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Sui Generis: Being the only example of its kind; unique.
I've said previously—somewhere—that I would like to see the merger of Dark Souls and top-down RPGs like Diablo.
In other words, a game that melds the isometric view we see in many action-RGPs with the deep combat and tense gameplay you find in the Souls games.
In fact, in my ideal game I'd run all sorts of things commonly found in the RPG genre (whether that's your hack-and-slash variety or your narrative variety) to the village gates and off into the dark forests of irrelevancy.
Here's what my game would look like or, rather, what it would not look like:
1) I'd do away with mobs and with the frenetic loot gathering we see in so many of these games. I love loot the same way an addict loves his drug of choice—but I only care about loot when it's meaningful. Finding a Balder Side Sword in Dark Souls was meaningful; finding legendary items in most action-RPGs, not so much.
2) I'd put a stop to all this stifling linearity, to stories that leave nothing to the imagination. I'd lay waste to the notion that games ought merely to ape film, drenching themselves in cutscenes and cinematics. Too often video games forsake imagination, or fall back on the crutches of exposition, or consider gameplay a secondary factor and forget that gamers are not merely viewers but participants as well.
3) I'd abandon traditional leveling and super-powered weapons, and replace grinding for loot and experience with a honing of one's skills. Even Dark Souls makes the mistake of allowing you to over-power your character and items, to the detriment of the game as a whole. I want starting weapons and attributes to matter.
4) I'd toss fetch-quests and archetypal fantasy races like elves and dwarves onto the bonfire of over-worn tropes (of which I have listed many in the past.) Fetch-quests that operate in the background, as game-long drivers of exploration, could still remain as part of the overarching adventure, but being tasked with collecting 10 wolf paws or 5 skeleton bones is a plot-driver that should have gone extinct years ago.
5) And of course I'd make sure that the primary focus of combat wasn't merely offensive but also defensive.
There have been some truly intriguing and terrific looking projects on Kickstarter lately, but as excited as I am about Grim Dawn and Project Eternity, Sui Generis sounds like a game cobbled together from my very own wish-list.
"Sui Generis is not about running around killing hordes of enemies in order to collect experience points and numerous items," the Kickstarter page reads. "It is about exploring a world and being involved in major events there. What exactly you do and how you do it is entirely up to you. The world is carefully designed to be believable and have a life of its own. It is not there to wait for you to go on quests, trigger events or make decisions. Events will take their course and may take a turn for the worse if you don't get involved."
There will be no saving and loading, no easy out for the unwary or careless, and death—well, prepare to die. And when you do die, events that transpired before your death will remain in place. Death matters.
"Much of the time combat situations will be occasional yet meaningful," the game description continues. "Few opponents can be dismissed as trivial. Though there are powerful items, even an old rusty sword can be effective in the right hands. There are no levels, but there is a more natural progression system based on skills and thaumaturgic powers. There are no classes, but rather countless possible builds with diverse and interesting qualities."
No classes, no leveling, and a deep, dynamic open-world. Oh, and really unique and quite possibly amazing combat.
Here's an example of the game's (pre-alpha) combat in action (you'll see the not-slow-motion version in the next video):
Watch the Kickstarter pitch (below) for a detailed explanation of combat and other systems in the game, including its dynamic weather and time system which not only has day and night cycles, but entire calendar year cycles and a fully diagrammed sky full of celestial bodies that change over the course of time.
I do hope there is a good system for shields (yes, I know, I'm obsessed with shields) as well as other integral defensive mechanics and more ways to combat opponents than slashing (i.e. thrusting, etc.) But since this is only pre-alpha footage, I have high hopes. The staggering and loss of balance and the hyper-realistic movement all make for much more interesting combat than we normally see in this genre.
Meanwhile, the magic system (or thaumaturgic powers system) sounds intriguing, though I'm always more interested in how combat is devised than in magic systems. My hope here is that magic doesn't play too great a role in the game, as I lean toward the plausibility afforded by low-magic universes whenever possible.
(On a side note, this is probably the most unique and promising looking combat system I've seen since I stumbled across Overgrowth.)
The indie team at Bare Mettle Entertainment, which was formed to make this game, minces no words when it comes to the game's basic premise. Faced with complaints that the game appeared too generic and didn't start characters off as heroes, they set out to clarify a few things.
In Sui Generis, "you start the game as an anonymous villager. The whole point here is that you create your own character and write your own story. If you want to play a named hero with a rich background, predefined personality and a clear mission ahead, then you're looking at the wrong game. Personally, we feel completely alienated from such characters."
Furthermore: "We dislike linear story, we hate linear story, no, we truly despise linear story. If you asked us what is as pleasant as being poked in the eye, we'd have to answer "linear story"."
What they do like is a big open world full of mystery with a dynamic, complex series of events that go on with or without you—though details remain intentionally sparse.
Unlike John Walker, I don't find what little we've seen of the game's description nearly so generic as he would have it, but I agree that the tech involved is certainly something other developers ought to be looking at should Bare Mettle ever decide to license it out.
What's more remarkable than anything, perhaps, is the fact that the engine and all the code is the work of just one man, Madoc Evans, though he has had help with the 3D assets, architecture, and other areas of development from the small development team.
They're trying to raise £150,000, and they have a long way to go with three weeks left on the ticker. Watch their Kickstarter pitch to get a better sense of what the game looks and feels like:
What do you think? I admit, as much as I want to play this game, I also want to take the terrain editor for a ride, and drop little 3D tables from the sky just to watch them bounce around—before trying my sword arm on a demon knight.
You can read more about the game either at its Kickstarter page or the Bare Mettle homepage.


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By Admin on Tuesday February 10, 2009
Cool dude karan chawla makes it through easily, he has nice attitude and he can really dance. Geeta Kapur did some chit chat with the kid and then awarded him taqdeer ki topi.
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Meagan Good's Husband Dishes On Relationship Scrutiny: "Some People Thought She Didn't Belong In My Script"
Taking a break from filming her new NBC drama series, Deception, actress Meagan Good was spotted having a chill day while shopping with her husband Devon Franklin at The Grove in West Hollywood. Last week, the couple sat down with preacher Toure Roberts at One Church International and shared some of the scrutiny they've faced in their relationship due to the public's misconception of Meagan from the characters that she plays.
While discussing the public's reaction to their engagement, Devon revealed:
The moment that the news broke, it was on TMZ. It was interesting because the moment that it broke, when you look at what they wrote, their whole thing was trying to show a contrast. Meagan Good engaged to an Adventist preacher. Now mind you, my day job — I'm a studio executive and Sony pays my bills. They called her a 'Californication' actress; the subtext was "Is this for real? This won't last." That first announcement went viral. I got people from everywhere Facebook, Twitter, texting me, emailing me, some were supportive but others were like what is going on?
See what happens is, good or bad, someone sees a public person and they don't know you, they only know about you. Based upon what they know about you, they make a judgment on what is good for you, but they don't know you. This whole idea of he's a preacher and she's this, it blew my mind how many people had an opinion when God is the only one who directs our story, so he knows where our story is going to go. The danger is when we live for religion or when we live for other people's opinion we begin to let them develop our story when they have no idea where the story is going.
So there were some people who were trying to give me notes on my story that she didn't belong in my script. Based on their perception of what they thought my story was supposed to be about, they didn't see how she fit or how I fit in her script. But I'm saying wait a minute, when was the last time that you went before God before you gave me this note. Before you posted that comment, did you pray and say Lord is this what you want me to say.
I'm following God and I'm not going to worry about what you think it looks like or not because I know what he's told me to do. So there were people I literally just had to say, "I don't want to hear it. Shut it down, I'm not listening to your foolishness." When God gives you a vision, a lot of people would see the persona of Meagan, but I would see Meagan because God revealed and showed me who she was. So when I see who she really is, and I see her, I see me and I'm like that's me. So anybody that would come against it based on perception it would just be like you don't know and you don't get it and its okay but over time, you'll watch our movie, and you will see how it all makes sense.
Meagan Good also added:
I'm so passionate about what was said to me. "You are not a real Christian, you are not this, and you are not that." I love God so much, I love him with everything [Starts crying.] To have people tell you that, to all the misfits, underdogs, and the people who are looked down upon, my heart goes out to them and people who are judged on their appearance, and what they've been through. It breaks my heart.
I realize that God has put me in the position to tell those people I look just like you. It doesn't matter if you are in King Magazine, at the end of the day, God has promises for you too, and God loves you too. There is nobody in this room that's any better than you.
People think that I just got saved when I met DeVon or the year before but I've been saved since I was 12. I've been loving the lord since I was a little girl. The woman that God already made me, flaws and all, is the woman that Devon fell in love with, not the woman that I became after I met him.
So many of people are guilty of letting other people write their script and allowing other's opinions affect who they are and who they end up with. Great message!


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Parenting from a place of trust and respect is a challenge in a culture that believes that parents must use control and power over children. The predominant models of parenting we see and experience don't support our journey away from control toward trust and respect. Sometimes you need that extra push to go deeper to sustain the change you are trying to make in your parenting.
