US Patent 7485576 - Metallic nanoparticle patterning via groove formation

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7485576.html

This patent from Samsung solves a problem related to damage of insulating layers from bottom gate electrodes in organic thin film transistors by placing metallic nanoparticles in grooves to serve as the gates. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method, comprising:

providing a base member, the base member being a homogeneous material;

forming a groove in the base member; and

forming a conductive pattern by applying, into the groove, a solution that includes conductive particles, the conductive particles being selected from a group consisting of Ag nanoparticles, Cu nanoparticles, Au nanoparticles, Pt nanoparticles and carbon nanoparticles, wherein a shape of the conductive pattern being determined by a shape of the groove.