Sample records for printed electronics applications

  1. Recent Progress in the Development of Printed Thin-Film Transistors and Circuits with High-Resolution Printing Technology.

    PubMed

    Fukuda, Kenjiro; Someya, Takao

    2017-07-01

    Printed electronics enable the fabrication of large-scale, low-cost electronic devices and systems, and thus offer significant possibilities in terms of developing new electronics/optics applications in various fields. Almost all electronic applications require information processing using logic circuits. Hence, realizing the high-speed operation of logic circuits is also important for printed devices. This report summarizes recent progress in the development of printed thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated circuits in terms of materials, printing technologies, and applications. The first part of this report gives an overview of the development of functional inks such as semiconductors, electrodes, and dielectrics. The second part discusses high-resolution printing technologies and strategies to enable high-resolution patterning. The main focus of this report is on obtaining printed electrodes with high-resolution patterning and the electrical performance of printed TFTs using such printed electrodes. In the final part, some applications of printed electronics are introduced to exemplify their potential. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. BOK-Printed Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghaffarian, Reza

    2013-01-01

    The use of printed electronics technologies (PETs), 2D or 3D printing approaches either by conventional electronic fabrication or by rapid graphic printing of organic or nonorganic electronic devices on various small or large rigid or flexible substrates, is projected to grow exponentially in commercial industry. This has provided an opportunity to determine whether or not PETs could be applicable for low volume and high-reliability applications. This report presents a summary of literature surveyed and provides a body of knowledge (BOK) gathered on the current status of organic and printed electronics technologies. It reviews three key industry roadmaps- on this subject-OE-A, ITRS, and iNEMI-each with a different name identification for this emerging technology. This followed by a brief review of the status of the industry on standard development for this technology, including IEEE and IPC specifications. The report concludes with key technologies and applications and provides a technology hierarchy similar to those of conventional microelectronics for electronics packaging. Understanding key technology roadmaps, parameters, and applications is important when judicially selecting and narrowing the follow-up of new and emerging applicable technologies for evaluation, as well as the low risk insertion of organic, large area, and printed electronics.

  3. Printing versus coating - What will be the future production technology for printed electronics?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glawe, Andrea; Eggerath, Daniel; Schäfer, Frank

    2015-02-01

    The market of Large Area Organic Printed Electronics is developing rapidly to increase efficiency and quality as well as to lower costs further. Applications for OPV, OLED, RFID and compact Printed Electronic systems are increasing. In order to make the final products more affordable, but at the same time highly accurate, Roll to Roll (R2R) production on flexible transparent polymer substrates is the way forward. There are numerous printing and coating technologies suitable depending on the design, the product application and the chemical process technology. Mainly the product design (size, pattern, repeatability) defines the application technology.

  4. Conductive nanomaterials for printed electronics.

    PubMed

    Kamyshny, Alexander; Magdassi, Shlomo

    2014-09-10

    This is a review on recent developments in the field of conductive nanomaterials and their application in printed electronics, with particular emphasis on inkjet printing of ink formulations based on metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and graphene sheets. The review describes the basic properties of conductive nanomaterials suitable for printed electronics (metal nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and graphene), their stabilization in dispersions, formulations of conductive inks, and obtaining conductive patterns by using various sintering methods. Applications of conductive nanomaterials for electronic devices (transparent electrodes, metallization of solar cells, RFID antennas, TFTs, and light emitting devices) are also briefly reviewed.

  5. Printed Carbon Nanotube Electronics and Sensor Systems.

    PubMed

    Chen, Kevin; Gao, Wei; Emaminejad, Sam; Kiriya, Daisuke; Ota, Hiroki; Nyein, Hnin Yin Yin; Takei, Kuniharu; Javey, Ali

    2016-06-01

    Printing technologies offer large-area, high-throughput production capabilities for electronics and sensors on mechanically flexible substrates that can conformally cover different surfaces. These capabilities enable a wide range of new applications such as low-cost disposable electronics for health monitoring and wearables, extremely large format electronic displays, interactive wallpapers, and sensing arrays. Solution-processed carbon nanotubes have been shown to be a promising candidate for such printing processes, offering stable devices with high performance. Here, recent progress made in printed carbon nanotube electronics is discussed in terms of materials, processing, devices, and applications. Research challenges and opportunities moving forward from processing and system-level integration points of view are also discussed for enabling practical applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. Aerosol jet printed silver nanowire transparent electrode for flexible electronic application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tu, Li; Yuan, Sijian; Zhang, Huotian; Wang, Pengfei; Cui, Xiaolei; Wang, Jiao; Zhan, Yi-Qiang; Zheng, Li-Rong

    2018-05-01

    Aerosol jet printing technology enables fine feature deposition of electronic materials onto low-temperature, non-planar substrates without masks. In this work, silver nanowires (AgNWs) are proposed to be printed into transparent flexible electrodes using a Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition Aerosol Jet® printing system on a glass substrate. The influence of the most significant process parameters, including printing cycles, printing speed, and nozzle size, on the performance of AgNW electrodes was systematically studied. The morphologies of printed patterns were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the transmittance was evaluated using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. Under optimum conditions, high transparent AgNW electrodes with a sheet resistance of 57.68 Ω/sq and a linewidth of 50.9 μm were obtained, which is an important step towards a higher performance goal for flexible electronic applications.

  7. Printed electronic on flexible and glass substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Futera, Konrad; Jakubowska, Małgorzata; Kozioł, Grażyna

    2010-09-01

    Organic electronics is a platform technology that enables multiple applications based on organic electronics but varied in specifications. Organic electronics is based on the combination of new materials and cost-effective, large area production processes that provide new fields of application. Organic electronic by its size, weight, flexibility and environmental friendliness electronics enables low cost production of numerous electrical components and provides for such promising fields of application as: intelligent packaging, low cost RFID, flexible solar cells, disposable diagnostic devices or games, and printed batteries [1]. The paper presents results of inkjetted electronics elements on flexible and glass substrates. The investigations was target on characterizing shape, surface and geometry of printed structures. Variety of substrates were investigated, within some, low cost, non specialized substrate, design for other purposes than organic electronic.

  8. Screen printed passive components for flexible power electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostfeld, Aminy E.; Deckman, Igal; Gaikwad, Abhinav M.; Lochner, Claire M.; Arias, Ana C.

    2015-10-01

    Additive and low-temperature printing processes enable the integration of diverse electronic devices, both power-supplying and power-consuming, on flexible substrates at low cost. Production of a complete electronic system from these devices, however, often requires power electronics to convert between the various operating voltages of the devices. Passive components—inductors, capacitors, and resistors—perform functions such as filtering, short-term energy storage, and voltage measurement, which are vital in power electronics and many other applications. In this paper, we present screen-printed inductors, capacitors, resistors and an RLC circuit on flexible plastic substrates, and report on the design process for minimization of inductor series resistance that enables their use in power electronics. Printed inductors and resistors are then incorporated into a step-up voltage regulator circuit. Organic light-emitting diodes and a flexible lithium ion battery are fabricated and the voltage regulator is used to power the diodes from the battery, demonstrating the potential of printed passive components to replace conventional surface-mount components in a DC-DC converter application.

  9. Screen printed passive components for flexible power electronics

    PubMed Central

    Ostfeld, Aminy E.; Deckman, Igal; Gaikwad, Abhinav M.; Lochner, Claire M.; Arias, Ana C.

    2015-01-01

    Additive and low-temperature printing processes enable the integration of diverse electronic devices, both power-supplying and power-consuming, on flexible substrates at low cost. Production of a complete electronic system from these devices, however, often requires power electronics to convert between the various operating voltages of the devices. Passive components—inductors, capacitors, and resistors—perform functions such as filtering, short-term energy storage, and voltage measurement, which are vital in power electronics and many other applications. In this paper, we present screen-printed inductors, capacitors, resistors and an RLC circuit on flexible plastic substrates, and report on the design process for minimization of inductor series resistance that enables their use in power electronics. Printed inductors and resistors are then incorporated into a step-up voltage regulator circuit. Organic light-emitting diodes and a flexible lithium ion battery are fabricated and the voltage regulator is used to power the diodes from the battery, demonstrating the potential of printed passive components to replace conventional surface-mount components in a DC-DC converter application. PMID:26514331

  10. Screen printed passive components for flexible power electronics.

    PubMed

    Ostfeld, Aminy E; Deckman, Igal; Gaikwad, Abhinav M; Lochner, Claire M; Arias, Ana C

    2015-10-30

    Additive and low-temperature printing processes enable the integration of diverse electronic devices, both power-supplying and power-consuming, on flexible substrates at low cost. Production of a complete electronic system from these devices, however, often requires power electronics to convert between the various operating voltages of the devices. Passive components-inductors, capacitors, and resistors-perform functions such as filtering, short-term energy storage, and voltage measurement, which are vital in power electronics and many other applications. In this paper, we present screen-printed inductors, capacitors, resistors and an RLC circuit on flexible plastic substrates, and report on the design process for minimization of inductor series resistance that enables their use in power electronics. Printed inductors and resistors are then incorporated into a step-up voltage regulator circuit. Organic light-emitting diodes and a flexible lithium ion battery are fabricated and the voltage regulator is used to power the diodes from the battery, demonstrating the potential of printed passive components to replace conventional surface-mount components in a DC-DC converter application.

  11. Graphene Inks with Cellulosic Dispersants: Development and Applications for Printed Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Secor, Ethan Benjamin

    Graphene offers promising opportunities for applications in printed and flexible electronic devices due to its high electrical and thermal conductivity, mechanical flexibility and strength, and chemical and environmental stability. However, scalable production and processing of graphene presents a critical technological challenge preventing the application of graphene for flexible electronic interconnects, electrochemical energy storage, and chemically robust electrical contacts. In this thesis, a promising and versatile platform for the production, patterning, and application of graphene inks is presented based on cellulosic dispersants. Graphene is produced from flake graphite using scalable liquid-phase exfoliation methods, using the polymers ethyl cellulose and nitrocellulose as multifunctional dispersing agents. These cellulose derivatives offer high colloidal stability and broadly tunable rheology for graphene dispersions, providing an effective and tunable platform for graphene ink development. Thermal or photonic annealing decomposes the polymer dispersant to yield high conductivity, flexible graphene patterns for various electronics applications. In particular, the chemical stability of graphene enables robust electrical contacts for ceramic, metallic, organic and electrolytic materials, validating the diverse applicability of graphene in printed electronics. Overall, the strategy for graphene ink design presented here offers a simple, efficient, and versatile method for integrating graphene in a wide range of printed devices and systems, providing both fundamental insight for nanomaterial ink development and realistic opportunities for practical applications.