Working with Teresa Graham Brett you will:
- get tools for transforming your thinking and actions to support your vision of living with trust and respect with children;
- gain greater understanding of how and why the actions of children trigger you; and
- be able to move through the frustration (maybe even shame or guilt) that can come when your actions as parent do not live up to your vision of who you want to be.
Teresa has been facilitating transformative learning and change in individuals over the last 20 years in university settings, as a consultant, and in her work with parents. She is committed to helping parents end the pain of conflict, frustration, and disappointment that is the result of what we were taught about what parenting during our own childhoods.
Request a one hour consultation with Teresa Brett. The cost is $75.


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Treasurer sets up payment plan for back taxes
IRONTON -- Lawrence County Treasurer Steve Burcham has collected or set up payment plans on more than $1.1 million in back taxes and will seek more than $960,000 in a tax sale next week.
Burcham told the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Thursday his office has collected or set up payment plans on $1,109,494 from 920 parcels. His office plans to offer for sale another 748 parcels at 10 a.m. Monday at the courthouse on which $961,679 is owed.
The parcels will be offered for sale to the public, and four companies have expressed interest in a bulk purchase of the remaining parcels, Burcham said.
Burcham also asked for the board to put $14,000 in his supplies account. He said budget cuts the commissioners imposed earlier in the 2013 budget allows him to have fewer than two full-time employees. He currently has four full-time employees and plans to hire two more part-time employees during tax collection time.
Tax bills will be sent out in about two weeks. The taxes are due March 8, Burcham said.
"I can't afford any layoffs," Burcham said. "I have to be able to operate. If I have less people it means longer lines and less people to answer phones."
The board also approved changes in the county's Emergency Medical Services ambulance district which could save $87,000 in salaries and more than $40,000 in benefits. The changes mean some supervisors will go on ambulance runs, said Buddy Fry, district administrator.
"We had four openings in September, and we didn't fill them in anticipation of 2013 budget cuts," Fry said.
The district received $1.3 million from the half-percent sales tax in 2011, and $1 million plus an additional appropriation of $155,000 last year, but was budgeted only $1 million this year, Fry said.
In other action, the board:
Accepted the resignation of Ashley Reeves and Randall Brannon as paramedics effective Dec. 28.
Recalled Benny Call as a part-time assistant dog warden effective Jan. 7.
Set the board's organizational meeting for 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14.
The Herald-Dispatch welcomes your comments on this article, but please be civil. Avoid profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, accusations of criminal activity, name-calling or insults to the other posters. Herald-dispatch.com does not control or monitor comments as they are posted, but if you find a comment offensive or uncivil, hover your mouse over the comment and click the X that appears in the upper right of the comment. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal Facebook page, uncheck the box below the comment.


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A new University of California survey finds that nearly a quarter of students feel comfortable or even very comfortable at their schools. Only 7% feel uncomfortable.
Is the message here that these are happy campusers? Not in the viewpoint of university officials, who fret over another statistic: About a quarter of students and staff say that they had experienced exclusionary, intimidating or offensive situations at the universities. This, authorities indicated, cannot be tolerated.
"We want a welcoming environment. We know that if 1% feels uncomfortable, that's an environment we don't want," UC Regent Sherry Lansing said.


text: I started posting senior year of college. I was upstate, so there were no Jets fans, so the boards were a cool place to shoot the sh*t besides talking to my dad on the phone. Had I know that 6 years later I'd still be trying to convince people why the Quarterback sucks, I probably would have just started the car in the garage and waited.


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In August, Australia-based Fuzzyeyes Studio revealed it would be parlaying its time spent making games about the fast-food industry into Edge of Twilight, a stylized, postapocalyptic third-person action adventure then slated to arrive for the Xbox 360 and PC at an undetermined point in the future. Today, Edge of Twilight took on a bit more focus when SouthPeak Games announced that Fuzzyeyes will be creating a PlayStation 3 version of the game as well.
As with Codemasters' recently announced Damnation, Edge of Twilight will run with a steampunk aesthetic. Players will navigate a mechanized fantasy world in which society is divvied up into separate dimensions of night and day. Players will assume the role of an ostracized bounty hunter named Lex who must find his place in a world lorded over by the industrialized Atherns and the spiritual Lithern.
Gameplay details remain elusive, but Fuzzyeyes has previously said that Lex will have different abilities depending on whether he is in the night or day realms. SouthPeak also noted today that the game would benefit from the publisher's license of Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.
For more on Edge of Twilight, check out Fuzzyeyes' official Web site for the game.


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Sacramento State hosts numerous events all week during Homecoming. Please check back as we continue to update the website with new events for the 2014 Homecoming celebration.
Events Calendar
Sign Competition
Monday, October 13
Turn in by 5 p.m.
Alumni Center
|Hit the dollar store, grab some poster board and let your creative side loose! Art projects are a great way to de-stress from midterms and studying, PLUS you can showcase your school spirit for Homecoming! More details
Chalk it up!
Tuesday, October 14
All day
Library Quad
|Got chalk? Then head to the Library Quad and chalk it up! Show off your creative skills and school spirit by drawing pictures for Homecoming. Can you draw things like Herky? The Sac State logo? Give people something to look at as excitement builds for the big game! More details
ASI Farmer's Market
Wednesday, October 15
10:00 a.m.
Serna Plaza
|Come one, come all, to this semester's ONE AND ONLY Farmer's Market! The market will feature fresh, local, and healthy food for all, plus a fun photo booth with fruit and veggie props and free smoothie samples provided by Student Health and Counseling Services.
UNIQUE Weds. Nooner
Wednesday, October 15
12:00 p.m.
Serna Plaza
|Grab lunch and head over to Serna Plaza for some California reggae performed by IRIEFUSE. This concert is free for all students and graciously sponsored by UNIQUE.
Homecoming Rally
Thursday, October 16
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bookstore Plaza
|Come out to the bookstore plaza in your green and gold attire to get pumped up for the big game! Enjoy music, play games and of course, show your support for Hornet Football!
Scavenger Hunt
Thursday, October 16
Turn in by 5 p.m.
Alumni Center
|You've got all day to hunt, so bring your friends and have a little fun with it! Download and print the Scavenger Hunt clue sheet or start at the Alumni Center to get one, then you're off and exploring! More details
Homecoming Rally #2
Housing Quad
6:00 p.m.
|Join the football players, coaches, and cheerleaders in the housing quad for our second rally of the day. KSSU will be on the ones and twos and Green Army will be there to get you PUMPED!
One Book Reception
Thursday, October 16
5:30 p.m.
Epicure Restaurant
|The Parents and Families Program is hosting a reception at the University Restaurant before the OneBook Author Lecture. Enjoy refreshments and mingle with fellow parents and family members of current students before listenting to Sherman Alexie's lecture in the University Union Ballroom.
One Book Program Presents: An Evening with Sherman Alexie
Thursday, October 16
7:00 p.m.
University Union Ballroom
|A dynamic and engaging speaker, Sherman Alexie reads from Blasphemy, a collection of short stories uniting fifteen beloved classics with fifteen new stories in one sweeping anthology for devoted fans and first-time readers. Taking a wry, poignant, and searing look at the Pacific Northwest, Alexie tells stories that encompass American life with wit and grit. As part of the One Book Program's commitment to expanding cultural and intellectual life in the region, this lecture is free to the public. Book signing will immediatley follow.
Golden Grads Reunion
Friday, October 17
11:30 a.m.
Alumni Center
|Hosted by the Alumni Association, this luncheon celebrates the lives of alumni who graduated from Sacramento State 50 or more years ago. Graduates, family members as well as University faculty, staff, and friends are invited to enjoy a lunch and a walk down memory lane that includes viewing memorabilia and photos. The 2014 reunion will celebrate classes of 1949-1964, for more information visit the Alumni Association.
"Tailgating, Health-i-fied"
Friday, October 17
2:00 p.m.
the WELL
|Join campus dietician, Jennifer Campbell, in the "The Cove" as she hosts a cooking demonstration featuring healthy tailgating options for the upcoming game. This event is open to both students and their parents and families. For more information, visit the Parents & Families website.
"Hornet Family Hoppy Hour"
Friday, October 17
3:00 p.m.
Hoppy Brewery
|While your students are getting ready to dance up a storm at the dance marathon, join us for the Hornet Family Weekend kickoff at Hoppy Brewery, located just off campus on Folsom Blvd. Get in the Homecoming spirit and meet other Hornet parents and professionals. Snacks will be provided. All parents and families of current students are invited. This event is specifically for parents of current students and College of Continuing Education adult learners.
Dance Marathon Glow for Good
Friday, October 17
6:00 p.m.
Alumni Center
|Sac State's first annual Dance Marathon, is a fun-filled night for students featuring live entertainment, games, speakers, food, prizes, and of course, DANCING! The event raises money for the Student Emergency Grand Fund, which assists students who experience a financial emergency that could jeopardize their studies. Sign up to reserve your spot!
Future Hornet Day
Saturday, October 18
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
|This event is designed for prospective under-graduate students and their families. You can tour the campus, meet with many of our dedicated faculty, and attend information sessions on admissions, housing, financial aid, and more. Meet and mingle with some of Sac State's finest throughout the day—students, staff, faculty, alumni and friends. Contact the office of Admissions and Outreach for more information. (916) 278-7766.
