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Additive Manufactured Electronics for Next Generation Microelectronics
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Authored By:Sam LeBlanc, Lance Sookdeo, Bryce Gray, Casey Perkowski, Paul Deffenbaugh, Ph.D., Kenneth Church, Ph.D. Sciperio, Inc. FL, USA Eduardo Rojas, Ph.D. Embry Riddle Aeronautics University, FL, USA Joseph S. Riendeau, Ph.D. NASA JPL, CA, USA SummaryAs next-generation electronics are developed, several challenges must be addressed as more functions are packed into smaller spaces. These devices will require improved thermal handling due to increased heat generation from active components. Additionally, next-generation technologies, such as 6G, will operate at higher frequencies, posing additional challenges for substrates, which require smoother surfaces. Materials and processes must evolve to meet the RF and conductivity performance requirements. Additive Manufactured Electronics (AME) has the potential to address the new challenges given the fundamental advantage of the 3rd dimension. Traditional additive implies a layer-by-layer approach which is effective to fabricate 3D shapes, but in addition to the layer-by-layer, it is also feasible to add in a conformal nature over curved and doubly curved surfaces. These provide unique opportunities to fabricate 3D electronics, but the performance of these must be evaluated to demonstrate that the AME approach can compete from an electrically functional perspective. We will examine and contrast some basic devices fabricated with AME and compare to a traditional PCB approach to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. ConclusionsThe study successfully demonstrated the fabrication and evaluation of test devices using Additive Manufactured Electronics (AME) with different materials and manufacturing techniques. Two material sets were explored: a polymer-based dielectric with silver-loaded polymer conductors, and a glass substrate with nano silver particles. The resistance values varied depending on the material and process used, with the silver nanoparticle paste showing better conductivity compared to the polymer-based conductive material. This confirms that the choice of materials, particularly the percentage of silver content in the conductive paste, plays a critical role in the performance of AME-fabricated circuits. The use of glass as a substrate was advantageous, offering a smooth surface and excellent dimensional stability, which contributed to the precision of the micro-dispensed silver traces. Additionally, the direct-write process on glass produced robust electrical connections, with the sintering process further reducing resistivity. Overall, the AME approach proved effective in producing high-performance, miniaturized circuits on both polymer and glass substrates. This confirms that AME has the potential to meet the demands of next-generation electronics, where size, performance, and flexibility are crucial. Future work could explore optimizing materials with higher conductivity and refining processes to further enhance the performance of these devices in advanced applications. Initially Published in the SMTA Proceedings |
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