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Glawe, Andrea; Eggerath, Daniel; Schäfer, Frank

    The market of Large Area Organic Printed Electronics is developing rapidly to increase efficiency and quality as well as to lower costs further. Applications for OPV, OLED, RFID and compact Printed Electronic systems are increasing. In order to make the final products more affordable, but at the same time highly accurate, Roll to Roll (R2R) production on flexible transparent polymer substrates is the way forward. There are numerous printing and coating technologies suitable depending on the design, the product application and the chemical process technology. Mainly the product design (size, pattern, repeatability) defines the application technology.

  13. Organic electronics with polymer dielectrics on plastic substrates fabricated via transfer printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hines, Daniel R.

    Printing methods are fast becoming important processing techniques for the fabrication of flexible electronics. Some goals for flexible electronics are to produce cheap, lightweight, disposable radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, very large flexible displays that can be produced in a roll-to-roll process and wearable electronics for both the clothing and medical industries. Such applications will require fabrication processes for the assembly of dissimilar materials onto a common substrate in ways that are compatible with organic and polymeric materials as well as traditional solid-state electronic materials. A transfer printing method has been developed with these goals and application in mind. This printing method relies primarily on differential adhesion where no chemical processing is performed on the device substrate. It is compatible with a wide variety of materials with each component printed in exactly the same way, thus avoiding any mixed processing steps on the device substrate. The adhesion requirements of one material printed onto a second are studied by measuring the surface energy of both materials and by surface treatments such as plasma exposure or the application of self-assembled monolayers (SAM). Transfer printing has been developed within the context of fabricating organic electronics onto plastic substrates because these materials introduce unique opportunities associated with processing conditions not typically required for traditional semiconducting materials. Compared to silicon, organic semiconductors are soft materials that require low temperature processing and are extremely sensitive to chemical processing and environmental contamination. The transfer printing process has been developed for the important and commonly used organic semiconducting materials, pentacene (Pn) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). A three-step printing process has been developed by which these materials are printed onto an electrode subassembly consisting of previously printed electrodes separated by a polymer dielectric layer all on a plastic substrate. These bottom contact, flexible organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) have been compared to unprinted (reference) devices consisting of top contact electrodes and a silicon dioxide dielectric layer on a silicon substrate. Printed Pn and P3HT TFTs have been shown to out-perform the reference devices. This enhancement has been attributed to an annealing under pressure of the organic semiconducting material.

  14. Recent progress in printed 2/3D electronic devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klug, Andreas; Patter, Paul; Popovic, Karl; Blümel, Alexander; Sax, Stefan; Lenz, Martin; Glushko, Oleksandr; Cordill, Megan J.; List-Kratochvil, Emil J. W.

    2015-09-01

    New, energy-saving, efficient and cost-effective processing technologies such as 2D and 3D inkjet printing (IJP) for the production and integration of intelligent components will be opening up very interesting possibilities for industrial applications of molecular materials in the near future. Beyond the use of home and office based printers, "inkjet printing technology" allows for the additive structured deposition of photonic and electronic materials on a wide variety of substrates such as textiles, plastics, wood, stone, tiles or cardboard. Great interest also exists in applying IJP in industrial manufacturing such as the manufacturing of PCBs, of solar cells, printed organic electronics and medical products. In all these cases inkjet printing is a flexible (digital), additive, selective and cost-efficient material deposition method. Due to these advantages, there is the prospect that currently used standard patterning processes can be replaced through this innovative material deposition technique. A main issue in this research area is the formulation of novel functional inks or the adaptation of commercially available inks for specific industrial applications and/or processes. In this contribution we report on the design, realization and characterization of novel active and passive inkjet printed electronic devices including circuitry and sensors based on metal nanoparticle ink formulations and the heterogeneous integration into 2/3D printed demonstrators. The main emphasis of this paper will be on how to convert scientific inkjet knowledge into industrially relevant processes and applications.

  15. Printable inorganic nanomaterials for flexible transparent electrodes: from synthesis to application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Dingrun; Mei, Yongfeng; Huang, Gaoshan

    2018-01-01

    Printed and flexible electronics are definitely promising cutting-edge electronic technologies of the future. They offer a wide-variety of applications such as flexible circuits, flexible displays, flexible solar cells, skin-like pressure sensors, and radio frequency identification tags in our daily life. As the most-fundamental component of electronics, electrodes are made of conductive materials that play a key role in flexible and printed electronic devices. In this review, various inorganic conductive materials and strategies for obtaining highly conductive and uniform electrodes are demonstrated. Applications of printed electrodes fabricated via these strategies are also described. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges yet to overcome to optimize the processing and performance of printed electrodes. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51475093, U1632115), the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 14JC1400200), the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (No. 2015ZX02102-003), and the Changjiang Young Scholars Programme of China.

  16. Metal Oxide Thin Film Transistors on Paper Substrate: Fabrication, Characterization, and Printing Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, Nack-Bong

    Flexible electronics is an emerging next-generation technology that offers many advantages such as light weight, durability, comfort, and flexibility. These unique features enable many new applications such as flexible display, flexible sensors, conformable electronics, and so forth. For decades, a variety of flexible substrates have been demonstrated for the application of flexible electronics. Most of them are plastic films and metal foils so far. For the fundamental device of flexible circuits, thin film transistors (TFTs) using poly silicon, amorphous silicon, metal oxide and organic semiconductor have been successfully demonstrated. Depending on application, low-cost and disposable flexible electronics will be required for convenience. Therefore it is important to study inexpensive substrates and to explore simple processes such as printing technology. In this thesis, paper is introduced as a new possible substrate for flexible electronics due to its low-cost and renewable property, and amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) TFTs are realized as the promising device on the paper substrate. The fabrication process and characterization of a-IGZO TFT on the paper substrate are discussed. a-IGZO TFTs using a polymer gate dielectric on the paper substrate demonstrate excellent performances with field effect mobility of ˜20 cm2 V-1 s-1, on/off current ratio of ˜106, and low leakage current, which show the enormous potential for flexible electronics application. In order to complement the n-channel a-IGZO TFTs and then enable complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit architectures, cuprous oxide is studied as a candidate material of p-channel oxide TFTs. In this thesis, a printing process is investigated as an alternative method for the fabrication of low-cost and disposable electronics. Among several printing methods, a modified offset roll printing that prints high resolution patterns is presented. A new method to fabricate a high resolution printing plate is investigated and the most favorable condition to transfer ink from a blanket to a cliche is studied. Consequently, a high resolution cliche is demonstrated and the printed patterns of 10mum width and 6mum line spacing are presented. In addition, the top gate a-IGZO TFTs with channel width/length of 12/6mum is successfully demonstrated by printing etch-resists. This work validates the compatibility of a-IGZO TFT on paper substrate for the disposable microelectronics application and presents the potential of low-cost and high resolution printing technology.

  17. Fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap for customizable soft electronics.

    PubMed

    Byun, Junghwan; Lee, Byeongmoon; Oh, Eunho; Kim, Hyunjong; Kim, Sangwoo; Lee, Seunghwan; Hong, Yongtaek

    2017-03-24

    Rapid growth of stretchable electronics stimulates broad uses in multidisciplinary fields as well as industrial applications. However, existing technologies are unsuitable for implementing versatile applications involving adaptable system design and functions in a cost/time-effective way because of vacuum-conditioned, lithographically-predefined processes. Here, we present a methodology for a fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap as a universal strategy which makes it more feasible to implement various stretchable electronic systems with customizable layouts and functions. The key aspects involve inkjet-printed rigid island (PRI)-based stretchable platform technology and corresponding printing-based automated electronic functionalization methodology, the combination of which provides fully printed, customized layouts of stretchable electronic systems with simplified process. Specifically, well-controlled contact line pinning effect of printed polymer solution enables the formation of PRIs with tunable thickness; and surface strain analysis on those PRIs leads to the optimized stability and device-to-island fill factor of strain-engineered electronic wraps. Moreover, core techniques of image-based automated pinpointing, surface-mountable device based electronic functionalizing, and one-step interconnection networking of PRIs enable customized circuit design and adaptable functionalities. To exhibit the universality of our approach, multiple types of practical applications ranging from self-computable digital logics to display and sensor system are demonstrated on skin in a customized form.

  18. Fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap for customizable soft electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byun, Junghwan; Lee, Byeongmoon; Oh, Eunho; Kim, Hyunjong; Kim, Sangwoo; Lee, Seunghwan; Hong, Yongtaek

    2017-03-01

    Rapid growth of stretchable electronics stimulates broad uses in multidisciplinary fields as well as industrial applications. However, existing technologies are unsuitable for implementing versatile applications involving adaptable system design and functions in a cost/time-effective way because of vacuum-conditioned, lithographically-predefined processes. Here, we present a methodology for a fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap as a universal strategy which makes it more feasible to implement various stretchable electronic systems with customizable layouts and functions. The key aspects involve inkjet-printed rigid island (PRI)-based stretchable platform technology and corresponding printing-based automated electronic functionalization methodology, the combination of which provides fully printed, customized layouts of stretchable electronic systems with simplified process. Specifically, well-controlled contact line pinning effect of printed polymer solution enables the formation of PRIs with tunable thickness; and surface strain analysis on those PRIs leads to the optimized stability and device-to-island fill factor of strain-engineered electronic wraps. Moreover, core techniques of image-based automated pinpointing, surface-mountable device based electronic functionalizing, and one-step interconnection networking of PRIs enable customized circuit design and adaptable functionalities. To exhibit the universality of our approach, multiple types of practical applications ranging from self-computable digital logics to display and sensor system are demonstrated on skin in a customized form.