Golf Cart Parade
Saturday, October 18
|3:45 p.m.
|The annual Homecoming Golf Cart Parade is back and bigger than ever. Be sure to sign up for a chance to decorate and compete for the grand prize trophy and yearlong bragging rights. The parade will spread spirit around campus prior to the game. Join the Hornet Walk during the festival, and loop around the track at halftime. Sign up now!
Homecoming Festival
Saturday, October 18
3:00 p.m.
Parking Lot 8
|Come on, come all for this fun filled festival in celebration of all things green and gold! Bring your own food and tailgate or enjoy the fare of local food trucks. Enjoy music and festivities, even activities for the kids. If you haven't been back to campus for Homecoming, now is your chance! Be sure to wear your green and gold to show your Hornet Pride!
Homecoming Tailgate
Saturday, October 18
3:00 p.m.
Parking Lot 8
|ASI is hosting this awesome student tailgate featuring games, giveaways, music by KSSU, and more! Come on over before the game in your best green and gold attire. All students are welcome, click here for more details.
Parents and Families Homecoming Tailgate
Saturday, October 18
3:00 p.m.
Parking Lot 8
|Grab a chair, bring a dish, put on your green and gold, and join the Parents and Families potluck tailgate. Enjoy delicious food, engage in conversation, and watch the Hornet Walk and Golf Cart Parade all before heading over to Hornet Stadium for the big game. Contact Haley Myers for more information. This event is specifically designed for parents and families of current students.
Football Game, Hornets vs. Mustangs
Saturday, October 18
6:00 p.m.
Hornet Stadium
|Watch as Sac State Football takes on the Cal Poly Mustangs. The game promises to be a thrilling competition, as the Hornets "Bleed Green, and Finish Gold!" Please visit the Hornet Athletics website to purchase tickets. Remember, current students receive free admission to Hornet Football games as well as all athletics events all season long. Go Hornets!


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Free MenKind Voucher & Discount Codes - August 2015
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About MenKind
MenKind is a gift store for the boys, of the boys and by the boys. The store was founded in 2001 by men who love gadgets and who wanted to sell the sort of gifts that they would like to receive themselves. The idea was to provide opportunities to buy interesting gifts - accessories, novelties and gadgets - even for the man who has everything.
You can also buy personalised gifts for the special man in your life. Read on to find out how you can use our voucher code for discounts, freebies and other attractive offers to get some great deals on the store. You may find vouchers for discounts on select merchandise or you may find a free delivery code.
Toys for the Boys
A gift with a sense of humour, a unique or unusual gift, a thoughtful gift – whatever the occasion, you're likely to find the right gift given the large variety of gift shop voucher codes we have lined up for you in our Gift Shop Section. View our voucher codes for shops such as Find Me A Gift or The Brilliant Gift Shop to see what other types of ongoing promotions you can avail of.
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How to Use Your Free MenKind Voucher Code
You don't need a code for some of our offers - simply click the "SHOW DEAL" button and make a purchase as you normally would. When you click the button that says "GET VOUCHER AND OPEN SITE", you will see the shop site with the header containing the code. Click and copy that code - you will use it to get a discount during the purchase process.
- View the different MenKind gift items and pick out stuff you want by clicking the "BUY OR RESERVE" button
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The Atrium
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Dorking Surrey
Phone: 0844 567 0710
To send an email, you can use the on site contact page


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A method of depositing various materials onto heat-sensitive targets, particularly oxygen-sensitive materials. Heat-sensitive targets are generally defined as targets that have thermal damage thresholds that are lower than the temperature required to process a deposited material. The invention uses precursor solutions and/or particle or colloidal suspensions, along with optional pre-deposition treatment and/or post-deposition treatment to lower the laser power required to drive the deposit to its final state. The present invention uses Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (M3D™) to perform direct deposition of material onto the target in a precise, highly localized fashion. Features with linewidths as small as 4 microns may be deposited, with little or no material waste. A laser is preferably used to heat the material to process it to obtain the desired state, for example by chemical decomposition, sintering, polymerization, and the like. This laser processing may be performed in an ambient environment with laser powers of less than 100 milliwatts. Cover gases and/or forming gases may be used during thermal processing to change the material properties, for example by preventing oxidation.
1. A method for depositing a material on a target, the method comprising the steps of:
generating an aerosol stream of a material;
propelling the aerosol stream to the target using an aerosol jet comprising an annular sheath gas;
covering a resulting deposit of the material with a cover gas; and
processing the resulting deposit of the material with a laser at a processing temperature approximately at least as high as a damage threshold temperature of the target.
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21. The method of
This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/952,107, entitled "Maskless Direct Write of Copper Using an Annular Aerosol Jet", filed on Sep. 27, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/072,605, entitled "Direct Write™ System", to Michael J. Renn, filed on Feb. 5, 2002, which was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/060,090, entitled "Direct Write™ System", to Michael J. Renn, filed on Jan. 30, 2002, and a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/584,997, entitled Particle Guidance System, filed on Jun. 1, 2000 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,676 on Oct. 21, 2003, which was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/408,621 entitled "Laser-Guided Manipulation of Non-Atomic Particles", to Michael J. Renn, et al., filed on Sep. 30, 1999, which claimed the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/102,418, entitled "Direct-Writing of Materials by Laser Guidance", to Michael J. Renn et al., filed on Sep. 30, 1998.
This application is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/952,108, entitled "Laser Processing for Heat-Sensitive Mesoscale Deposition", filed on Sep. 27, 2004, which claims the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/506,495, entitled "Laser Treatment Process for Low-Temperature Deposition", filed on Sep. 26, 2003 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/508,759, entitled "Method for Fabricating Resistive Structures", filed on Oct. 3, 2003, and which application is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/746,646, entitled "Apparatuses, Methods, and Precision Spray Processes for Direct Write and Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition", filed on Dec. 23, 2003, which is both a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/844,666, entitled "Precision Spray Processes for Direct Write Electronic Components", filed on Apr. 27, 2001 (which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/305,985, entitled "Precision Spray Processes for Direct Write Electronic Components", filed May 5, 1999, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,488), and is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/346,935, entitled "Apparatuses and Method for Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition", to Michael J. Renn et al., filed on Jan. 17, 2003, which is a continuation-in-part application of the following U.S. Patent Applications:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/574,955, entitled "Laser-Guided Manipulation of Non-Atomic Particles", to Michael J. Renn, et al., filed on May 19, 2000, which was a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/408,621, entitled "Laser-Guided Manipulation of Non-Atomic Particles", to Michael J. Renn, et al., filed on Sep. 30, 1999, which claimed the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/102,418, entitled "Direct-Writing of Materials by Laser Guidance", to Michael J. Renn, et al., filed on Sep. 30, 1998;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/584,997, entitled "Particle Guidance System", to Michael J. Renn, filed on Jun. 1, 2000, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,676, which was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/408,621;
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/060,960, entitled "Direct Write™ System", to Michael J. Renn, filed on Jan. 30, 2002, which was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/408,621 and 09/584,997; and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/072,605, entitled "Direct Write™ System", to Michael J. Renn, filed on Feb. 5, 2002, which was a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/060,090.
The specifications and claims of all of the above references are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates generally to the field of maskless direct write deposition of materials, including but not limited to mesoscale electronic structures, using aerodynamic focusing of an aerosolized fluid or particle suspension onto heat-sensitive targets, wherein laser radiation is preferably used to process the deposit to its final state.
2. Background Art
Note that the following discussion refers to a number of publications and references. Discussion of such publications herein is given for more complete background of the scientific principles and is not to be construed as an admission that such publications are prior art for patentability determination purposes.
Various techniques can be used for deposition of electronic materials, however thick film and thin film processing are the two dominant methods used to pattern microelectronic circuits. Thick film and thin film processes for the deposition of electronic structures are well developed, but have limitations due to the high processing temperatures required, or due to the need for expensive masks and vacuum chambers. Thick film processes typically require processing temperatures ranging from approximately 500 to 1000� C. Thin film techniques use processing temperatures ranging from approximately 400 to 3000� C., depending on the type of process and the material deposited. Due to inherent high processing temperatures, thick film and thin film techniques are generally limited to deposition onto ceramic, glass, silicon, and other targets having a damage threshold temperature above approximately 400� C.
Recently, techniques requiring processing temperatures below 200� C. have been developed for deposition of electronic structures on inexpensive plastic targets. One such process for fabrication of transistors on plastic targets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,550, which uses a pulsed laser processing technique to produce temperatures required for material processing. The laser pulse duration lasts for short periods, limiting the sustained temperature of the target to below 250� C. Another such process for fabricating transistors on plastic targets is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,642,085, which uses a pulsed laser processing technique similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,550, but is capable of limiting the sustained target temperature to below 120� C.
