Advances in Printing Electronics

Printed electronics using presses and digital printing devices is poised to be the next big growth market. Continuing developments in the printing equipment, inks, substrates and electronics area are yielding product prototypes that could offer printers a new revenue stream and applications for excess press capacity. FujiFilm Dimatix, Inc. found success with an inkjet technology used to print silver fluid with features of less than 20 microns, which will enable a new method of developing and manufacturing electronic books, printed polymer backplanes, printed sensors, complete RFID tags and other flexible electronics. This technology can precision-print 1 picoliter-sized drops of organic and inorganic materials on a large variety of substrates. “We are using three Dimatix materials printers in our lab for developing foundational devices for displays, sensors and microfluidics,” says Dr. Ghassan Jabbour, professor of materials science and engineering at Arizona State University. “The technology may also enable new combinatorial chemistries and the development of printed devices that were not previously possible.” www.dimatix.com