  19. Fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap for customizable soft electronics

    PubMed Central

    Byun, Junghwan; Lee, Byeongmoon; Oh, Eunho; Kim, Hyunjong; Kim, Sangwoo; Lee, Seunghwan; Hong, Yongtaek

    2017-01-01

    Rapid growth of stretchable electronics stimulates broad uses in multidisciplinary fields as well as industrial applications. However, existing technologies are unsuitable for implementing versatile applications involving adaptable system design and functions in a cost/time-effective way because of vacuum-conditioned, lithographically-predefined processes. Here, we present a methodology for a fully printable, strain-engineered electronic wrap as a universal strategy which makes it more feasible to implement various stretchable electronic systems with customizable layouts and functions. The key aspects involve inkjet-printed rigid island (PRI)-based stretchable platform technology and corresponding printing-based automated electronic functionalization methodology, the combination of which provides fully printed, customized layouts of stretchable electronic systems with simplified process. Specifically, well-controlled contact line pinning effect of printed polymer solution enables the formation of PRIs with tunable thickness; and surface strain analysis on those PRIs leads to the optimized stability and device-to-island fill factor of strain-engineered electronic wraps. Moreover, core techniques of image-based automated pinpointing, surface-mountable device based electronic functionalizing, and one-step interconnection networking of PRIs enable customized circuit design and adaptable functionalities. To exhibit the universality of our approach, multiple types of practical applications ranging from self-computable digital logics to display and sensor system are demonstrated on skin in a customized form. PMID:28338055

  20. Future opportunities for advancing glucose test device electronics.

    PubMed

    Young, Brian R; Young, Teresa L; Joyce, Margaret K; Kennedy, Spencer I; Atashbar, Massood Z

    2011-09-01

    Advancements in the field of printed electronics can be applied to the field of diabetes testing. A brief history and some new developments in printed electronics components applicable to personal test devices, including circuitry, batteries, transmission devices, displays, and sensors, are presented. Low-cost, thin, and lightweight materials containing printed circuits with energy storage or harvest capability and reactive/display centers, made using new printing/imaging technologies, are ideal for incorporation into personal-use medical devices such as glucose test meters. Semicontinuous rotogravure printing, which utilizes flexible substrates and polymeric, metallic, and/or nano "ink" composite materials to effect rapidly produced, lower-cost printed electronics, is showing promise. Continuing research advancing substrate, "ink," and continuous processing development presents the opportunity for research collaboration with medical device designers. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

  1. High-Throughput Printing Process for Flexible Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyun, Woo Jin

    Printed electronics is an emerging field for manufacturing electronic devices with low cost and minimal material waste for a variety of applications including displays, distributed sensing, smart packaging, and energy management. Moreover, its compatibility with roll-to-roll production formats and flexible substrates is desirable for continuous, high-throughput production of flexible electronics. Despite the promise, however, the roll-to-roll production of printed electronics is quite challenging due to web movement hindering accurate ink registration and high-fidelity printing. In this talk, I will present a promising strategy for roll-to-roll production using a novel printing process that we term SCALE (Self-aligned Capillarity-Assisted Lithography for Electronics). By utilizing capillarity of liquid inks on nano/micro-structured substrates, the SCALE process facilitates high-resolution and self-aligned patterning of electrically functional inks with greatly improved printing tolerance. I will show the fabrication of key building blocks (e.g. transistor, resistor, capacitor) for electronic circuits using the SCALE process on plastics.

  2. All-printed capacitors with continuous solution dispensing technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Yang; Plötner, Matthias; Berndt, Andreas; Kumar, Amit; Voit, Brigitte; Pospiech, Doris; Fischer, Wolf-Joachim

    2017-09-01

    Printed electronics have been introduced into the commercial markets in recent years. Various printing technologies have emerged aiming to process printed electronic devices with low cost, environmental friendliness, and compatibility with large areas and flexible substrates. The aim of this study is to propose a continuous solution dispensing technology for processing all-printed thin-film capacitors on glass substrates using a leading-edge printing instrument. Among all printing technologies, this study provides concrete proof of the following outstanding advantages of this technology: high tolerance to inks, high throughput, low cost, and precise pattern transfers. Ag nanoparticle ink based on glycol ethers was used to print the electrodes. To obtain dielectric ink, a copolymer powder of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-benzoylphenyl methacrylate) containing crosslinkable side groups was dissolved in anisole. Various layouts were designed to support multiple electronic applications. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to investigate the all-printed capacitor layers formed using the proposed process. Additionally, the printed capacitors were electrically characterized under direct current and alternating current. The measured electrical properties of the printed capacitors were consistent with the theoretical results.

  3. Direct-Write Printing on Three-Dimensional Geometries for Miniaturized Detector and Electronic Assemblies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paquette, Beth; Samuels, Margaret; Chen, Peng

    2017-01-01

    Direct-write printing techniques will enable new detector assemblies that were not previously possible with traditional assembly processes. Detector concepts were manufactured using this technology to validate repeatability. Additional detector applications and printed wires on a 3-dimensional magnetometer bobbin will be designed for print. This effort focuses on evaluating performance for direct-write manufacturing techniques on 3-dimensional surfaces. Direct-write manufacturing has the potential to reduce mass and volume for fabrication and assembly of advanced detector concepts by reducing trace widths down to 10 microns, printing on complex geometries, allowing new electronic concept production, and reduced production times of complex those electronics.

  4. Ultraflexible and robust graphene supercapacitors printed on textiles for wearable electronics applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdelkader, Amr M.; Karim, Nazmul; Vallés, Cristina; Afroj, Shaila; Novoselov, Kostya S.; Yeates, Stephen G.

    2017-09-01

    Printed graphene supercapacitors have the potential to empower tomorrow’s wearable electronics. We report a solid-state flexible supercapacitor device printed on textiles using graphene oxide ink and a screen-printing technique. After printing, graphene oxide was reduced in situ via a rapid electrochemical method avoiding the use of any reducing reagents that may damage the textile substrates. The printed electrodes exhibited excellent mechanical stability due to the strong interaction between the ink and textile substrate. The unique hierarchical porous structure of the electrodes facilitated ionic diffusion and maximised the surface area available for the electrolyte/active material interface. The obtained device showed outstanding cyclic stability over 10 000 cycles and maintained excellent mechanical flexibility, which is necessary for wearable applications. The simple printing technique is readily scalable and avoids the problems associated with fabricating supercapacitor devices made of conductive yarn, as previously reported in the literature.

  5. Inkjet Printing of Carbon Nanotubes

    PubMed Central

    Tortorich, Ryan P.; Choi, Jin-Woo

    2013-01-01

    In an attempt to give a brief introduction to carbon nanotube inkjet printing, this review paper discusses the issues that come along with preparing and printing carbon nanotube ink. Carbon nanotube inkjet printing is relatively new, but it has great potential for broad applications in flexible and printable electronics, transparent electrodes, electronic sensors, and so on due to its low cost and the extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes. In addition to the formulation of carbon nanotube ink and its printing technologies, recent progress and achievements of carbon nanotube inkjet printing are reviewed in detail with brief discussion on the future outlook of the technology. PMID:28348344

  6. Printed Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wade, Jessica; Hollis, Joseph Razzell; Wood, Sebastian

    2018-04-01

    The combination of printing technology with manufacturing electronic devices enables a new paradigm of printable electronics, where 'smart' functionality can be readily incorporated into almost any product at low cost. Over recent decades, rapid progress has been made in this field, which is now emerging into the industrial andcommercial realm. However, successful development and commercialisation on a large scale presents some significant technical challenges. For fully-printable electronic systems, all the component parts must be deposited from solutions (inks), requiring the development of new inorganic, organic and hybrid materials.A variety of traditional printing techniques are being explored and adapted forprinting these new materials in ways that result in the best performing electronicdevices. Whilst printed electronics research has initially focused on traditional typesof electronic device such as light-emitting diodes, transistors, and photovoltaics, it is increasingly apparent that a much wider range of applications can be realised. The soft and stretchable nature of printable materials makes them perfect candidates forbioelectronics, resulting in a wealth of research looking at biocompatible printable inks and biosensors. Regardless of application, the properties of printed electronicmaterials depend on the chemical structures, processing conditions, device architecture,and operational conditions, the complex inter-relationships of which aredriving ongoing research. We focus on three particular 'hot topics', where attention is currently focused: novel materials, characterisation techniques, and device stability. With progress advancing very rapidly, printed electronics is expected to grow over the next decade into a key technology with an enormous economic and social impact.

  7. Fully Screen-Printed, Large-Area, and Flexible Active-Matrix Electrochromic Displays Using Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xuan; Lau, Christian; Liu, Yihang; Wu, Fanqi; Gui, Hui; Liu, Qingzhou; Ma, Yuqiang; Wan, Haochuan; Amer, Moh R; Zhou, Chongwu

    2016-11-22

    Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes are ideal semiconductors for printed electronics due to their advantageous electrical and mechanical properties, intrinsic printability in solution, and desirable stability in air. However, fully printed, large-area, high-performance, and flexible carbon nanotube active-matrix backplanes are still difficult to realize for future displays and sensing applications. Here, we report fully screen-printed active-matrix electrochromic displays employing carbon nanotube thin-film transistors. Our fully printed backplane shows high electrical performance with mobility of 3.92 ± 1.08 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , on-off current ratio I on /I off ∼ 10 4 , and good uniformity. The printed backplane was then monolithically integrated with an array of printed electrochromic pixels, resulting in an entirely screen-printed active-matrix electrochromic display (AMECD) with good switching characteristics, facile manufacturing, and long-term stability. Overall, our fully screen-printed AMECD is promising for the mass production of large-area and low-cost flexible displays for applications such as disposable tags, medical electronics, and smart home appliances.

  8. Fabrication of Ultra-Thin Printed Organic TFT CMOS Logic Circuits Optimized for Low-Voltage Wearable Sensor Applications.

    PubMed

    Takeda, Yasunori; Hayasaka, Kazuma; Shiwaku, Rei; Yokosawa, Koji; Shiba, Takeo; Mamada, Masashi; Kumaki, Daisuke; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Tokito, Shizuo

    2016-05-09

    Ultrathin electronic circuits that can be manufactured by using conventional printing technologies are key elements necessary to realize wearable health sensors and next-generation flexible electronic devices. Due to their low level of power consumption, complementary (CMOS) circuits using both types of semiconductors can be easily employed in wireless devices. Here, we describe ultrathin CMOS logic circuits, for which not only the source/drain electrodes but also the semiconductor layers were printed. Both p-type and n-type organic thin film transistor devices were employed in a D-flip flop circuit in the newly developed stacked structure and exhibited excellent electrical characteristics, including good carrier mobilities of 0.34 and 0.21 cm(2) V(-1) sec(-1), and threshold voltages of nearly 0 V with low operating voltages. These printed organic CMOS D-flip flop circuits exhibit operating frequencies of 75 Hz and demonstrate great potential for flexible and printed electronics technology, particularly for wearable sensor applications with wireless connectivity.