A thin film process used to form ceramic metallo-organic thin films is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064, 684. This process casts a liquid metallo-organic ceramic precursor solution to form a layer on a target. The deposit is heated to a low temperature to create an amorphous layer. The process then heats a selected area to a high temperature using localized heating, creating a patterned area of polycrystalline ceramic having electro-optic properties. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,889, Kydd uses a mixture of metal powders and metallo-organic decomposition compounds in an organic liquid vehicle to form thick films. The compound is applied to a target using a deposition process such as silk screening, in which bonding is complete at temperatures of less than 450� C.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,745, Kydd, et al. teach a composition having a metal powder or powders of specified characteristics in a Reactive Organic Medium (ROM) that can be deposited to produce patterns of electrical conductors on temperature-sensitive electronic targets. The patterns can be thermally cured in seconds to form pure metal conductors at a temperature low enough to avoid target damage.
In contrast with conventional methods for deposition of electronic materials, the M3D™ process, described in, for example, U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0048314 and 2003/0228124, which are commonly owned with the present application, is a direct printing technique that does not require the use of vacuum chambers, masks, or extensive post-deposition processing. The M3D™ process may be used to deposit a variety of materials with little or no material waste, and has also been used to deposit materials which do not require high temperature processing on low temperature substrates. In order to facilitate this, various low temperature ink systems have been developed. These inks are typically either precursor-based, nanoparticle-based, or they can be combinations of the two. Metal-organic precursor chemistries have a specific advantage in that the precursors can decompose to pure metal at very low temperatures, 150-250� C. range. Because of this the inks can be deposited on many plastics and then heated to decompose to metal. The drawback is that the metal yield of precursor inks is typically low and is in the 1-10% range. The low yield reduces the overall deposition rates.
Metal nanoparticles also have drastically reduced treatment temperatures. Because of their high surface energy, nanoparticles will melt at temperatures hundreds of degrees lower than micron-sized particles. Nanoparticle inks in particular have been shown to sinter in the 150-250� C. range. The metal yield of nanoparticle inks can be in the 10-50% range, which leads to highly efficient deposition. For example, the M3D™ process has been used to deposit and laser process silver (at 150� C.) on an FR4 substrate, which has a damage threshold of less than 200� C., with no damage to the substrate.
While considerable progress has been made in low-temperature ink development, the sintering temperatures are still significantly higher than the softening temperature of many common plastics. For example PMMA softens at around 100� C. and most nanoparticle and precursor inks will not become conductive or ductile at this temperature. In addition, it is difficult if not impossible to avoid thermal damage to a target if the processing temperature of the deposited material exceeds the damage threshold of the target. The types of damage possible when polymer targets are subjected to excessive heat are warping, vaporization of volatile components, oxidation, decomposition, burning, softening, and melting. Glasses may undergo crystallization and melting, and metals may undergo oxidation, recrystallization, grain growth, reversed hardening, and melting, when subjected to excessive heat. Ceramics may also undergo thermal damage in the form of unfavorable phase changes that may lead to cracking or loss of material or electrical properties, vaporization of volatile components, and oxidation (for ceramics that are not oxides). For example, densification on low temperature substrates has only been achievable for materials that can be densified at temperatures below the damage threshold of the substrate.
Thus there is a need for an apparatus and method to deposit and process materials at a nearby or higher temperature than the damage threshold of the target or substrate.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for depositing a material on a target, comprising generating an aerosol stream, depositing the aerosol stream onto the target using an aerosol jet; processing the resulting deposit with a laser to obtain the material; wherein the processing temperature of the deposit is approximately at least as high as a damage threshold temperature of the target, and wherein an electrical property of the deposit is substantially similar to the electrical property of the material in bulk form. The electrical property preferably comprises resistivity and the target is optionally nonplanar. The damage threshold is preferably less than 200� C. The aerosol stream preferably comprises one or more materials selected from the groups consisting of liquid molecular chemical precursors and colloidal or particle suspensions. The aerosol stream preferably further comprises one or more materials generated from the groups comprising a metallo-organic precursor, a metallo-organic precursor; a colloidal metal solution; a metal paste; a metal nanoparticle suspension; a ceramic precursor; a ceramic paste; a resistor precursor solution; a resistor paste; an inorganic semiconductor suspension; a polymeric precursor solution; a colloidal suspension of metal, dielectric, or resistor particles; and any combination thereof. The aerosol stream preferably comprises droplets or particles having a diameter of less than approximately 10 microns.
The generating step preferably comprises using ultrasonic transduction or pneumatic aerosolization. The aerosol jet preferably comprises an annular flow, preferably an inner aerosol-laden flow surrounded by a sheath gas flow that confines the inner aerosol-laden flow. The annular flow preferably focuses the aerosol stream to mesoscale dimensions. The deposited feature size is preferably greater than or equal to approximately four microns. The feature size of the deposit after laser processing is preferably at least approximately one micron. The depositing step preferably comprises providing relative motion of the target and the aerosol stream. The method preferably further comprises the step of pre-processing the aerosol stream prior to the depositing step. The pre-processing step preferably comprises a process selected from the group consisting of humidifying the aerosol stream, drying the aerosol stream, cooling the aerosol stream, increasing the vapor content of a constituent of the aerosol stream, and increasing the vapor content of a second material that is not a constituent of the aerosol stream.
The method of the present invention preferably further comprises the step of post-processing the deposit prior to the processing step. The post-processing step preferably comprises an action selected from the group consisting of thermal heating, reducing the ambient pressure, irradiating with electromagnetic radiation, and combinations thereof. The deposit optionally comprises a width that is approximately equal to a diameter of a beam from the laser or is greater than a diameter of a beam from the laser. The deposition step and the processing step are preferably performed simultaneously. The processing step preferably comprises at least one process selected from the group consisting of chemical decomposition, polymerization, sintering, and melting. The target preferably comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, and various epoxies. The laser preferably comprises a diode laser. The laser power is preferably approximately 10 milliwatts. The laser preferably comprises a continuous wave mode or a pulsed wave mode. The energy of the pulsed wave mode is preferably several microjoules. The processing step preferably comprises delivering a laser beam to the target using either or both of a system of lenses and mirrors and an optical fiber. The laser beam is optionally delivered to the target apart from the aerosol stream, thereby resulting in serial process deposition and laser processing.
The present invention is also a method for depositing a material on a target comprising the steps of generating an aerosol stream of a material, propelling the aerosol stream to the target using an aerosol jet comprising an annular sheath gas, covering a resulting deposit of the material with a cover gas, and processing the resulting deposit of the material with a laser at a processing temperature approximately at least as high as a damage threshold temperature of the target. The cover gas preferably comprises an inert gas, which preferably inhibits oxide formation of the material deposit. The cover gas preferably comprises a reactive gas, creating a forming gas. The reactive gas preferably comprises hydrogen or carbon monoxide. The method preferably further comprises the step of reducing oxides or the oxidation state of the deposited material, or increasing the conductivity or reducing the resistivity of the deposit. The reactive gas optionally comprises oxygen. The method optionally further comprises the step of oxidizing the deposited material, or increasing the resistivity of the deposited material.
The covering step is preferably performed simultaneously with the processing step. The covering step is optionally performed simultaneously with the propelling step. The covering step preferably comprises streaming the cover gas over the deposit. The damage threshold temperature is optionally less than 200� C. The aerosol stream preferably further comprises one or more materials generated from the groups consisting of a metallo-organic precursor; a colloidal metal solution; a metal paste; a metal nanoparticle suspension; a ceramic precursor; a ceramic paste; a resistor precursor solution; a resistor paste; an inorganic semiconductor suspension; a polymeric precursor solution; a colloidal suspension of metal, dielectric, or resistor particles; an oxide; and any combination thereof. The aerosol stream preferably comprises droplets or particles having a diameter of less than approximately 10 microns. The aerosol jet preferably comprises an inner aerosol-laden flow surrounded by a sheath gas flow that confines the inner aerosol-laden flow. The annular sheath gas preferably focuses the aerosol stream to mesoscale dimensions. The deposited feature size is preferably as low as approximately four microns. The feature size of the deposit after laser processing is preferably as low as approximately one micron.
An object of the present invention is to provide a maskless non-contact process for deposition of a mesoscale structure onto a heat-sensitive target or substrate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for depositing a mesoscale structure onto a heat-sensitive target using an aerosol jet to focus and deposit an aerosol stream in a pre-determined pattern.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a laser processing treatment of a deposited material to achieve physical and/or electrical properties near that of a bulk material.
An advantage of the present invention is that it may be used to deposit materials including but not limited to conductors, semiconductors, insulators, and resistive and inductive structures.
Another advantage of the present invention is that low damage threshold target materials may be deposited on, including but not limited to plastics, ceramics, epoxies, and biological tissue.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the desired structure may be deposited onto a planar or non-planar target.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The present invention provides a method for maskless, non-contact direct printing of mesoscale structures of various materials onto heat-sensitive targets. Material deposition is preferably accomplished using the M3D™ aerosol-jetting device, which utilizes an aerosolized stream delivered to the target via an annularly flowing aerosol jet. The method preferably uses low-power laser radiation to heat the aerosol-jetted material to its final state. Combining the M3D™ process with laser processing extends the utilization of the technique to temperature sensitive applications, in which the temperature required to treat the deposited material approaches or exceeds the thermal damage threshold of the target. The process is capable of precise, selective deposition with little or no material waste. A positional accuracy of approximately 1 micron is achievable with laser processing and a subsequent material removal process, such as etching or rinsing, with a tool-to-target standoff distance of as much as approximately five millimeters.
