DIRECT-WRITE ASSEMBLY OF FUNCTIONAL INKS FOR PLANAR AND 3D MICROSTRUCTURES

The ability to pattern functional inks with high-speed and low-cost printing techniques is required for many emerging applications including sensors, displays, solar cells, and antennas. Direct-write assembly is a low-cost, mask-less printing route that enables rapid design and patterning of planar and three-dimensional (3D) structures. In this filamentary printing approach, a concentrated ink with tailored rheological properties is extruded through a micronozzle(s) that is translated using a three-axis positioning stage. The ink rapidly solidifies to maintain its shape so that spanning or free-standing structures can be deposited both inand out-of-plane. With this approach, we aim to demonstrate multi-scale (e.g., from the nanoto macrolength scales) assembly of complex 3D structures composed of multiple materials (e.g., polymers, metals, and ceramics). Here, we present our recent work on developing functional metallic inks for printing planar and 3D conductive microstructures for stacked chips, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and printed antennas.