  9. Fabrication of Ultra-Thin Printed Organic TFT CMOS Logic Circuits Optimized for Low-Voltage Wearable Sensor Applications

    PubMed Central

    Takeda, Yasunori; Hayasaka, Kazuma; Shiwaku, Rei; Yokosawa, Koji; Shiba, Takeo; Mamada, Masashi; Kumaki, Daisuke; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Tokito, Shizuo

    2016-01-01

    Ultrathin electronic circuits that can be manufactured by using conventional printing technologies are key elements necessary to realize wearable health sensors and next-generation flexible electronic devices. Due to their low level of power consumption, complementary (CMOS) circuits using both types of semiconductors can be easily employed in wireless devices. Here, we describe ultrathin CMOS logic circuits, for which not only the source/drain electrodes but also the semiconductor layers were printed. Both p-type and n-type organic thin film transistor devices were employed in a D-flip flop circuit in the newly developed stacked structure and exhibited excellent electrical characteristics, including good carrier mobilities of 0.34 and 0.21 cm2 V−1 sec−1, and threshold voltages of nearly 0 V with low operating voltages. These printed organic CMOS D-flip flop circuits exhibit operating frequencies of 75 Hz and demonstrate great potential for flexible and printed electronics technology, particularly for wearable sensor applications with wireless connectivity. PMID:27157914

  10. Low-Cost Fabrication of Printed Electronics Devices through Continuous Wave Laser-Induced Forward Transfer.

    PubMed

    Sopeña, Pol; Arrese, Javier; González-Torres, Sergio; Fernández-Pradas, Juan Marcos; Cirera, Albert; Serra, Pere

    2017-09-06

    Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a direct-writing technique that allows printing inks from a liquid film in a similar way to inkjet printing but with fewer limitations concerning ink viscosity and loading particle size. In this work, we prove that liquid inks can be printed through LIFT by using continuous wave (CW) instead of pulsed lasers, which allows a substantial reduction in the cost of the printing system. Through the fabrication of a functional circuit on both rigid and flexible substrates (plastic and paper), we provide a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the versatility of the technique for printed electronics applications.

  11. Review of Batteryless Wireless Sensors Using Additively Manufactured Microwave Resonators.

    PubMed

    Memon, Muhammad Usman; Lim, Sungjoon

    2017-09-09

    The significant improvements observed in the field of bulk-production of printed microchip technologies in the past decade have allowed the fabrication of microchip printing on numerous materials including organic and flexible substrates. Printed sensors and electronics are of significant interest owing to the fast and low-cost fabrication techniques used in their fabrication. The increasing amount of research and deployment of specially printed electronic sensors in a number of applications demonstrates the immense attention paid by researchers to this topic in the pursuit of achieving wider-scale electronics on different dielectric materials. Although there are many traditional methods for fabricating radio frequency (RF) components, they are time-consuming, expensive, complicated, and require more power for operation than additive fabrication methods. This paper serves as a summary/review of improvements made to the additive printing technologies. The article focuses on three recently developed printing methods for the fabrication of wireless sensors operating at microwave frequencies. The fabrication methods discussed include inkjet printing, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and screen printing.

  12. Review of Batteryless Wireless Sensors Using Additively Manufactured Microwave Resonators

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The significant improvements observed in the field of bulk-production of printed microchip technologies in the past decade have allowed the fabrication of microchip printing on numerous materials including organic and flexible substrates. Printed sensors and electronics are of significant interest owing to the fast and low-cost fabrication techniques used in their fabrication. The increasing amount of research and deployment of specially printed electronic sensors in a number of applications demonstrates the immense attention paid by researchers to this topic in the pursuit of achieving wider-scale electronics on different dielectric materials. Although there are many traditional methods for fabricating radio frequency (RF) components, they are time-consuming, expensive, complicated, and require more power for operation than additive fabrication methods. This paper serves as a summary/review of improvements made to the additive printing technologies. The article focuses on three recently developed printing methods for the fabrication of wireless sensors operating at microwave frequencies. The fabrication methods discussed include inkjet printing, three-dimensional (3D) printing, and screen printing. PMID:28891947

  13. Printed photodetectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pace, Giuseppina; Grimoldi, Andrea; Sampietro, Marco; Natali, Dario; Caironi, Mario

    2015-10-01

    Photodetectors convert light pulses into electrical signals and are fundamental building blocks for any opto-electronic system adopting light as a probe or information carrier. They have widespread technological applications, from telecommunications to sensors in industrial, medical and civil environments. Further opportunities are plastic short-range communications systems, interactive large-area surfaces and light-weight, flexible, digital imagers. These applications would greatly benefit from the cost-effective fabrication processes enabled by printing technology. While organic semiconductors are the most investigated materials for printed photodetectors, and are the main focus of the present review, there are notable examples of other inorganic or hybrid printable semiconductors for opto-electronic systems, such as quantum-dots and nanowires. Here we propose an overview on printed photodetectors, including three-terminal phototransistors. We first give a brief account of the working mechanism of these light sensitive devices, and then we review the recent progress achieved with scalable printing techniques such as screen-printing, inkjet and other non-contact technologies in the development of all-printed or hybrid systems.

  14. High-Performance Inkjet-Printed Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide Transistors Enabled by Embedded, Chemically Stable Graphene Electrodes.

    PubMed

    Secor, Ethan B; Smith, Jeremy; Marks, Tobin J; Hersam, Mark C

    2016-07-13

    Recent developments in solution-processed amorphous oxide semiconductors have established indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) as a promising candidate for printed electronics. A key challenge for this vision is the integration of IGZO thin-film transistor (TFT) channels with compatible source/drain electrodes using low-temperature, solution-phase patterning methods. Here we demonstrate the suitability of inkjet-printed graphene electrodes for this purpose. In contrast to common inkjet-printed silver-based conductive inks, graphene provides a chemically stable electrode-channel interface. Furthermore, by embedding the graphene electrode between two consecutive IGZO printing passes, high-performance IGZO TFTs are achieved with an electron mobility of ∼6 cm(2)/V·s and current on/off ratio of ∼10(5). The resulting printed devices exhibit robust stability to aging in ambient as well as excellent resilience to thermal stress, thereby offering a promising platform for future printed electronics applications.

  15. Printable Transparent Conductive Films for Flexible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Li, Dongdong; Lai, Wen-Yong; Zhang, Yi-Zhou; Huang, Wei

    2018-03-01

    Printed electronics are an important enabling technology for the development of low-cost, large-area, and flexible optoelectronic devices. Transparent conductive films (TCFs) made from solution-processable transparent conductive materials, such as metal nanoparticles/nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and conductive polymers, can simultaneously exhibit high mechanical flexibility, low cost, and better photoelectric properties compared to the commonly used sputtered indium-tin-oxide-based TCFs, and are thus receiving great attention. This Review summarizes recent advances of large-area flexible TCFs enabled by several roll-to-roll-compatible printed techniques including inkjet printing, screen printing, offset printing, and gravure printing using the emerging transparent conductive materials. The preparation of TCFs including ink formulation, substrate treatment, patterning, and postprocessing, and their potential applications in solar cells, organic light-emitting diodes, and touch panels are discussed in detail. The rational combination of a variety of printed techniques with emerging transparent conductive materials is believed to extend the opportunities for the development of printed electronics within the realm of flexible electronics and beyond. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Characterization of printed planar electromagnetic coils using digital extrusion and roll-to-roll flexographic processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rickard, Scott

    Electromagnets are a crucial component in a wide range of more complex electrical devices due to their ability to turn electrical energy into mechanical energy and vice versa. The trend for electronics becoming smaller and lighter has led to increased interest in using flat, planar electromagnetic coils, which have been shown to perform better at scaled down sizes. The two-dimensional geometry of a planar electromagnetic coil yields itself to be produced by a roll-to-roll additive manufacturing process. The emergence of the printed electronics field, which uses traditional printing processes to pattern functional inks, has led to new methods of mass-producing basic electrical components. The ability to print a planar electromagnetic coil using printed electronics could rival the traditional subtractive and semi-subtractive PCB process of manufacturing. The ability to print lightweight planar electromagnetic coils on flexible substrates could lead to their inclusion into intelligent packaging applications and could have specific use in actuating devices, transformers, and electromagnetic induction applications such as energy harvesting or wireless charging. In attempts to better understand the limitations of printing planar electromagnetic coils, the effect that the design parameters of the planar coils have on the achievable magnetic field strength were researched. A comparison between prototyping methods of digital extrusion and manufacturing scale flexographic printing are presented, discussing consistency in the printed coils and their performance in generating magnetic fields. A method to predict the performance of these planar coils is introduced to allow for design within required needs of an application. Results from the research include a demonstration of a printed coil being used in a flat speaker design, working off of actuating principles.

  17. Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics.

    PubMed

    Valentine, Alexander D; Busbee, Travis A; Boley, John William; Raney, Jordan R; Chortos, Alex; Kotikian, Arda; Berrigan, John Daniel; Durstock, Michael F; Lewis, Jennifer A

    2017-10-01

    Hybrid 3D printing is a new method for producing soft electronics that combines direct ink writing of conductive and dielectric elastomeric materials with automated pick-and-place of surface mount electronic components within an integrated additive manufacturing platform. Using this approach, insulating matrix and conductive electrode inks are directly printed in specific layouts. Passive and active electrical components are then integrated to produce the desired electronic circuitry by using an empty nozzle (in vacuum-on mode) to pick up individual components, place them onto the substrate, and then deposit them (in vacuum-off mode) in the desired location. The components are then interconnected via printed conductive traces to yield soft electronic devices that may find potential application in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Surface study of graphene ink for fine solid lines printed on BOPP Substrate in micro-flexographic printing using XPS analysis technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassan, S.; Yusof, M. S.; Embong, Z.; Ding, S.; Maksud, M. I.

    2018-01-01

    Micro-flexographic printing is a combination of flexography and micro-contact printing technique. It is a new printing method for fine solid lines printing purpose. Graphene material has been used as depositing agent or printing ink in other printing technique like inkjet printing. This graphene ink is printed on biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) by using Micro-flexographic printing technique. The choose of graphene as a printing ink is due to its wide application in producing electronic and micro-electronic devices such as Radio-frequency identification (RFID) and printed circuit board. The graphene printed on the surface of BOPP substrate was analyzed using X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The positions for each synthetic component in the narrow scan are referred to the electron binding energy (eV). This research is focused on two narrow scan regions which are C 1s and O 1s. Further discussion of the narrow scan spectrum will be explained in detail. From the narrow scan analysis, it is proposed that from the surface adhesive properties of graphene, it is suitable as an alternative printing ink medium for Micro-flexographic printing technique in printing multiple fine solid lines at micro to nano scale feature.