As used throughout the specification and claims, heat-sensitive process means any process in which the temperature required to process the deposited material, i.e. drive it to its desired state, approaches or exceeds the damage threshold of the target, wherein the target is not globally heated above its damage threshold. Typically, such targets have a low damage threshold. A heat-sensitive process may have a wide range of temperatures.
Fundamental Description of Laser Processing on Heat-sensitive Materials
Laser processing of M3D™-deposited structures preferably combines highly localized aerodynamic deposition of material with a highly localized energy source providing the ability to focus laser radiation to a diameter that is approximately the same as the width of the deposited line, to engineer material formulations to be highly absorbing at the laser wavelength, to deposit nanoparticle suspensions, and to deliver laser energy in short pulses or by rapidly scanning over a deposit enables processing of various materials onto heat-sensitive targets with little or no damage to the target.
The present invention is capable of depositing materials at room temperature. Many of these materials can cure at room temperature. One advantage offered by the invention is the ability to lay down materials in patterns in the mesoscale range (from 1 to 1000 microns). If the material needs a thermal post treatment, the deposition can be followed with a laser treatment. The laser beam provides a highly localized thermal and photonic treatment of the material. The laser beam is capable of treating only the deposited material after deposition without affecting the underlying substrate.
Unlike some other previous deposition devices, the present invention allows for a variety of substrate treatments during the deposition process. Alternative embodiments of the invention include capabilities for heating the substrate by laser illumination or by increasing the ambient temperature. The substrate may also be cooled during deposition by reducing ambient temperature. Other alternative treatment steps may include photoactivation with a laser, irradiation with infrared light, or illumination with an arc lamp. Another substrate treatment comprises a washing or rinsing process.
Typical thick film techniques deposit materials that must be fired well above 400� C., limiting the process to high-temperature substrates. However, the present invention is capable of depositing materials onto heat-sensitive substrates, and then using thermal or laser processing to obtain the desired properties by virtue of the initial precursor chemistry or localized laser heating. Specifically, the present invention can deposit electronic materials onto low-cost polymer substrates that cannot withstand high-temperature oven fires.
Once the materials are deposited, they are optionally post-treated to produce desired electrical and mechanical properties. This can be done either thermally or by a laser processing step depending upon the deposition material and substrate combination being used.
The present invention comprises a maskless deposition process that fills a niche in the mesoscale regime between thick and thin film. The invention is capable of depositing multiple materials into fine geometries on both planar and curved substrates. The materials can be commercial pastes or custom, low-fire inks. Laser processing allows the materials to be densified on heat-sensitive polymers.
The present invention may be applied to a wide range of applications. The ability to deposit fine lines over curved and stepped surface suggests applications in writing interconnect wires between IC chips and PWB. The ability to deposit multiple materials lends to applications in multilayer components as well as to encapsulating components once they are built. The ability to fire materials on heat-sensitive substrate allows discrete components to be directly written on polymers. These features add up to a tremendous new capability and resource for electronics manufacturers.
Laser Processing of Oxygen-Sensitive Materials
The present invention is also capable of depositing oxygen-sensitive materials. Certain materials such as copper and nickel are susceptible to oxidation, particularly at the elevated temperatures needed to sinter nanoparticle compositions of these materials. The present invention enables simultaneous application of thermal processing, for example laser treatment, and a cover gas to the jetted material. The cover gas preferably comprises an inert gas such as argon, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide for preventing oxidation of the material during laser treatment. The cover gas may optionally comprise a combination of an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon and one or more reactive gases such as hydrogen or carbon monoxide, in which case the mixture is known as a forming gas. A forming gas preferably comprises only a small percentage of the reactive gas and is preferably used when oxides are present in the material and need to be removed. The reactive gas preferably reacts with the materials during laser heating to reduce the oxides present in the material. In the case of metal deposition, this results in a more conductive material, since the non-conductive metal oxides are converted into conductive metal. The reactive gas may alternatively comprise oxygen, in which case the oxygen preferably reacts with the metals during laser treatment to form a metal oxide. The metal oxides can be useful to tailor the deposits for a specific resistance value.
A cover gas may also be used during deposition and/or thermal processing of non-metallic materials to control oxide contamination and the amount of oxidation of the material. Specifically, many semiconductors oxidize rapidly at elevated temperature, and semiconductor nanoparticles are especially susceptible to oxidation because of the high surface area of nanoparticle compositions. An inert cover gas can inhibit such oxidation during laser treatment. Likewise, it is possible to control the oxidation state of certain metal oxides by controlling the use of a cover gas during laser sintering. For example, the presence of oxygen during the sintering of ruthenium oxide can increase the oxidation state and produce a more resistive material. Conversely, the presence of hydrogen during the sintering process can reduce the oxidation state, eventually reducing the materials to ruthenium metal.
The properties of the deposit also depend on the method of applying the cover gas. For example, if the cover gas is applied to the deposit as a gas jet or stream, preferably via a cover gas jet orifice of the deposition system, the resistance of the deposit is approximately a factor of two lower than that achieved when the deposition enclosure is simply flooded with the cover gas.
Deposition Technique using the M3D™ Apparatus
The deposition technique used in the present invention is called Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (M3D™). The technique uses an annularly flowing aerosol jet to deposit features as small as approximately 4 microns. The jet consists of an inner aerosol-laden flow surrounded by a sheath gas flow that confines and focuses the inner flow. The two flows may also consist of fluids. Focusing of the aerosol stream to one-tenth of the exit orifice diameter has been demonstrated at distances of up to approximately five millimeters from the orifice. The orifice diameter preferably ranges from 100-500 microns.
While aerosolization can be accomplished using several methods, in the most general embodiment, the aerosol stream is preferably formed by aerosolizing a sample using an ultrasonic transducer and/or pneumatic nebulizer 22, as shown in
Virtually any material suitable for laser heating (i.e., will not be destroyed by the process) can be employed as a feedstock in the practice of the present invention, depending on the intended application. Without limiting the invention, dielectric materials such as barium titanate or silicon dioxide, resistive materials such as a ruthenates, metal dielectric composites such as silver+barium titanate, conductive materials such as silver, copper, or gold, semiconducting materials such as silicon, germanium, or gallium nitride, magnetic materials such as MnZn and FeZn, ceramics such as alumina or zirconium diboride, and cermets may all be deposited. The precursor solvent or suspending fluid used is preferably chosen based on its compatibility with the target material.
The M3D™ apparatus preferably comprises an upper module for aerosolizing liquid chemical precursors or colloidal or particle suspensions, a deposition module for directing, focusing, and depositing the resulting aerosol, laser module 10 for delivering and focusing laser radiation, and a control module for monitoring and controlling the process parameters. The M3D™ deposition module, detailed in
The aerosolized stream preferably enters flowhead 12 via aerosol inlet 20 in heater assembly 16 mounted on the apparatus, and is preferably collimated as it flows through an orifice centered on the longitudinal axis of flowhead 12. Heater assembly 16 is preferably used to heat the aerosolized material to remove solvent or to modify the viscosity of the sample. The aerosol stream emerges with droplets and/or particles and is preferably entrained and surrounded by a sheath gas. The sheath gas comprises either or both of a compressed air or an inert gas, and can optionally comprise solvent vapor content or a fluid. The sheath gas enters through sheath air inlet 18, preferably located on heater assembly 16 below the aerosol inlet 20, and then enters the lower portion of flowhead 12, preferably through multiple internal ports, forming an annular flow surrounding the aerosol stream. The two streams exit the chamber through a second orifice directed at the target. The sheath gas forms a boundary layer that prevents particles from depositing onto the orifice wall. The annular flow exits flowhead 12 through a nozzle directed at the target. This annular configuration is capable of focusing the aerosol stream to approximately one-fifth to one-tenth the size of the orifice diameter, enabling deposition of features on the target with dimensions as small as approximately 4 microns.
The standoff distance between the system's flowhead and the target is typically 3 to 5 mm, enabling deposition onto non-planar surfaces. Patterns are preferably written by translating a computer-controlled target platen, located under stationary flowhead 12, using a CAD-based Virtual Masking™ (VMTool™) software application. Alternatively, flowhead 12 may be translated under computer control while maintaining the target in a fixed position, or both flowhead 12 and the target may be moved simultaneously. Software, such as VMTool™, preferably defines a toolpath for printing the desired circuit or element.
Material Processing Method
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the deposited material is processed with at least one laser. According to the present invention, deposited material may be processed at a higher temperature than the damage threshold of the target to drive the deposit to the desired state in order achieve physical, optical, or electrical properties near that of the bulk material, preferably with little or no physical, chemical, optical changes, or other damage to the underlying target. The processing may comprise chemical decomposition, polymerization, sintering, melting, or the like. Target materials may comprise any material with a low damage threshold temperature, including but are not limited to polymers, glasses, metals, various epoxies, and ceramics, more specifically such materials as polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon�), and polyester.
