Communications of the ACM
Ntu Engineers Develop Innovative Process to Print Flexible Electronic Circuits
Nanyang Technological University researchers say they have developed a technique for using a common T-shirt printer to print complex electronic circuits.
Credit: Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) researchers say they have developed a technique to print complex electronic circuits using a common T-shirt printer.
The electronic circuits are printed using unique materials in layers on top of conventional flexible materials. In addition, the electronic components, such as resistors, transistors, and capacitors, are printed using non-toxic organic materials such as silver nanoparticles, carbon, and plastic.
NTU professor Joseph Chang says their unique printing technique has made mass production of inexpensive disposable electronic circuits possible. "This means we can have smarter products, such as a carton that tells you exactly when the milk expires, a bandage that prompts you when it is time for a redressing, and smart patches that can monitor life signals like your heart rate," Chang says.
The researchers have used their technique to print a 4-bit digital-to-analog converter and radio-frequency identification tags.
The new method is fully additive, and the circuits are printed without the use of toxic chemicals or oxidizing agents. "It is also scalable, as you can print large circuits on many types of materials and most importantly, it is low-cost, as print technology has been available for decades," Chang says.
From Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
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