6. 3D printed electronics

Electronic devices require suitable mechanical, geometrical, and optical functionalities to allow for miniaturization, low energy consumption, and smart capabilities [57]. The production of prototypes and end-products has to rapidly change due to the fast-changing technology. The conventional method for manufacturing electronic devices is using subtractive methods that involve masking and etching of sacrificial materials [58]. AM allows for the reduction of material waste, energy consumption and processing time and steps. 3D printing is being used to substitute steps for mounting and assembling electronic devices [59]. The additive process deposits material in a controlled layer-by-layer process allowing the manufacturing of complex geometries and dimensions. In addition, it enables 3D orientation of important components to improve performance. With miniaturization, AM allows for the manufacturing of small parts that would otherwise be difficult to obtain. AM has found application for thin films [60], inductors [61], solar cells [62], and others. The most common 3D printing techniques for electronics are inkjet and direct writing of conductive inks.

Jennifer Lewis and colleagues fully 3D printed a quantum-dot (QD) lightemitting diode (LED) system, including green and orange-red light emitters embedded in a silicone matrix [63]. The printed device exhibits a performance of 10–100-fold below the best processed QD-LEP but could potentially be optimized with the addition of an electron-transport layer. A copper nanoparticle stabilized with polyvinyl pyrrolidine was mixed with 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol to prepare ink for inkjet printing [64]. The ink was printed onto a polyimide subtracted and sintered at 200°C. The prepared electronic device resulted in low electrical resistivity (≥ 3.6 μΩcm, or ≥ 2.2 times the resistivity of bulk copper). Bionic ears were printed using an inkjet printer [50]. The inks were composed of cell-cultured alginate and chondrocytes hydrogel matrix and a conductive polymer consisting of silicone and silver nanoparticles. The 3D printed ears exhibit enhanced auditory sensing for radio-frequency reception allowing the ear to listen to stereo music. This result demonstrates that bioengineering and electronics can be merged, resulting in advanced technologies. Students from Northwest Nazaren University and Caldwell High School designed the 3D printed CubeSat [65]. The CubeSat was launched aboard Delta II rocket as part of a NASA mission in 2013. It carries miniaturized electronics and sensors and is intended to collect real-time data on the effects of the harsh environments of space (oxygen, UV, radiation, temperature and collisions) on the polymeric materials- ABS, PLA, Nylon, and PEI/PC ULTEM.

Future research and development in the electronics field will take advantage of low cost methods, flexibility in design, and fast speed of 3D printers for designing and prototyping new products. For example, printing circuit boards will offer superior accuracy and flexibility, with potential cost savings, environmental impacts, faster production times, and increased design versatility. Furthermore, adaptive 3D printing, which takes advantage of a closed-loop method that combines real-time feedback control and DIW of functional materials to construct devices on dynamic surfaces, is an exciting field of research [66]. This method of 3D printing may lead to new forms of smart manufacturing technologies for directly printed wearable devices. New possibilities will emerge in the wearable device industry, in biological and biomedical research, and in the study and treatment of advanced medical treatments.
