Method for Additive Manufacturing of a Circuit Carrier and Circuit Carrier

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This patent describes a method for manufacturing circuit carriers (used in electronics, especially power electronics) through additive (3D printing) techniques. The process involves providing a ceramic substrate and applying layers of metallic powder—typically copper with specialized additive elements such as titanium for bonding—onto the substrate. Each layer is selectively melted (using a laser or electron beam) to build up a customized conductor structure directly bonded to the ceramic. This method avoids traditional multi-step lithography and etching, resulting in flexible, efficient, and customizable circuit carrier production.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Rapid prototyping of power electronic circuit boards and modules
• Manufacturing small batches of customized electronic substrates with complex layouts
• Creating circuit carriers with integrated thermal management features for high-power devices (e.g., industrial inverters, automotive power electronics, renewable energy converters)
• Producing multi-dimensional (3D) electronic circuits with integrated passive or active components
• Developing advanced substrates for electronics in aerospace and medical devices where size, shape, and thermal properties are critical

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly reduces production complexity and time compared to conventional methods (no masks, etching, or extensive post-processing required)
• Enables direct 3D fabrication of conductor structures, increasing design flexibility—allows non-planar, three-dimensional layouts
• Supports quick, cost-effective manufacturing of prototypes or small series, making development more agile
• Achieves strong, reliable bonding between metal conductors and ceramic substrates, enhancing durability and thermal performance
• Potential for integrated structures (e.g., cooling channels, enclosures) in a single manufacturing process, streamlining assembly
• Allows precise tuning of material properties (e.g., electrical conductivity, wettability) layer by layer for optimized performance
• Reduces material waste and enables recycling of unused metal powders

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Patent Abstract

A method for the additive manufacture of a circuit carrier is described. Firstly, a ceramic substrate (16) and a metallic powder (17) are provided. Then, a conductor structure (15) connected to the ceramic substrate (16) in an integrally bonded manner is generated by applying a powder layer (P1) of the metallic powder (17) to the ceramic substrate (16) and selectively melting said powder layer in order to produce a first metallisation layer (M1), and by applying at least one further powder layer (P2, P3) of the metallic powder (17) and selectively melting said further powder layer in order to produce at least one further metallisation layer (M2, M3). A circuit carrier is additionally described.