  19. Novel Materials for 3D Printing by Photopolymerization.

    PubMed

    Layani, Michael; Wang, Xiaofeng; Magdassi, Shlomo

    2018-05-13

    The field of 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is developing rapidly in both academic and industrial research environments. New materials and printing technologies, which enable rapid and multimaterial printing, have given rise to new applications and utilizations. However, the main bottleneck for achieving many more applications is the lack of materials with new physical properties. Here, some of the recent reports on novel materials in this field, such as ceramics, glass, shape-memory polymers, and electronics, are reviewed. Although new materials have been reported for all three main printing approaches-fused deposition modeling, binder jetting or laser sintering/melting, and photopolymerization-based approaches, apparently, most of the novel physicochemical properties are associated with materials printed by photopolymerization approaches. Furthermore, the high resolution that can be achieved using this type of 3D printing, together with the new properties, has resulted in new implementations such as microfluidic, biomedical devices, and soft robotics. Therefore, the focus here is on photopolymerization-based additive manufacturing including the recent development of new methods, novel monomers, and photoinitiators, which result in previously inaccessible applications such as complex ceramic structures, embedded electronics, and responsive 3D objects. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Integrated digital printing of flexible circuits for wireless sensing (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mei, Ping; Whiting, Gregory L.; Schwartz, David E.; Ng, Tse Nga; Krusor, Brent S.; Ready, Steve E.; Daniel, George; Veres, Janos; Street, Bob

    2016-09-01

    Wireless sensing has broad applications in a wide variety of fields such as infrastructure monitoring, chemistry, environmental engineering and cold supply chain management. Further development of sensing systems will focus on achieving light weight, flexibility, low power consumption and low cost. Fully printed electronics provide excellent flexibility and customizability, as well as the potential for low cost and large area applications, but lack solutions for high-density, high-performance circuitry. Conventional electronics mounted on flexible printed circuit boards provide high performance but are not digitally fabricated or readily customizable. Incorporation of small silicon dies or packaged chips into a printed platform enables high performance without compromising flexibility or cost. At PARC, we combine high functionality c-Si CMOS and digitally printed components and interconnects to create an integrated platform that can read and process multiple discrete sensors. Our approach facilitates customization to a wide variety of sensors and user interfaces suitable for a broad range of applications including remote monitoring of health, structures and environment. This talk will describe several examples of printed wireless sensing systems. The technologies required for these sensor systems are a mix of novel sensors, printing processes, conventional microchips, flexible substrates and energy harvesting power solutions.

  1. All-printed smart structures: a viable option?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Donnell, John; Ahmadkhanlou, Farzad; Yoon, Hwan-Sik; Washington, Gregory

    2014-03-01

    The last two decades have seen evolution of smart materials and structures technologies from theoretical concepts to physical realization in many engineering fields. These include smart sensors and actuators, active damping and vibration control, biomimetics, and structural health monitoring. Recently, additive manufacturing technologies such as 3D printing and printed electronics have received attention as methods to produce 3D objects or electronic components for prototyping or distributed manufacturing purposes. In this paper, the viability of manufacturing all-printed smart structures, with embedded sensors and actuators, will be investigated. To this end, the current 3D printing and printed electronics technologies will be reviewed first. Then, the plausibility of combining these two different additive manufacturing technologies to create all-printed smart structures will be discussed. Potential applications for this type of all-printed smart structures include most of the traditional smart structures where sensors and actuators are embedded or bonded to the structures to measure structural response and cause desired static and dynamic changes in the structure.

  2. 4D printing of a self-morphing polymer driven by a swellable guest medium.

    PubMed

    Su, Jheng-Wun; Tao, Xiang; Deng, Heng; Zhang, Cheng; Jiang, Shan; Lin, Yuyi; Lin, Jian

    2018-01-31

    There is a significant need of advanced materials that can be fabricated into functional devices with defined three-dimensional (3D) structures for application in tissue engineering, flexible electronics, and soft robotics. This need motivates an emerging four-dimensional (4D) printing technology, by which printed 3D structures consisting of active materials can transform their configurations over time in response to stimuli. Despite the ubiquity of active materials in performing self-morphing processes, their potential for 4D printing has not been fully explored to date. In this study, we demonstrate 4D printing of a commercial polymer, SU-8, which has not been reported to date in this field. The working principle is based on a self-morphing process of the printed SU-8 structures through spatial control of the swelling medium inside the polymer matrix by a modified process. To understand the self-morphing behavior, fundamental studies on the effect of the geometries including contours and filling patterns were carried out. A soft electronic device as an actuator was demonstrated to realize an application of this programmable polymer using the 3D printing technology. These studies provide a new paradigm for application of SU-8 in 4D printing, paving a new route to the exploration of more potential candidates by this demonstrated strategy.

  3. Screen printed UHF antennas on flexible substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janeczek, Kamil; Młożniak, Anna; Kozioł, Grażyna; Araźna, Aneta; Jakubowska, Małgorzata; Bajurko, Paweł

    2010-09-01

    Printed electronics belongs to the most important developing electronics technologies. It provides new possibilities to produce low cost and large area devices. In its range several applications can be distinguished like printed batteries, OLED, biosensors, photovoltaic cells or RFID tags. In the presented investigation, antennas working in UHF frequency range were elaborated. It can be applied in the future for flexible RFID tags. To produce these antennas polymer paste with silver flakes was used. It was deposited on two flexible substrates (foil and photo paper) with screen printing techniques. After printing process surface profile, electrical and microwave parameters of performed antennas were measured using digital multimeter and network analyzer, relatively. Furthermore, a thickness of printed layers was measured.

  4. Paper-Based Inkjet-Printed Flexible Electronic Circuits.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yan; Guo, Hong; Chen, Jin-Ju; Sowade, Enrico; Wang, Yu; Liang, Kun; Marcus, Kyle; Baumann, Reinhard R; Feng, Zhe-Sheng

    2016-10-05

    Printed flexible electronics have been widely studied for their potential use in various applications. In this paper, a simple, low-cost method of fabricating flexible electronic circuits with high conductivity of 4.0 × 10 7 S·m -1 (about 70% of the conductivity of bulk copper) is demonstrated. Teslin paper substrate is treated with stannous chloride (SnCl 2 ) colloidal solution to reduce the high ink absorption rate, and then the catalyst ink is inkjet-printed on its surface, followed by electroless deposition of copper at low temperature. In spite of the decrease in conductance to some extent, electronic circuits fabricated by this method can maintain function even under various folding angles or after repeated folding. This developed technology has great potential in a variety of applications, such as three-dimensional devices and disposable RFID tags.

  5. Urban Biomining Meets Printable Electronics: End-To-End at Destination Biological Recycling and Reprinting

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rothschild, Lynn J. (Principal Investigator); Koehne, Jessica; Gandhiraman, Ram; Navarrete, Jesica; Spangle, Dylan

    2017-01-01

    Space missions rely utterly on metallic components, from the spacecraft to electronics. Yet, metals add mass, and electronics have the additional problem of a limited lifespan. Thus, current mission architectures must compensate for replacement. In space, spent electronics are discarded; on earth, there is some recycling but current processes are toxic and environmentally hazardous. Imagine instead an end-to-end recycling of spent electronics at low mass, low cost, room temperature, and in a non-toxic manner. Here, we propose a solution that will not only enhance mission success by decreasing upmass and providing a fresh supply of electronics, but in addition has immediate applications to a serious environmental issue on the Earth. Spent electronics will be used as feedstock to make fresh electronic components, a process we will accomplish with so-called 'urban biomining' using synthetically enhanced microbes to bind metals with elemental specificity. To create new electronics, the microbes will be used as 'bioink' to print a new IC chip, using plasma jet electronics printing. The plasma jet electronics printing technology will have the potential to use martian atmospheric gas to print and to tailor the electronic and chemical properties of the materials. Our preliminary results have suggested that this process also serves as a purification step to enhance the proportion of metals in the 'bioink'. The presence of electric field and plasma can ensure printing in microgravity environment while also providing material morphology and electronic structure tunabiity and thus optimization. Here we propose to increase the TRL level of the concept by engineering microbes to dissolve the siliceous matrix in the IC, extract copper from a mixture of metals, and use the microbes as feedstock to print interconnects using mars gas simulant. To assess the ability of this concept to influence mission architecture, we will do an analysis of the infrastructure required to execute this concept on Mars, and additional opportunities it could offer mission design from the biological and printing technologies. In addition, we will do an analysis of the impact of this technology for terrestrial applications addressing in particular environmental concerns and availability of metals.

  6. 75 FR 1757 - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS); Overview Information; National...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-13

    ... as artificial intelligence or information technology devices, software, and systems. For more... in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting... electronic application, you may wish to print a copy of it for your records. After you electronically submit...

  7. 3D printed stretchable capacitive sensors for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Kai; Wei, Hong; Liu, Wenguang; Meng, Hong; Zhang, Peixin; Yan, Chaoyi

    2018-05-01

    Developments of innovative strategies for the fabrication of stretchable sensors are of crucial importance for their applications in wearable electronic systems. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of stretchable capacitive sensors using a novel 3D printing method for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing applications. Unlike conventional lithographic or templated methods, the programmable 3D printing technique can fabricate complex device structures in a cost-effective and facile manner. We designed and fabricated stretchable capacitive sensors with interdigital and double-vortex designs and demonstrated their successful applications as tactile and electrochemical sensors. Especially, our stretchable sensors exhibited a detection limit as low as 1 × 10-6 M for NaCl aqueous solution, which could have significant potential applications when integrated in electronics skins.

  8. 3D printed stretchable capacitive sensors for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing.

    PubMed

    Li, Kai; Wei, Hong; Liu, Wenguang; Meng, Hong; Zhang, Peixin; Yan, Chaoyi

    2018-05-04

    Developments of innovative strategies for the fabrication of stretchable sensors are of crucial importance for their applications in wearable electronic systems. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of stretchable capacitive sensors using a novel 3D printing method for highly sensitive tactile and electrochemical sensing applications. Unlike conventional lithographic or templated methods, the programmable 3D printing technique can fabricate complex device structures in a cost-effective and facile manner. We designed and fabricated stretchable capacitive sensors with interdigital and double-vortex designs and demonstrated their successful applications as tactile and electrochemical sensors. Especially, our stretchable sensors exhibited a detection limit as low as 1 × 10 -6 M for NaCl aqueous solution, which could have significant potential applications when integrated in electronics skins.

  9. [INVITED] Laser-induced forward transfer: A high resolution additive manufacturing technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delaporte, Philippe; Alloncle, Anne-Patricia

    2016-04-01

    Among the additive manufacturing techniques, laser-induced forward transfer addresses the challenges of printing thin films in solid phase or small volume droplets in liquid phase with very high resolution. This paper reviews the physics of this process and explores the pros and cons of this technology versus other digital printing technologies. The main field of applications are printed electronics, organic electronics and tissue engineering, and the most promising short terms ones concern digital laser printing of sensors and conductive tracks. Future directions and emerging areas of interest are discussed such as printing solid from a liquid phase and 3D digital nanomanufacturing.

