Non-planar polymer-based flexible electronics fabricated by a four-axis additive manufacturing process

Flexible electronics refers to the technology that assembles electronic materials on a flexible substrate. However, rigid traces and uncontrollable electrical resistance under bending conditions remain critical problems in the application of flexible electronics. Herein, we investigated a four-axis additive manufacturing method for creating non-planar flexible electronics utilizing polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) as substrate and a polymer-copper conductive composite as the trace. The as-printed specimens exhibited high dimensional accuracy and matchable surface roughness compared with the printed planar ones. The interfacial bonding was revealed by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and peeling test, and the interfacial gaps were observed due to the surface roughness. Besides, the resistance of the non planar electronics varied with the bending of the specimens during the compression test. The as-built non-planar specimens showed significantly lower resistance than the planar ones tested in a conformably bent condition. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Flexible electronics technology involves assembling electronic materials on a flexible substrate, but issues like rigid traces and uncontrollable electrical resistance persist. A study on a four-axis additive manufacturing method for creating non-planar flexible electronics shows promising results in reducing resistance and achieving high dimensional accuracy.