In the practice of the present invention, by using the proper laser parameters the target may be locally heated above its damage threshold without impact its global properties. Further, in many cases this local heating improves adhesion of the deposited material to the target. Unlike existing methods, the present invention provides for processing a deposit at temperatures of up to approx. 50� C. or more higher than the damage threshold of the target. With the laser treatment of the present invention, sintering inks on low-melting-temperature plastics is possible. The size of the deposit is in the mesoscale range, and can vary from several microns to approximately 1 millimeter, bridging the gap between thin film and thick film processes.
In order to lower the laser power required to process the deposited material to the desired state, thereby decreasing thermal damage to the target, the aerosol stream may optionally be pre-processed prior to deposition, most commonly before introduction of the aerosol into the flowhead. The pre-processing step may comprise processes including but not limited to increasing the solvent or suspending medium vapor content, partially decomposing, humidifying, drying, heating, or cooling of the aerosol, carrier gas, and/or sheath gas. The target is optionally conditioned by heating before deposition, preferably via a heater, infrared lamp, or high power diode laser. The deposited pattern may also optionally be post-processed prior to the laser treatment. Post-processing optionally comprises thermally heating the deposit in an ambient or reduced pressure environment, irradiating the deposit with electromagnetic radiation, or a combination thereof. These optional steps processing are preferably performed to remove solvent or other residual volatile constituents of the precursor solvent or the particle suspending fluid. When drying is required, it is preferably performed in a manner such that the deposit retains some of its fluid properties, so that wetting and coalescence of the aerosol droplets into a continuous structure is accomplished. In this manner, the amount of laser energy required for heating and vaporization of the solvent is reduced. Alternatively, deposition and processing of the aerosol stream may optionally be performed simultaneously.
The type of processing laser used may vary, and is dependent on the optical and thermal properties of the deposit and the target. The laser power may be as small as approximately 10 milliwatts, enabling the use of an inexpensive diode laser. The laser may comprise a continuous wave mode or a pulsed wave mode. The pulsed wave mode optionally comprises an energy as low as several microjoules. The laser beam is preferably delivered to the target using a series of mirrors and lenses that collimate and route the beam to a focusing lens. The beam may optionally be delivered using fiber optics, wherein the laser beam is launched into an appropriate optical fiber and delivered through the fiber to the focusing lens. The laser radiation is preferably to a spot size of less than one micron. Modification of the laser beam profile facilitates material processing on heat-sensitive targets. The laser beam is preferably expanded and collimated before being truncated and focused onto the target. The expansion of the beam is performed to decrease the focused spot size, and to aid in truncation. Truncation of the beam minimizes the inherent Gaussian variation in laser power across the beam profile. The truncation step allows for more uniform heating of the deposited line in the direction perpendicular to the target motion, and aids in the reduction of target damage at the boundaries of the deposit.
The wavelength of the laser is preferably chosen so that laser radiation is absorbed by the deposit but not by the target. That is, ideally the deposit is highly absorptive and the target is highly transmissive, that is, transparent or nearly transparent, at the wavelength of the laser. In this embodiment, the material may be sintered, decomposed, or otherwise processed, and most of the heat delivered to the target is the heat conducted through the deposit/target interface. In another embodiment, the target material is highly absorbing at the laser wavelength, and the deposit is weakly absorbing. In this case, the deposit is heated through conduction of thermal energy from the target/deposit boundary. The former case is ideal for laser processing of heat-sensitive targets. In normal applications, absorption of the laser radiation by both the target and the deposit occurs.
The laser may optionally be delivered to the target via the flowhead. The laser energy may alternatively be delivered to the target at a location that is different from the location of the flowhead, so that a serial process is used for deposition and laser processing. In an alternate embodiment, deposition and laser processing are performed simultaneously in order to deposit structures with a thickness greater than several microns, or in order to build three-dimensional structures with heights ranging from several microns to several millimeters. Simultaneous deposition and laser processing may also be used to form vias between target layers. In the case of simultaneous deposition and laser processing, the laser is preferably directed along the flowhead axis, emerges from the flowhead orifice, and heats the aerosol during flight and after deposition onto the target.
In an alternative embodiment, the laser radiation can optionally be delivered parallel to the target surface, so that in-flight processing of the aerosol is enabled without the laser heating the target. The aerosol particles can be rendered partially or wholly depositable, or optionally melted, in flight by exposure to a laser of sufficient intensity for a sufficient period of time. Exposure time may be increased by slowing feedstock velocity and/or increasing the area of laser through which the feedstock passes. In some instances it may be desirable to use a plurality of laser beams having a common area of intersection. Sufficient energy is preferably imparted to the feedstock in-flight to render the feedstock depositable and promote adhesion to the substrate without causing significant interfacial damage of the substrate or deposited feedstock, that is, while only providing sufficient peripheral heating of the substrate to facilitate adhesion without a significant level of surface modification. This embodiment preferably reduces or eliminates the need to create a molten puddle on the target surface. This broadens the range of materials that can be used as deposition substrates. Melting the particles prior to deposition according to this embodiment reduces residual stress contained within the fabricated structures, enabling a broader range of materials to be deposited onto dissimilar materials. In addition, the impacting characteristics of the depositable particle will behave similarly to thermal spray processes in which shrinkage of the substrate surface is counteracted by outward force due to the particle droplet spreading on impact.
The deposited pattern or structure preferably comprises a desired width that is approximately the same as the diameter of the laser beam so that direct irradiation of the target is limited or completely eliminated. In this case, if more material than the desired width has been deposited, after laser processing excess unprocessed deposit material can be removed by a process such as etching or rinsing. The desired width of the deposit may alternatively be greater than the diameter of the laser beam. For example, the present invention may be used to deposit a film of material with dimensions greater than the diameter of the laser beam. In this case, the laser beam is rastered, or scanned back and forth, over the desired area of the deposit to pattern a specific structure, and the unprocessed material is removed from the target. In either case, some shrinking of the deposit may occur, for example during the processes of chemical decomposition or sintering. However, the final dimensions of the deposit are mostly determined by the deposition mass flux, the target speed, and the fluid properties of the deposited material.
In the case of liquid precursor-based materials, laser treatment is used to raise the temperature of the deposit to its decomposition or curing temperature. In this process, a chemical decomposition or cross-linking takes place due to the input of laser energy, such that the precursor changes its molecular state. The change in molecular state results in the conversion of the precursor material to the desired material. Typically, the decomposition process also entails emission of gaseous by-products. Laser processing of precursor deposits on various targets is possible without incurring damage to the target.
Laser sintering of particle suspensions on heat-sensitive targets is also possible with the present invention. In the sintering process, a solid, bonded mass is created without melting individual particles. The M3D™ process is capable of selective sintering of a two-component paste consisting of low and high-melting temperature particles such as low-melting point glass and metal, dielectric, resistive, or ferromagnetic materials.
Laser processing may be used to sinter commercial resistor and conductor pastes, and may also be used to sinter pastes for other electronic materials such as dielectrics and ferromagnetics. In the M3D™ deposition process, commercial pastes—which typically have viscosities of 100,000 centipoise or greater—are preferably diluted in a suitable solvent and pneumatically aerosolized for deposition. Laser sintering of M3D™-deposited commercial inks can also be accomplished on plastic and other heat-sensitive targets with damage thresholds of approximately 100� C. The commercial inks that may be processed using the M3D™ method and laser sintering typically consist of suspensions with particle diameters ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several microns. The inks may include, but are not limited to, conductive, resistive, and dielectrics formulations.
Laser sintering of M3D™-deposited nanoparticle inks has also been used to form metal lines on heat-sensitive targets. The laser-sintered nanoparticle deposits preferably exhibit resistivities near that of the bulk metal. Laser sintering of M3D™-deposited nanoparticles to near bulk resistivities can be accomplished with 100 mW or less of visible or ultraviolet laser radiation. Infrared laser radiation may also be used for laser sintering of nanoparticles, given that the absorption of the ink is tailored to the wavelength of the laser.
The nanoparticle ink is preferably deposited in a fluid form, so that particle suspension is maintained, and the laser is then preferably scanned over the deposit to sinter individual particles. Simultaneous deposition and sintering of the nanoparticle ink may be performed to deposit lines with greater thickness than lines deposited using a serial deposition and decomposition process. Simultaneous deposition and sintering of the nanoparticle ink can also be used to form three-dimensional microstructures on heat-sensitive targets.
In one embodiment, the present invention has been used to fabricate thin film transistors on plastic targets, with damage thresholds of approximately 100 to 150� C. Specifically, the invention can be used for solution-based fabrication of organic thin film transistors (OTFT's) on flexible targets such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PEN, polycarbonate, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyester. The application of the M3D™ process to fabricate OTFT's can also be extended to glass targets. The process can deposit and process the organic semiconductor as well as the metallization required for OTFT fabrication. The present invention can also be used to deposit the source and drain electrodes, the gate electrode, and the gate insulator. Channel lengths as small as approximately 4 microns can be formed. The ratio of the channel width to channel length is preferably held to 10 or greater, to reduce the occurrence of fringe effects. Other configurations include an indium-tin oxide (ITO) gate and a polyimide insulation layer. Metals that can be deposited for OTFT electrode fabrication with near bulk resistivities include but are not limited to palladium, gold, and alloys thereof. In each case, the conductor or semiconductor material is deposited using the M3D™ flowhead and then processed to the desired state using laser treatment or thermal heating. The invention can be used to perform solution-based deposition of an organic semiconducting material, such as a pentacene precursor, which can be processed to form the semiconducting medium of the transistor.
