APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING AN EMBEDDED STRUCTURE AND FOR PROVIDING AN ELECTRO-OPTICAL DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME

An apparatus for providing a patterned structure (ECS) comprises - a deposition facility (10) for depositing an electrically conductive material (ECM) on a cylindrical surface (22) of a transfer roll (20), - a supply facility (40) for providing a flexible substrate (FS) with a carrier layer (CM), - a press-roll (42) for pressing the flexible substrate (FS) with the carrier layer (CM) against the surface of the transfer roll (20), the press-roll (42) being positioned in the rotation direction (24) of the transfer roll with respect to a position where the first deposition facility (10) deposits the substance on the transfer roll, and being arranged for embedding the deposited substance (ECM) in said carrier layer (CM), wherein an adhesion between the printed substance (ECM) and the cylindrical surface (22) of the transfer roll (20) is less than an adhesion between the printed substance and said carrier layer, - a transport facility (44) for releasing the flexible substrate (FS) with the carrier layer (CM) embedding the substance as the patterned structure (ECS) from the transfer roll (20).