and an electrical circuit (202) to which the functional electrical circuit is responsive. In a preferred approach the functional electrical circuit has both a low power state of operation and a higher power state of operation. Upon detecting (104) that an area of connectivity of the electrical circuit has been severed (via, for example, corresponding manipulation of the object itself), the functional electrical circuit responsively operates (106) using the higher power state of operation.

Abstract: An energizable design image portion of a provided design pattern (101) is printed (103) on a provided substrate (101) using a functional ink comprised of at least one energy emissive material. A passive design image portion of that design pattern is then also printed (104) on that substrate using at least one graphic arts ink. In a preferred embodiment this process (100) further provides for printing (105) electrically conductive electrodes on the substrate to permit selective energization of the energy emissive material to thereby induce illumination of the energizable design image portion of the design pattern.

Abstract: The density (and hence thickness) of a functional ink layer (41) as comprises a part of an active printed electronic component (71) is determined through interaction (13) of the functional ink with light. This information, in turn, facilitates assessment (14) of the likely corresponding electrical performance of the electronic component. When the functional ink comprises a transparent material, a dye can be added to facilitate the desired interaction and assessment.

Abstract: Data regarding printing instructions for an active electronic component are provided (11). These printing instructions will typically comprise instructions regarding the location, geometry, size, orientation, and functional inks used for various component layers as correspond to the electronic component, and are without reference to a specific printing system. This data is then modified (12) as a function of one or more operational proclivities of a particular high throughput additive printing system to provide modified instructions that, when employed to effect the printing of the active electronic component, will improve the resultant yield as compared to the unmodified data.

Abstract: Two or more semiconductor devices (21 and 22) are formed on a substrate (20) and are each comprised of a plurality of printed components (23 and 24). At least one such printed component (25) is shared by both such semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A semiconductor device can be comprised of a substrate having a plurality of different printable semiconductor inks formed thereon. In a preferred approach at least some of these printable semiconductor inks comprise organic semiconductor material inks. These semiconductor inks can vary from one another with respect to various properties including but not limited to electrical characteristics and environmental efficacy.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for writing to solid-state memory is provided herein. In particular, a controller is provided that monitors operating parameters of each die within the system. In order to enable fast, real-time write operations, feedback from each die is analyzed and compared with a stored set of operating parameters. Based on this comparison, a particular die is chosen for write operations such that system performance is optimized.

Abstract: An organic semiconductor inverting circuit includes at least three organic transistors, an output terminal (110, 210, 310, 410), a reference supply voltage input (115, 215, 315, 415), a first positive supply voltage input (120, 220, 320, 420), and a negative supply voltage input (125, 225, 325, 425). One of the three organic transistors is an input transistor having a gate to which is coupled an input terminal (105, 205, 305, 405). The output terminal (110, 210, 310, 410) is coupled to a first electrode of at least one of the at least three organic transistors.