Furthermore, the M3D™ process can be used to fabricate both the OTFT backplanes and the required electrical interconnects for glass and plastic displays. One common technique for fabrication of interconnects on plastics uses conductive polymers, which have resistivities as high as at least several thousand times that of bulk metal. The M3D™ process contrastingly is capable of depositing on plastic targets five to ten-micron wide silver interconnect lines having resistivities approximating that of the bulk metal.
The present invention can also be used to fabricate inorganic thin film transistors on various targets using an amorphous silicon ink and laser post-deposition processing.
The present invention can be used to repair defects in glass and plastic flat panel display (FPD) circuitry. During FPD fabrication, shipping, or handling, electrical opens may occur on metal structures that form interconnect lines, bus lines, or any conductive pathway that routes signals to the display circuitry. Using the M3D™ process, gaps in conductive traces may be repaired by depositing a metal precursor, a metal nanoparticle ink, or the like, or a combination thereof, forming an electrical interconnect between the open circuit. The deposited material is then decomposed or sintered to its final state using a local or global heating process that can include, but is not limited to, irradiation of the deposit with laser radiation, irradiation with divergent or focused non-laser radiation, or heating the deposit in a furnace. The technique of repairing metal structures in FPD circuitry is significantly different from depositing metal structures on blank targets. Specifically, in the FPD repair application, care must be taken to deposit and process the material so that insufficient material deposition, cracking, or poor adhesion does not occur at the junction of the deposited structure and the end of the pre-existing line. Insufficient material deposition may occur if the viscosity of the deposited material is too low, so that material flows onto the target, and does not deposit to a sufficient height at the defect site. Cracking and poor adhesion may occur if excess material is applied to the defect site, particularly at the junction of the newly deposited structure and the end of the open line. However, the M3D™ processing parameters may be adjusted to deposit the correct thickness of material to allow for material deposition and processing without cracking or poor adhesion.
Processing of material in the form of precursor inks, nanoparticle deposits, or combinations of the two, with good adhesion to glass and plastic targets, can be accomplished with less than approximately 100 mW of laser power. Inexpensive diode laser systems can therefore be used to process materials for FPD repair on glass or plastic. The deposited material may include, but is not limited to, silver, gold, copper, and indium-tin oxide, with linewidths as small as approximately 5 microns.
The miniaturization and mobilization of many electronic devices has led to an increased transition from circuits printed on rigid targets to those printed on flexible targets. Flexible targets can be used for three-dimensional packaging and may considerably reduce the size and weight of a given device. Flex circuits also enable the production of a more robust device, since the magnitude of the vibrations and shocks that may damage rigid targets have a far lesser effect on circuits printed on flexible targets. This reduction in size and increase in robustness afforded by flex circuitry allows for the production of portable consumer and medical devices such as cameras, camcorders, cell phone, computers, hearing aids, pacemakers, and ambulance and operating room display equipment. Presently, the most common method for fabrication of flex circuits entails a multi-step photolithographic process, and includes lamination of a metal foil to the target, deposition of a resist, exposure of the resist through a mask, development, etching, and resist removal. These processes are time-consuming, and fabrication of the mask can be expensive. The process also generates waste, since only part of the original metal film is used in the circuit. The M3D™ process, on the other hand, proposes the use of a maskless, one-step deposition process for fabrication of flex circuitry. The present invention is a direct, additive process, and therefore eliminates the need for lamination, photo processing, chemical etching, and the associated material waste. The entire metallization process preferably requires only three steps, and is outlined in
The application of the M3D™ process to the fabrication of flex circuits can also reduce the processing time and expense for the manufacture of multilayer circuits. In developing the M3D™ technology, the present inventors have developed a Virtual Masking™ tool (VMTool™), a CAD-based software program that enables computer-controlled patterning of an aerosolized liquid or suspension of particles. Using the M3D™ process and VMTool™, it is possible to pattern the insulator between flex circuit layers. This would eliminate the need for deposition of an adhesive and subsequent lamination onto the previous circuit layer.
Furthermore, hole punching or drilling needed in typical flex circuit fabrication would be reduced, or, in some cases, eliminated, since VMTool™ can deposit the patterned insulating layer required between three-dimensional circuit layers.
The M3D™ apparatus can be used to deposit liquid molecular precursors for gold and platinum onto various targets. The precursor is preferably a metallo-organic system composed of a metal salt dissolved in an organic solvent. The approach aerosolizes the precursor and heats the droplets in flight before depositing the aerosol onto the target. The precursor method can be used for direct write of gold or platinum traces with linewidths as small as from approximately one micron to five microns, for targets with damage thresholds greater than approximately 400� C.
Nanoparticle-based gold inks offer an alternate to the precursor deposition method for depositing gold onto plastic targets. Gold precursor inks typically have decomposition temperatures that are several hundred degrees above the damage threshold temperature of plastics such as PET, PEEK, and PEN, precluding precursor deposition of gold. Nanoparticle gold inks, consisting of nanometer-size gold particles preferably with diameters ranging from 1 to 20 nanometers, can significantly lower the sintering temperature, and allow for laser processing of M3D™-deposited gold traces on low-temperature plastics having damage threshold temperatures as low as about 100� C. In general, the use of nanoparticle-based metal inks can lower the metal sintering temperature so that the present invention can be used for direct write metallization of plastic targets.
The M3D™ process may also be used to produce multi-layered structures including but not limited to inductors and capacitors. In addition, because of the relatively large working distance of the M3D™ apparatus from the target (as much as 5 mm or more), the M3D™ process may be used to deposit material onto non-planar surfaces with height variations on the order of hundreds of microns. As an example, the M3D™ process, followed by laser treatment, has been used to fabricate functional three-layer electrical components on low temperature targets.
A three-step process has been used to fabricate a ferrite-core inductor on a Kapton™ or alumina target. Step one was to deposit parallel lines of silver ink directly onto the target. The lines were approximately 100 microns wide, 1 micron thick and 1000 microns in length. The lines were laser treated to form dense, conductive silver wires. These wires comprise one portion of the conductive traces that will eventually wrap around a ferrite core. Silver contact pads (1000 micron square) were also added in the first layer. The second step was to deposit a mixture of manganese-zinc ferrite powder and low melting temperature glass over the conductive lines. The powder was densified by scanning a laser across the deposit, which melted the glass. The glass flowed around the ferrite particles, forming a dense matrix material after cooling. The ferrite deposition step was repeated several times to buildup the deposit to about 100 microns. The ferrite line lengths were about 1500 mm long. The final step was to deposit conductive diagonal silver lines over the ferrite core, connecting to the underlying parallel silver lines, to create the coil. Since the deposition head standoff distance is several millimeters, it is relatively simple to write over a millimeter-sized curved surface. The resistance of a typical coil generated using this method was on the order of several ohms. The inductance was 7 micro henries and the Q value was 4.2@1 MHz.
The M3D™ process has also been used to fabricate type-S (platinum, platinum/rhodium) thermocouples on tantalum nitride (TaN) targets. The platinum side of the device was written on the left arm of the thermocouple. The targeted alloying ratio of the platinum/rhodium arm was 90% Pt and 10% Rh. The devices were electrically insulated from the target using an adhesive Kapton film.
Thin films of platinum (Pt) and platinum/rhodium (Pt/Rh) liquid precursors were deposited onto an insulating layer of polyimide. Laser decomposition was used to drive the films to the metal state. Sample cleaning and surface modification was used to clean the Kapton film, and to promote wetting and adhesion of the Pt and Pt/Rh precursors. Laser chemical processing achieved electrical properties near that of bulk Pt and Pt/Rh. Four-point probe measurements were used to qualitatively determine the degree of decomposition and porosity. In printing each device, the precursor for one arm was deposited and then laser decomposed. This procedure was then repeated for the remaining arm of the thermocouple. The intersections of the leads that connect the junction to contact pads are of particular interest. One lead must be written under the junction, and the other lead over the junction. As a result, these intersections are prone to cracking, and require optimized processing parameters.
The calibration curve for an M3D™-fabricated thermocouple is shown in
The invention may be used for metallization of plastic targets and UV curable polymers (bus lines, electrodes, interconnects, etc.), deposition of passive electronic components onto circuit board, deposition of embedded passives on circuit board, fabrication of vias between target layers, and metallization of epoxies. Indeed, the M3D™ process has been used to deposit and sinter silver on polycarbonate target material. Because of the high processing temperatures needed for decomposition of the silver precursors, an alternate approach to the precursor chemistry method was used to reduce the processing temperature required for direct write of metal lines on polycarbonate. This approach entails the use of a nanoparticle silver ink composed of nanometer-sized silver particles suspended in an aqueous solution. The median diameter of the particles was approximately 50 nanometers. The use of a nanoparticle formulation to print silver lines onto a low-temperature target can be extended to gold, and has the following advantages: the desired material (i.e., a highly conductive metal) already exists, eliminating the need for decomposition and removal of volatile organic solvents; the suspending medium can be aqueous, and will not chemically degrade polycarbonate; good adhesion on plastic has been demonstrated in a previous study; deposition and processing may be accomplished with the target held at room temperature; the nanoparticle ink can be deposited with linewidths below 10 microns; nanometer-size particles sinter at a laser power (<100 mW) that does not damage polycarbonate; and near bulk electrical properties are possible with laser sintering. Micrographs of sintered silver lines on polycarbonate are shown in
Other possible applications include, but are not limited to, additive trimming of passive electronic components, and deposition of thick film pastes and semiconducting materials onto IC chips and plastics and other low-temperature targets.