  10. Fully-printed high-performance organic thin-film transistors and circuitry on one-micron-thick polymer films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukuda, Kenjiro; Takeda, Yasunori; Yoshimura, Yudai; Shiwaku, Rei; Tran, Lam Truc; Sekine, Tomohito; Mizukami, Makoto; Kumaki, Daisuke; Tokito, Shizuo

    2014-06-01

    Thin, ultra-flexible devices that can be manufactured in a process that covers a large area will be essential to realizing low-cost, wearable electronic applications including foldable displays and medical sensors. The printing technology will be instrumental in fabricating these novel electronic devices and circuits; however, attaining fully printed devices on ultra-flexible films in large areas has typically been a challenge. Here we report on fully printed organic thin-film transistor devices and circuits fabricated on 1-μm-thick parylene-C films with high field-effect mobility (1.0 cm2 V-1 s-1) and fast operating speeds (about 1 ms) at low operating voltages. The devices were extremely light (2 g m-2) and exhibited excellent mechanical stability. The devices remained operational even under 50% compressive strain without significant changes in their performance. These results represent significant progress in the fabrication of fully printed organic thin-film transistor devices and circuits for use in unobtrusive electronic applications such as wearable sensors.

  11. Applications of laser printing for organic electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delaporte, Ph.; Ainsebaa, A.; Alloncle, A.-P.; Benetti, M.; Boutopoulos, C.; Cannata, D.; Di Pietrantonio, F.; Dinca, V.; Dinescu, M.; Dutroncy, J.; Eason, R.; Feinaugle, M.; Fernández-Pradas, J.-M.; Grisel, A.; Kaur, K.; Lehmann, U.; Lippert, T.; Loussert, C.; Makrygianni, M.; Manfredonia, I.; Mattle, T.; Morenza, J.-L.; Nagel, M.; Nüesch, F.; Palla-Papavlu, A.; Rapp, L.; Rizvi, N.; Rodio, G.; Sanaur, S.; Serra, P.; Shaw-Stewart, J.; Sones, C. L.; Verona, E.; Zergioti, I.

    2013-03-01

    The development of organic electronic requires a non contact digital printing process. The European funded e-LIFT project investigated the possibility of using the Laser Induced Forward Transfer (LIFT) technique to address this field of applications. This process has been optimized for the deposition of functional organic and inorganic materials in liquid and solid phase, and a set of polymer dynamic release layer (DRL) has been developed to allow a safe transfer of a large range of thin films. Then, some specific applications related to the development of heterogeneous integration in organic electronics have been addressed. We demonstrated the ability of LIFT process to print thin film of organic semiconductor and to realize Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFT) with mobilities as high as 4 10-2 cm2.V-1.s-1 and Ion/Ioff ratio of 2.8 105. Polymer Light Emitting Diodes (PLED) have been laser printed by transferring in a single step process a stack of thin films, leading to the fabrication of red, blue green PLEDs with luminance ranging from 145 cd.m-2 to 540 cd.m-2. Then, chemical sensors and biosensors have been fabricated by printing polymers and proteins on Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) devices. The ability of LIFT to transfer several sensing elements on a same device with high resolution allows improving the selectivity of these sensors and biosensors. Gas sensors based on the deposition of semiconducting oxide (SnO2) and biosensors for the detection of herbicides relying on the printing of proteins have also been realized and their performances overcome those of commercial devices. At last, we successfully laser-printed thermoelectric materials and realized microgenerators for energy harvesting applications.

  12. 75 FR 14386 - Interpretation of Transmission Planning Reliability Standard

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-25

    ... created electronically using word processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to.... FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (DC Cir. 2009). \\6\\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System... print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format. Commenters filing electronically do not need to make a...

  13. Progress in 3D Printing of Carbon Materials for Energy-Related Applications.

    PubMed

    Fu, Kun; Yao, Yonggang; Dai, Jiaqi; Hu, Liangbing

    2017-03-01

    The additive-manufacturing (AM) technique, known as three-dimensional (3D) printing, has attracted much attention in industry and academia in recent years. 3D printing has been developed for a variety of applications. Printable inks are the most important component for 3D printing, and are related to the materials, the printing method, and the structures of the final 3D-printed products. Carbon materials, due to their good chemical stability and versatile nanostructure, have been widely used in 3D printing for different applications. Good inks are mainly based on volatile solutions having carbon materials as fillers such as graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon blacks, and solvent, as well as polymers and other additives. Studies of carbon materials in 3D printing, especially GO-based materials, have been extensively reported for energy-related applications. In these circumstances, understanding the very recent developments of 3D-printed carbon materials and their extended applications to address energy-related challenges and bring new concepts for material designs are becoming urgent and important. Here, recent developments in 3D printing of emerging devices for energy-related applications are reviewed, including energy-storage applications, electronic circuits, and thermal-energy applications at high temperature. To close, a conclusion and outlook are provided, pointing out future designs and developments of 3D-printing technology based on carbon materials for energy-related applications and beyond. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Methods for fabrication of flexible hybrid electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Street, Robert A.; Mei, Ping; Krusor, Brent; Ready, Steve E.; Zhang, Yong; Schwartz, David E.; Pierre, Adrien; Doris, Sean E.; Russo, Beverly; Kor, Siv; Veres, Janos

    2017-08-01

    Printed and flexible hybrid electronics is an emerging technology with potential applications in smart labels, wearable electronics, soft robotics, and prosthetics. Printed solution-based materials are compatible with plastic film substrates that are flexible, soft, and stretchable, thus enabling conformal integration with non-planar objects. In addition, manufacturing by printing is scalable to large areas and is amenable to low-cost sheet-fed and roll-to-roll processes. FHE includes display and sensory components to interface with users and environments. On the system level, devices also require electronic circuits for power, memory, signal conditioning, and communications. Those electronic components can be integrated onto a flexible substrate by either assembly or printing. PARC has developed systems and processes for realizing both approaches. This talk presents fabrication methods with an emphasis on techniques recently developed for the assembly of off-the-shelf chips. A few examples of systems fabricated with this approach are also described.

  15. Printed organo-functionalized graphene for biosensing applications.

    PubMed

    Wisitsoraat, A; Mensing, J Ph; Karuwan, C; Sriprachuabwong, C; Jaruwongrungsee, K; Phokharatkul, D; Daniels, T M; Liewhiran, C; Tuantranont, A

    2017-01-15

    Graphene is a highly promising material for biosensors due to its excellent physical and chemical properties which facilitate electron transfer between the active locales of enzymes or other biomaterials and a transducer surface. Printing technology has recently emerged as a low-cost and practical method for fabrication of flexible and disposable electronics devices. The combination of these technologies is promising for the production and commercialization of low cost sensors. In this review, recent developments in organo-functionalized graphene and printed biosensor technologies are comprehensively covered. Firstly, various methods for printing graphene-based fluids on different substrates are discussed. Secondly, different graphene-based ink materials and preparation methods are described. Lastly, biosensing performances of printed or printable graphene-based electrochemical and field effect transistor sensors for some important analytes are elaborated. The reported printed graphene based sensors exhibit promising properties with good reliability suitable for commercial applications. Among most reports, only a few printed graphene-based biosensors including screen-printed oxidase-functionalized graphene biosensor have been demonstrated. The technology is still at early stage but rapidly growing and will earn great attention in the near future due to increasing demand of low-cost and disposable biosensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. All-printed diode operating at 1.6 GHz

    PubMed Central

    Sani, Negar; Robertsson, Mats; Cooper, Philip; Wang, Xin; Svensson, Magnus; Andersson Ersman, Peter; Norberg, Petronella; Nilsson, Marie; Nilsson, David; Liu, Xianjie; Hesselbom, Hjalmar; Akesso, Laurent; Fahlman, Mats; Crispin, Xavier; Engquist, Isak; Berggren, Magnus; Gustafsson, Göran

    2014-01-01

    Printed electronics are considered for wireless electronic tags and sensors within the future Internet-of-things (IoT) concept. As a consequence of the low charge carrier mobility of present printable organic and inorganic semiconductors, the operational frequency of printed rectifiers is not high enough to enable direct communication and powering between mobile phones and printed e-tags. Here, we report an all-printed diode operating up to 1.6 GHz. The device, based on two stacked layers of Si and NbSi2 particles, is manufactured on a flexible substrate at low temperature and in ambient atmosphere. The high charge carrier mobility of the Si microparticles allows device operation to occur in the charge injection-limited regime. The asymmetry of the oxide layers in the resulting device stack leads to rectification of tunneling current. Printed diodes were combined with antennas and electrochromic displays to form an all-printed e-tag. The harvested signal from a Global System for Mobile Communications mobile phone was used to update the display. Our findings demonstrate a new communication pathway for printed electronics within IoT applications. PMID:25002504

  17. Inkjet printing of single-crystal films.

    PubMed

    Minemawari, Hiromi; Yamada, Toshikazu; Matsui, Hiroyuki; Tsutsumi, Jun'ya; Haas, Simon; Chiba, Ryosuke; Kumai, Reiji; Hasegawa, Tatsuo

    2011-07-13

    The use of single crystals has been fundamental to the development of semiconductor microelectronics and solid-state science. Whether based on inorganic or organic materials, the devices that show the highest performance rely on single-crystal interfaces, with their nearly perfect translational symmetry and exceptionally high chemical purity. Attention has recently been focused on developing simple ways of producing electronic devices by means of printing technologies. 'Printed electronics' is being explored for the manufacture of large-area and flexible electronic devices by the patterned application of functional inks containing soluble or dispersed semiconducting materials. However, because of the strong self-organizing tendency of the deposited materials, the production of semiconducting thin films of high crystallinity (indispensable for realizing high carrier mobility) may be incompatible with conventional printing processes. Here we develop a method that combines the technique of antisolvent crystallization with inkjet printing to produce organic semiconducting thin films of high crystallinity. Specifically, we show that mixing fine droplets of an antisolvent and a solution of an active semiconducting component within a confined area on an amorphous substrate can trigger the controlled formation of exceptionally uniform single-crystal or polycrystalline thin films that grow at the liquid-air interfaces. Using this approach, we have printed single crystals of the organic semiconductor 2,7-dioctyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C(8)-BTBT) (ref. 15), yielding thin-film transistors with average carrier mobilities as high as 16.4 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). This printing technique constitutes a major step towards the use of high-performance single-crystal semiconductor devices for large-area and flexible electronics applications.

