A Survey of 3D Printing Technologies as Applied to Printed Electronics

Abstract

3D printing technologies (3DP) leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing across many areas including electronics, food, medicine and optics. These technologies allow varying materials to be precision deposited, forming structures ranging from simple to complex composites such as organs and satellites. One important application for 3DP is printed electronics which is expected to exceed USD10 billion in market value by 2030. However, while considerable work has been reported in areas including inter alia: mechanical, thermal and multiple aspects, there has been less emphasis on the critical electromagnetic (EM) domain. In the EM domain, related work for 3DP encompasses interrelated EM studies of materials, processes and built structures and examines material characteristics including permittivity, permeability, electrical conductivity, which are foundational to 3D printed electronics design and fabrication. This paper presents a comprehensive report of 3DP technologies as applied to EM research & development (R&D) and end applications in order to inspire exploratory work in related areas by providing sufficient breadth for newcomers and depth for experts. The paper contributions include: summarization of the major R&D and applications areas for 3DP, thereby quantifying the prevalence of EM related work; examination of mainstream 3DP technologies applied to EM related R&D and end applications based on their materials, technology highlights and known issues; examination of relevant research which incorporates traditional printing, proprietary methods and composite 3DP methods; and classification of 3DP built EM structures as reported by research teams. Finally, the key challenges and opportunities for future research are identified and discussed.

3D additive lithography for electronics towards highly integrated freeform structural electronics

“…In the academic literature, there are several alternative techniques that describe multi-material 3D printing of hybrid electronics. 4,6,[10][11][12][13] Compared to these, 3D-ALE's strength comes from the increased production speed that results from the method used to supply photopolymer resin and conductive metal pastes to the 3D build. Rather than printing from a resin vat, the resin is supplied using a carrier foil.…”

“…In recent years, the integration of electronics into 3D printed devices has been receiving increasing attention. [2][3][4][5][6] Fully additive manufacturing of electronics has the potential to lower the environmental impact compared to conventional printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing; but also allows for the freeform, three-dimensional, heterogeneous integration of components such as chips, light sources, sensors, and other functional components.…”

Sub-GHz Wrist-Worn Antennas for Wireless Sensing Applications: A Review

“…In the realm of wearable technology, the future of wristworn antennas appears promising with continuous advancements in miniaturization techniques [129], [130] and integration with additive manufacturing technologies [131]- [133], such as 3D printing [134], screen printing [135], [136], and inkjet printing [137], [138]. Antenna miniaturization facilitates sleeker and more aesthetically pleasing designs, thereby enhancing user comfort and wearability [139].…”

Impact of 3D Printing Infill Patterns on the Effective Permittivity of 3D Printed Substrates

“…This prevailing climate presents an opportunity for the reimaging of the role of 3D printed (3DP) electronics as applied to R&D and application. 3D printing has enjoyed significant application to manufacturing and development of various electrical structures including active & passive components, antennas, sensors, and waveguides [3]. Based on the reported literature, the dominant 3D printing processes which have been applied to electrical applications include fused filament fabrication (FFF) which is a form of material extrusion, stereolithography (SLA) and material jetting (MJT) [3].…”