A treatable platinum deposition was prepared from water-soluble platinum tetrachloride. Droplets of platinum tetrachloride were preheated as they enter the deposition apparatus, and the temperature of the deposited material was raised to approximately 580 degrees Celsius via a substrate heater. A low-power diode laser then completed the decomposition of the platinum tetrachloride to pure platinum in the desired pattern. For electronics applications, preferred laser-treatable materials include but are not limited to: platinum tetrachloride, gold tetrachloride, copper formate, silver acetate, silver nitrate, barium titanate and aluminum oxide.
The M3D™ process has been used to fabricate Ultra-High Density Interconnects (UHDI). At present, the minimum high-density interconnect linewidth attainable using conventional mask photolithographic techniques is approximately 50 microns, on a 50 to 75 micron pitch (spacing). The trend, however, in the HDI circuit industry has begun to demand low-cost, ultra-high density circuitry; i.e., linewidths from approximately 10 to 40 microns. Ink jetting has been used to deposit conductive lines onto plastic and other low-temperature targets using conductive polymer solutions. This method however yields lines with resistivities that are 104 to 106 times more resistive than metal lines deposited on plastics using the M3D™ technology. In addition, ink jetting is limited to linewidth of approximately 50 microns.
Contrastingly, the M3D™ process has been used to deposit high-density metal lines with a 25-micron linewidth on a 50-micron pitch. Twenty five micron wide precursor traces were deposited, and laser decomposition was used to define the final linewidth. The un-decomposed precursor was rinsed from the target; it may optionally be reclaimed. The process of deposition followed by laser decomposition has yielded linewidths from approximately 1 to 50 microns. As an example, 25-micron Pt interconnect lines with a 50-micron spacing were written onto 1-mil thick Kapton™ film using the M3D™ process. The targeted goal of 10-micron wide Pt lines with 10-micron spacing on polyimide is possible with optimized processing parameters.
The same linewidth and line density is possible using Ag.
Although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments, other embodiments can achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover all such modifications and equivalents. The various configurations that have been disclosed above are intended to educate the reader about preferred and alternative embodiments, and are not intended to constrain the limits of the invention or the scope of the claims. The entire disclosures of all patents and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference.
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As previously reported, Metallica, The Flaming Lips, Iron Maiden, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, and a bunch of other famous musicians have contributed to a new covers album in honor of Deep Purple's Jon Lord, who died last month after suffering a pulmonary embolism. Re-Machined: A Tribute to Machine Head features 10 covers of tracks from Deep Purple's 1972 album Machine Head.
Today, Ultimate Classic Rock is streaming six of those tracks, including "When A Blind Man Cries" by Metallica, "Smoke On The Water" by The Flaming Lips, "Pictures Of Home" by Black Label Society, and "Maybe I'm A Leo" by Smith, Glenn Hughes, and Luis Maldonado (via FutureHeartDay).
The album will be released on September 25th via Eagle Rock Entertainment. Check out the tracklist below.
Re-Machined: A Tribute to Machine Head Tracklist:
01. Carlos Santana – Smoke On The Water
02. Chickenfoot – Highway Star
03. Glenn Hughes, Chad Smith and Luis Maldonado – Maybe I'm A Leo
04. Black Label Society – 'Pictures Of Home'
05. Kings of Chaos (Joe Elliott, Steve Stevens, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Arlan Schierbaum) – Never Before
06. The Flaming Lips – Smoke On The Water
07. Jimmy Barnes, Joe Bonamassa – Lazy
08. Iron Maiden – Space Truckin'
09. Metallica – When A Blind Man Cries
10. Glenn Hughes, Steve Vai, Chad Smith, Lachlan Doley – Highway Star


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The race for faster data access has a casualty. AnandTech got wind of a report from X-bit Labs that Seagate will discontinue its 2.5-inch laptop-size 7,200-rpm hard drives by the end of this year. The move comes as prices for solid state drives continue to fall while offering more storage space. Seagate currently has three 7,200-rpm drives on the market, the Momentus 7200.4, 7200.2 and Momentus Thin 7200, and one hybrid drive, the Momentus XT. This drive combines a 7,200-rpm drive with 8GB of SLC NAND for caching.
This news does make us a bit sad, because we've always enjoyed the combination of disk size, speed and price that 7,200-rpm drives offered compared with their slower 5,400-rpm cousins. Granted, SSDs will smoke almost any 7,200-rpm drive in a data access race, but 7,200-rpm drives have a much more reasonable price per gigabyte.
It seems that Seagate shares our affinity for a balance of storage and speed. In part, they are ditching the 7,200-rpm market to focus on hybrid drives, an emerging category from which no manufacturer has risen to the top. We're sure to see more variations on the Momentus XT come to market and perhaps some dual drive solutions as well.
In the meantime, if you're a fan of Seagate's 7,200-rpm drives, start hoarding them now.
via AnandTech
If I read the article right, they're only discontinuing the 2.5″ 7200 rpm laptop drives. For laptops, SSDs make a lot more sense. The "full-size" (3.5″) drives, as used in most desktop computers and servers, will continue to be produced. They're up around 4TB now, I think.
Why do I see this as backwards? If anything, drop the 3.5″ drives that are less than 2tb. Laptop drives are much smaller and should already be the standard for desktops, at least in corporate settings.
Hah… not hardly… let them go… quickly… Seagate/Maxtor have had the worst MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) rate in the industry… even their internal service folks admit this… so why fret when the red-headed step child wants to go away.
Does this even matter? I quit buying Seagate drives years ago when they decided to stop building quality drives.
Well this is kinda sad, Seagate used to have the best drives in the industry, mostly due to their unbeatable 5 year warranty. Awhile back they cut it to 3 years, which basically put them at the same level as everyone else. Now I see they've dropped it to 2 years, which seems to say they can no longer cut it in the storage arena.
I've bought a dozen seagate drives in the past, 3 of which I had to RMA. The RMA process was very easy and the replacement drives worked fine.
Now it seems Western Digital has the best drives out there with their 5 year warranty. I've bought their drives in the past too, but always preferred Seagate due to the nice long warranty.
Have all the hard disk engineers died. There hasn't been a single increase of hard disk capacity in one and a half years. Gotta love these monopolies. Why ever produce something better when we can keep selling the same drives as we made two years ago. Seagate, please wake up, for the love of God!
I stand by my Seagates. I've had both a Seagate 750 and a MyBook 750 for several years without a problem. And I just upgraded to the same pair at 3tb.
hi there i dont like slow drives never buying 5400 rpm hdd or 7200 rpm drive only buying hybride drives 10,000 or 15,000 hybride 15,000 rpm hdd best or solid state flash drives soo yeah ssd will win out


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Eastern and Central Kentucky
Harvest Down in Central Kentucky
The heat and dryness of this past summer were hard on corn and soybeans in central Kentucky and in much of the nation. The fall harvest is about 80 percent complete. The corn and soybeans harvested mostly are of good quality, but the yield is less than average. Corn, which is between 15 and 20 bushels per acre less than during an average year, still is doing better than some farmers anticipated, said Matt Adams, a Hardin County Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources.


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People have always had the desire to look more beautiful and fashionable. Whatever their age, size or shape, people have followed fashion in order to look more attractive. In the 1800s, for example, American women in New York began to admire the fashions of Paris. In fact, French fashions were once so popular that American dressmakers used to change their names to French ones!
There were also many changes in fashion during the twentieth century.
In 1900, in western society, women were wearing dresses with full skirts which touched the ground. The dresses had tight waists and full sleeves. Women also wore big hats with feathers.
By 1910, skirts were shorter and narrower. The shoes, which were pointed, could be seen. Hats were wider than before and had flowers on them. At this time men were wearing bowler hats and coats down to the calf. The coats had large hip pockets.
Mass-produced, machine-made clothes appeared in the twenties. Skirts went up to the knee and dresses were straight with no waist. Hats were small and round. Men wore plain suits with wide trousers and bowler hats.
In the thirties, the hem-line dropped again -the skirt went down to the calf- and fox furs came into fashion.
The war years (1939-1945) saw another change in fashion. Skirts went up to the knees again and tailored styles with square shoulders were worn. This plain, rather masculine fashion clearly showed that people had more important things to think about than clothes.
After the war years, in 1947, Christian Dior produced the New Look. It was an immediate success. People were tired of the hard war years and loved the calf-length full skirts that made women look feminine again.