Printed Electronics Technologies for Additive Manufacturing of Hybrid Electronic Sensor Systems

Requirements for the miniaturization of electronics are constantly increasing as more and more functions are aimed to be integrated into a single device. At the same time, there are strong demands for low-cost manufacturing, environmental compatibility, rapid prototyping, and small-scale productions due to fierce competition, policies, rapid technical progress, and short innovation times. Altogether, those challenges cannot be sufficiently addressed by simply using either printed or silicon electronics. Instead, the synergies from combining those two technologies into so-called hybrid electronics create novel opportunities for advanced capabilities and new areas of applications. In the first part of this review, printing and patterning technologies are presented with potential compatibility with conventional electronics manufacturing techniques. They can be utilized for the fabrication of highly complex structures. Nonetheless, up-scalability, integration, and adaptation for industrial fabrication remain challenging due to technically limiting factors. Consequently, a special focus is placed on the up-scalability, availability of commercial printing, and manufacturing machines, as well as processing challenges for high-volume industrial applications. The second part of this review further provides an overview of exciting and innovative application possibilities of printed electronics, emphasizing sensor applications, as well as additively manufactured integrated circuits. The synergies from combining printed and silicon electronics create novel opportunities to realize highly complex structures. This review presents additive technologies with potential compatibility with conventional electronics manufacturing focusing on the up-scalability and processing challenges for high-volume industrial applications. Furthermore, exciting and innovative application possibilities of printed sensors as well as additively manufactured integrated circuits, are highlighted. image