Flash light assisted additive manufacturing of 3D structural electronics (FLAME)

Additive integration of 3D electrical circuits with off-the-shelf electronic devices inside printed polymer parts, i.e., structural electronics, can enable new paradigms in miniaturized multifunctional structures. This paper investigates a hybrid printing process called Flash Light Assisted Manufacturing Electronics (FLAME) which integrates Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) polymers and Intense Pulsed sintering (IPL) silver nanoparticles. The effect IPL parameters nanoparticle shape on conductivity is quantified, revealing that using NWs allows greater lesser sintering-induced damage. planar characterized during over-FFF, FFF the sintered circuit. An unexpected finding over-FFF increases complex non-monotonic manner depends parameters. A multi-layer strategy introduced for through-plane circuits, are deposited increments smaller than circuit's total height performed after each increment. Electromagnetic thermal simulations reveal why have ones uncover key role increasing circuits. Overall, FLAME by 300 % 170 as compared to state-of-the-art printing-based methods, even low-thermal-tolerance polymers, less 10 s layer. These advances break performance-material-throughput tradeoff plagues existing nanoparticle-based methods fabricating electronics.