  18. Transparent Large-Area MoS2 Phototransistors with Inkjet-Printed Components on Flexible Platforms.

    PubMed

    Kim, Tae-Young; Ha, Jewook; Cho, Kyungjune; Pak, Jinsu; Seo, Jiseok; Park, Jongjang; Kim, Jae-Keun; Chung, Seungjun; Hong, Yongtaek; Lee, Takhee

    2017-10-24

    Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) have gained considerable attention as an emerging semiconductor due to their promising atomically thin film characteristics with good field-effect mobility and a tunable band gap energy. However, their electronic applications have been generally realized with conventional inorganic electrodes and dielectrics implemented using conventional photolithography or transferring processes that are not compatible with large-area and flexible device applications. To facilitate the advantages of 2D TMDCs in practical applications, strategies for realizing flexible and transparent 2D electronics using low-temperature, large-area, and low-cost processes should be developed. Motivated by this challenge, we report fully printed transparent chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-synthesized monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) phototransistor arrays on flexible polymer substrates. All the electronic components, including dielectric and electrodes, were directly deposited with mechanically tolerable organic materials by inkjet-printing technology onto transferred monolayer MoS 2 , and their annealing temperature of <180 °C allows the direct fabrication on commercial flexible substrates without additional assisted-structures. By integrating the soft organic components with ultrathin MoS 2 , the fully printed MoS 2 phototransistors exhibit excellent transparency and mechanically stable operation.

  19. Rheology and stability kinetics of bare silicon nanoparticle inks for low-cost direct printing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    More, Priyesh V.; Jeong, Sunho; Seo, Yeong-Hui

    2013-12-16

    Highly dispersed and stable silicon nanoparticles ink is formulated for its application in direct printing or printable electronics. These dispersions are prepared from free-standing silicon nanoparticles which are not capped with any organic ligand, making it suitable for electronic applications. Silicon nanoparticles dispersions are prepared by suspending the nanoparticles in benzonitrile or ethanol by using polypropylene glycol (PPG) as a binder. All the samples show typical shear thinning behavior while the dispersion samples show low viscosities signifying good quality dispersion. Such thinning behavior favors in fabrication of dense films with spin-coating or patterns with drop casting. The dispersion stability ismore » monitored by turbiscan measurements showing good stability for one week. A low-cost direct printing method for dispersion samples is also demonstrated to obtain micro-sized patterns. Low electrical resistivity of resulting patterns, adjustable viscosity and good stability makes these silicon nanoparticles dispersions highly applicable for direct printing process.« less

  20. Electronically conducting polymers with silver grains

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murphy, Oliver J. (Inventor); Hitchens, G. Duncan (Inventor); Hodko, Dolibor (Inventor)

    1999-01-01

    The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from photosensitive formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor that have been selectively exposed to UV light, laser light, or electron beams. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These solutions can be used in applications including printed circuit boards and through-hole plating and enable direct metallization processes on non-conducting substrates. After forming the conductive polymer patterns, a printed wiring board can be formed by sensitizing the polymer with palladium and electrolytically depositing copper.

  1. Plasma jet printing of electronic materials on flexible and nonconformal objects.

    PubMed

    Gandhiraman, Ram P; Jayan, Vivek; Han, Jin-Woo; Chen, Bin; Koehne, Jessica E; Meyyappan, M

    2014-12-10

    We present a novel approach for the room-temperature fabrication of conductive traces and their subsequent site-selective dielectric encapsulation for use in flexible electronics. We have developed an aerosol-assisted atmospheric pressure plasma-based deposition process for efficiently depositing materials on flexible substrates. Silver nanowire conductive traces and silicon dioxide dielectric coatings for encapsulation were deposited using this approach as a demonstration. The paper substrate with silver nanowires exhibited a very low change in resistance upon 50 cycles of systematic deformation, exhibiting high mechanical flexibility. The applicability of this process to print conductive traces on nonconformal 3D objects was also demonstrated through deposition on a 3D-printed thermoplastic object, indicating the potential to combine plasma printing with 3D printing technology. The role of plasma here includes activation of the material present in the aerosol for deposition, increasing the deposition rate, and plasma polymerization in the case of inorganic coatings. The demonstration here establishes a low-cost, high-throughput, and facile process for printing electronic components on nonconventional platforms.

  2. Toward printed integrated circuits based on unipolar or ambipolar polymer semiconductors.

    PubMed

    Baeg, Kang-Jun; Caironi, Mario; Noh, Yong-Young

    2013-08-21

    For at least the past ten years printed electronics has promised to revolutionize our daily life by making cost-effective electronic circuits and sensors available through mass production techniques, for their ubiquitous applications in wearable components, rollable and conformable devices, and point-of-care applications. While passive components, such as conductors, resistors and capacitors, had already been fabricated by printing techniques at industrial scale, printing processes have been struggling to meet the requirements for mass-produced electronics and optoelectronics applications despite their great potential. In the case of logic integrated circuits (ICs), which constitute the focus of this Progress Report, the main limitations have been represented by the need of suitable functional inks, mainly high-mobility printable semiconductors and low sintering temperature conducting inks, and evoluted printing tools capable of higher resolution, registration and uniformity than needed in the conventional graphic arts printing sector. Solution-processable polymeric semiconductors are the best candidates to fulfill the requirements for printed logic ICs on flexible substrates, due to their superior processability, ease of tuning of their rheology parameters, and mechanical properties. One of the strongest limitations has been mainly represented by the low charge carrier mobility (μ) achievable with polymeric, organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). However, recently unprecedented values of μ ∼ 10 cm(2) /Vs have been achieved with solution-processed polymer based OFETs, a value competing with mobilities reported in organic single-crystals and exceeding the performances enabled by amorphous silicon (a-Si). Interestingly these values were achieved thanks to the design and synthesis of donor-acceptor copolymers, showing limited degree of order when processed in thin films and therefore fostering further studies on the reason leading to such improved charge transport properties. Among this class of materials, various polymers can show well balanced electrons and holes mobility, therefore being indicated as ambipolar semiconductors, good environmental stability, and a small band-gap, which simplifies the tuning of charge injection. This opened up the possibility of taking advantage of the superior performances offered by complementary "CMOS-like" logic for the design of digital ICs, easing the scaling down of critical geometrical features, and achieving higher complexity from robust single gates (e.g., inverters) and test circuits (e.g., ring oscillators) to more complete circuits. Here, we review the recent progress in the development of printed ICs based on polymeric semiconductors suitable for large-volume micro- and nano-electronics applications. Particular attention is paid to the strategies proposed in the literature to design and synthesize high mobility polymers and to develop suitable printing tools and techniques to allow for improved patterning capability required for the down-scaling of devices in order to achieve the operation frequencies needed for applications, such as flexible radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, near-field communication (NFC) devices, ambient electronics, and portable flexible displays. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Robust and stretchable indium gallium zinc oxide-based electronic textiles formed by cilia-assisted transfer printing

    PubMed Central

    Yoon, Jongwon; Jeong, Yunkyung; Kim, Heeje; Yoo, Seonggwang; Jung, Hoon Sun; Kim, Yonghun; Hwang, Youngkyu; Hyun, Yujun; Hong, Woong-Ki; Lee, Byoung Hun; Choa, Sung-Hoon; Ko, Heung Cho

    2016-01-01

    Electronic textile (e-textile) allows for high-end wearable electronic devices that provide easy access for carrying, handling and using. However, the related technology does not seem to be mature because the woven fabric hampers not only the device fabrication process directly on the complex surface but also the transfer printing of ultrathin planar electronic devices. Here we report an indirect method that enables conformal wrapping of surface with arbitrary yet complex shapes. Artificial cilia are introduced in the periphery of electronic devices as adhesive elements. The cilia also play an important role in confining a small amount of glue and damping mechanical stress to maintain robust electronic performance under mechanical deformation. The example of electronic applications depicts the feasibility of cilia for ‘stick-&-play' systems, which provide electronic functions by transfer printing on unconventional complex surfaces. PMID:27248982

  4. Application of Temperature-Controlled Thermal Atomization for Printing Electronics in Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Chih-Hao; Thompson, Furman V.

    2017-01-01

    Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a technology that builds three dimensional objects by adding material layer-upon-layer throughout the fabrication process. The Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) parts packaging group at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is investigating how various AM and 3D printing processes can be adapted to the microgravity environment of space to enable on demand manufacturing of electronics. The current state-of-the art processes for accomplishing the task of printing electronics through non-contact, direct-write means rely heavily on the process of atomization of liquid inks into fine aerosols to be delivered ultimately to a machine's print head and through its nozzle. As a result of cumulative International Space Station (ISS) research into the behaviors of fluids in zero-gravity, our experience leads us to conclude that the direct adaptation of conventional atomization processes will likely fall short and alternative approaches will need to be explored. In this report, we investigate the development of an alternative approach to atomizing electronic materials by way of thermal atomization, to be used in place of conventional aerosol generation and delivery processes for printing electronics in space.

  5. Indirect X-ray Detectors Based on Inkjet-Printed Photodetectors with a Screen-Printed Scintillator Layer.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Juliana; Correia, Vitor; Sowade, Enrico; Etxebarria, Ikerne; Rodriguez, Raul D; Mitra, Kalyan Y; Baumann, Reinhard R; Lanceros-Mendez, Senentxu

    2018-04-18

    Organic photodetectors (PDs) based on printing technologies will allow to expand the current field of PD applications toward large-area and flexible applications in areas such as medical imaging, security, and quality control, among others. Inkjet printing is a powerful digital tool for the deposition of smart and functional materials on various substrates, allowing the development of electronic devices such as PDs on various substrates. In this work, inkjet-printed PD arrays, based on the organic thin-film transistor architecture, have been developed and applied for the indirect detection of X-ray radiation using a scintillator ink as an X-ray absorber. The >90% increase of the photocurrent of the PDs under X-ray radiation, from about 53 nA without the scintillator film to about 102 nA with the scintillator located on top of the PD, proves the suitability of the developed printed device for X-ray detection applications.

  6. 75 FR 71625 - System Restoration Reliability Standards

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-24

    ... processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format, and not in a scanned... (2006), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009). 6. On March 16, 2007, the... electronically using word processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format, and...

  7. 76 FR 23222 - Electric Reliability Organization Interpretation of Transmission Operations Reliability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-26

    ... applications or print-to-PDF format, and not in a scanned format, at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling....3d 1342 (DC Cir. 2009). \\5\\ Mandatory Reliability Standards for the Bulk-Power System, Order No. 693... applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format. Commenters filing electronically do not need...

