Highly conductive metal interconnects on three-dimensional objects fabricated with omnidirectional ink jet printing technology

In this work, we demonstrate that highly conductive metal interconnects can be fabricated on the surface of three-dimensional objects using omnidirectional ink jet (OIJ) printing technology. OIJ printing technology makes it possible to perform ink jet printing in all directions by combining the motion of a 6-axis vertically articulated robot with precise positioning and a thermal drying process, which allows for the printing of stacked layers. By using OIJ technology, we were the first to successfully fabricate printed interconnect layers having a very low electrical resistance of 12m Omega over a 10mm length. Moreover, the results of the high-current test demonstrated that the printed interconnects can withstand high-currentflow of 5A for 30 min or more. (C) 2017 The Japan Society of Applied Physics