3D Printed Electronics with Multi Jet Fusion for Flexible Hybrid Electronics

3D printed electronics (3DPE) is an enabling technology that has the potential to allow for the unique RF applications, 3D printed sensing structures, printed electrical components, and integrated electro-mechanical devices that effectively utilize the full volume of parts. Additionally, 3DPE solutions are further enhanced by the benefits that standard 3D printing solutions enable, such as faster design to part, light weighting, and simplification of multi-part assemblies. Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology, developed by HP, is a powder-based 3D printing technology that enables the production of high mechanical performance polymer parts at high speeds and reduced costs. The MJF process utilizes inkjet technology to deposit various agents onto a powder bed to selectively define part regions and create desired properties, including conductive traces, pads, and vias at a voxel (volumetric pixel) level anywhere within a part's 3D geometry. Within this work, we will present a wholistic approach to designing, modeling, fabricating, and validating MJF-3DPE to enable smart devices. This accomplishes the goal of traditional flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) to create an electronic device on a flexible substrate, which is capable of being conformed onto a simple 3D geometry. Post-processes techniques like aerosol jet printing (AJP) will also be highlighted to demonstrate conductive features with finer resolutions than what MJF 3DPE can currently address. Components are attached to both MJF and AJP printed circuitry using traditional Pick and Place (P&P) with solderless bonding solutions to create parts enabling the desired FHE functionalities.