Photocurable Three-Dimensional Printing Resin to Enable Laser-Assisted Selective Electroless Metallization for Customized Electronics

Abstract

Integrating conductive metal patterns directly on three-dimensional (3D) printed polymers is crucial for realizing diverse 3D printing applications. In this study, we developed photocurable 3D printing resins incorporating ZnO nanoparticles (3DP-ZnO) for 3D printed structures, which enabled subsequent copper (Cu) electroless plating (ELP). ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were incorporated in the resin as catalytic seeds for ELP, and Cu patterns were precisely fabricated on 3DP-ZnO after 355 nm UV laser activation and Cu ELP. The amount of ZnO NPs within 3DP-ZnO was precisely controlled to balance the photocuring behavior and ELP efficiency. The patterned Cu showed good electrical performance with an electrical resistivity of 6.47 ± 0.22 × 10 −6 Ω•cm. Furthermore, the strong adhesion between the Cu layers and surface of the 3D printed structure was confirmed via an adhesion test. This study offers a universal and cost-effective approach for extending 3D printing applications and using 3D printing technology to create practical tools for customized electronic devices.

Straightforward Manufacturing of 3D-Printed Metallic Structures toward Customized Electrical Components

“…Photocuring behavior of the 3D printing resin also plays a vital role in achieving accuracy and fast printability in 3D DLP printing technology. To quantitatively analyze the photocuring behavior of SH6(100), we performed a photocured depth study as described in our previous studies. , The penetration depth ( D p ) and critical energy ( E c ) values of SH6(100) were calculated from the working curves, which were obtained in accordance with Jacob’s equation. , As shown in Figure S2, D p and E c of SH6(100) were estimated to be 565.5 μm and 2.472 mJ/cm 2 , respectively. Taking advantage of the rapid photocuring kinetics of thiol-ene-acrylate polymerizations, our resin system exhibited higher values of D p and lower E c compared to previous systems.…”

“…Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectra were analyzed using a Nicolet 6700 spectrometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific) to confirm the surface chemical properties of a printed object. The photocuring depth study was conducted using previously reported procedures. , The thickness of the photocured sample was measured using a Digimicro MS-4G instrument (Nikon). The density of the photocured SH6(100) object was gauged using a ML204 instrument (Mettler Toledo) through Archimedes’ principle.…”

“…The photocuring depth study was conducted using previously reported procedures. 48,49 The thickness of the photocured sample was measured using a Digimicro MS-4G instrument (Nikon). The density of the photocured SH6(100) object was gauged using a ML204 instrument (Mettler Toledo) through Archimedes' principle.…”

“…To quantitatively analyze the photocuring behavior of SH6(100), we performed a photocured depth study as described in our previous studies. 48,49 The penetration depth (D p ) and critical energy (E c ) values of SH6(100) were calculated from the working curves, which were obtained in accordance with Jacob's equation. 50,51 As shown in Figure S2, D p and E c of SH6(100) were estimated to be 565.5 μm and 2.472 mJ/cm 2 , respectively.…”

Selective Metallization of Polymers: Surface Activation of Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) Assisted by Picosecond Laser Pulses

“…Furthermore, other approaches such as using polypropylene (PP) doped with multi‐walled carbon nanotubes [ 20 ] or PdCl 2 ‐loaded polyvinylpyrrolidone coatings [ 21 ] as precursors for laser‐induced selective metallization were also reported. In addition, organometallic complexes based on palladium (Pd 2+ ), copper (Cu 2+ ), [ 22 ] as well as metal oxides (ZnO) [ 23 ] and composites of copper–chromium oxide (CuO·Cr 2 O 3 ) or antimony‐doped tin oxide (ATO) [ 24,25 ] have been used as catalyst sources. The active material is finely dispersed in the polymeric matrix.…”