  8. Influence of annealing to the defect of inkjet-printed ZnO thin film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Van-Thai; Wei, Yuefan; Zhan, Zhaoyao; Du, Hejun

    2018-03-01

    The advantages of additive manufacturing for electronic devices have led to the demand of printing functional material in search of a replacement for the conventional subtractive fabrication process. Zinc oxide (ZnO), thanks to its interesting properties for the electronic and photonic applications, has gathered many attentions in the effort to fabricate functional devices additively. Although many potential methods have been proposed, most of them focus on the lowtemperature processing of the printed material to be compatible with the polymer substrate. These low-temperature fabrication processes could establish a high concentration of defects in printed ZnO which significantly affect the performance of the device. In this study, ZnO thin film for UV photodetector application was prepared by inkjet printing of zinc acetate dihydrate solution following by different heat treatment schemes. The effects of annealing to the intrinsic defect of printed ZnO and photoresponse characteristics under UV illumination were investigated. A longer response/decay time and higher photocurrent were observed after the annealing at 350°C for 30 minutes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis suggests that the reducing of defect concentration, such as oxygen vacancy, and excess oxygen species in printed ZnO is the main mechanism for the variation in photoresponse. The result provides a better understanding on the defect of inkjet-printed ZnO and could be applied in engineering the properties of the printed oxide-based semiconductor.

  9. Structural and electrical properties of Ag grid/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) coatings for diode application through advanced printing technology.

    PubMed

    Duraisamy, Navaneethan; Ponniah, Ganeshthangaraj; Jo, Jeongdai; Choi, Kyung-Hyun

    2013-08-01

    This paper is focused on printed techniques for the fabrication of hybrid structure of silver (Ag) grid/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): Poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) on polyethylene terepthalate (PET) as a flexible substrate. Ag grid has been printed on PET substrate by using gravure offset printing process, followed by PEDOT:PSS thin film deposition on Ag grid through electrohydrodynamic atomization (EHDA) technique. The important parameters for achieving uniform hybrid structure of Ag grid/PEDOT:PSS through printed techniques have been clearly discussed. Field emission scanning electron microscope studies revealed the uniformity of printed Ag grid with homogeneous deposition of PEDOT:PSS on Ag grid. The optical properties of Ag grid/PEDOT:PSS were measured by UV-visible spectroscopy, which showed nearly 80-82% of transparency in the visible region and it was nearly same as PEDOT:PSS thin film on PET substrate. Current-voltage (I-V) analysis of fabricated hybrid device by using printed Ag grid/PEDOT:PSS as a bottom electrode showed good rectifying behavior with possible interfacial mechanisms. Capacitance-voltage (C-V) analysis was carried over different frequencies. These results suggest that fabrication of hybrid structure through printed techniques will play a significant role in mass production of printed electronic devices for commercial application by using flexible substrate.

  10. Method of forming electronically conducting polymers on conducting and nonconducting substrates

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hodko, Dalibor (Inventor); Clarke, Eric T. (Inventor); Miller, David L. (Inventor); Murphy, Oliver J. (Inventor); Hitchens, G. Duncan (Inventor); Parker, Donald L. (Inventor)

    2001-01-01

    The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from photosensitive formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor that have been selectively exposed to UV light, laser light, or electron beams. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These solutions can be used in applications including printed circuit boards and through-hole plating and enable direct metallization processes on non-conducting substrates. After forming the conductive polymer patterns, a printed wiring board can be formed by sensitizing the polymer with palladium and electrolytically depositing copper.

  11. The meniscus-guided deposition of semiconducting polymers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gu, Xiaodan; Shaw, Leo; Gu, Kevin

    The electronic devices that play a vital role in our daily life are primarily based on silicon and are thus rigid, opaque, and relatively heavy. However, new electronics relying on polymer semiconductors are opening up new application spaces like stretchable and self-healing sensors and devices, and these can facilitate the integration of such devices into our homes, our clothing, and even our bodies. So, while there has been tremendous interest in such technologies, the widespread adoption of these organic electronics requires low-cost manufacturing techniques. Fortunately, the realization of organic electronics can take inspiration from a technology developed since the beginningmore » of the Common Era: printing. Here, this review addresses the critical issues and considerations in the printing methods for organic electronics, outlines the fundamental fluid mechanics, polymer physics, and deposition parameters involved in the fabrication process, and provides future research directions for the next generation of printed polymer electronics.« less

  12. The meniscus-guided deposition of semiconducting polymers

    DOE PAGES

    Gu, Xiaodan; Shaw, Leo; Gu, Kevin; ...

    2018-02-07

    The electronic devices that play a vital role in our daily life are primarily based on silicon and are thus rigid, opaque, and relatively heavy. However, new electronics relying on polymer semiconductors are opening up new application spaces like stretchable and self-healing sensors and devices, and these can facilitate the integration of such devices into our homes, our clothing, and even our bodies. So, while there has been tremendous interest in such technologies, the widespread adoption of these organic electronics requires low-cost manufacturing techniques. Fortunately, the realization of organic electronics can take inspiration from a technology developed since the beginningmore » of the Common Era: printing. Here, this review addresses the critical issues and considerations in the printing methods for organic electronics, outlines the fundamental fluid mechanics, polymer physics, and deposition parameters involved in the fabrication process, and provides future research directions for the next generation of printed polymer electronics.« less

  13. 3D printed electromagnetic transmission and electronic structures fabricated on a single platform using advanced process integration techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deffenbaugh, Paul Issac

    3D printing has garnered immense attention from many fields including in-office rapid prototyping of mechanical parts, outer-space satellite replication, garage functional firearm manufacture, and NASA rocket engine component fabrication. 3D printing allows increased design flexibility in the fabrication of electronics, microwave circuits and wireless antennas and has reached a level of maturity which allows functional parts to be printed. Much more work is necessary in order to perfect the processes of 3D printed electronics especially in the area of automation. Chapter 1 shows several finished prototypes of 3D printed electronics as well as newly developed techniques in fabrication. Little is known about the RF and microwave properties and applications of the standard materials which have been developed for 3D printing. Measurement of a wide variety of materials over a broad spectrum of frequencies up to 10 GHz using a variety of well-established measurement methods is performed throughout chapter 2. Several types of high frequency RF transmission lines are fabricated and valuable model-matched data is gathered and provided in chapter 3 for future designers' use. Of particular note is a fully 3D printed stripline which was automatically fabricated in one process on one machine. Some core advantages of 3D printing RF/microwave components include rapid manufacturing of complex, dimensionally sensitive circuits (such as antennas and filters which are often iteratively tuned) and the ability to create new devices that cannot be made using standard fabrication techniques. Chapter 4 describes an exemplary fully 3D printed curved inverted-F antenna.

  14. 3D Printed Stretchable Tactile Sensors.

    PubMed

    Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; Qiu, Kaiyan; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; McAlpine, Michael C

    2017-07-01

    The development of methods for the 3D printing of multifunctional devices could impact areas ranging from wearable electronics and energy harvesting devices to smart prosthetics and human-machine interfaces. Recently, the development of stretchable electronic devices has accelerated, concomitant with advances in functional materials and fabrication processes. In particular, novel strategies have been developed to enable the intimate biointegration of wearable electronic devices with human skin in ways that bypass the mechanical and thermal restrictions of traditional microfabrication technologies. Here, a multimaterial, multiscale, and multifunctional 3D printing approach is employed to fabricate 3D tactile sensors under ambient conditions conformally onto freeform surfaces. The customized sensor is demonstrated with the capabilities of detecting and differentiating human movements, including pulse monitoring and finger motions. The custom 3D printing of functional materials and devices opens new routes for the biointegration of various sensors in wearable electronics systems, and toward advanced bionic skin applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Utilization and Impact of Electronic and Print Media on the Patients' Health Status: Physicians' Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Shakeel, Sadia; Nesar, Shagufta; Rahim, Najia; Iffat, Wajiha; Ahmed, Hafiza Fouzia; Rizvi, Mehwish; Jamshed, Shazia

    2017-01-01

    Despite an increased popularity of print and electronic media applications, there is a paucity of data reflecting doctors' opinions regarding efficient utilization of these resources for the betterment of public health. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of physicians toward the effect of electronic and print media on the health status of patients. The current research is a cross-sectional study conducted from January 2015 to July 2015. The study population comprised physicians rendering their services in different hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan, selected by the nonprobability convenience sampling technique. In this study, 500 questionnaires were distributed through email or direct correspondence. Physicians' perception toward the impact of electronic and print media on the health status of patients was assessed with a 20-item questionnaire. Different demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, institution, position, and experience of respondents, were recorded. Quantitative data were analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). The association of the demographic characteristics of the responses of physicians was determined by one-way ANOVA using 0.05 level of significance. In this study, 254 physicians provided consent to show their responses for research purposes. A response rate of 50.8% was obtained. Nearly one-third of the respondents negated that patients get health benefit using electronic and print media. The majority did not consider electronic and print media as lifestyle-modifying factors. Physicians thought that patients particularly do not rely on mass media for acquiring health information and consider healthcare professionals as unswerving information resource. Mass media can be productive resources to augment awareness among patients, although physicians seem unconvinced about the extended usage of print/electronic media.

  16. Utilization and Impact of Electronic and Print Media on the Patients’ Health Status: Physicians’ Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Shakeel, Sadia; Nesar, Shagufta; Rahim, Najia; Iffat, Wajiha; Ahmed, Hafiza Fouzia; Rizvi, Mehwish; Jamshed, Shazia

    2017-01-01

    Aims: Despite an increased popularity of print and electronic media applications, there is a paucity of data reflecting doctors’ opinions regarding efficient utilization of these resources for the betterment of public health. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the perception of physicians toward the effect of electronic and print media on the health status of patients. Setting and Design: The current research is a cross-sectional study conducted from January 2015 to July 2015. The study population comprised physicians rendering their services in different hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan, selected by the nonprobability convenience sampling technique. In this study, 500 questionnaires were distributed through email or direct correspondence. Methods and Materials: Physicians’ perception toward the impact of electronic and print media on the health status of patients was assessed with a 20-item questionnaire. Different demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, institution, position, and experience of respondents, were recorded. Quantitative data were analyzed with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). The association of the demographic characteristics of the responses of physicians was determined by one-way ANOVA using 0.05 level of significance. Results: In this study, 254 physicians provided consent to show their responses for research purposes. A response rate of 50.8% was obtained. Nearly one-third of the respondents negated that patients get health benefit using electronic and print media. The majority did not consider electronic and print media as lifestyle-modifying factors. Physicians thought that patients particularly do not rely on mass media for acquiring health information and consider healthcare professionals as unswerving information resource. Conclusions: Mass media can be productive resources to augment awareness among patients, although physicians seem unconvinced about the extended usage of print/electronic media. PMID:29456378

  17. Mechanisms, Capabilities, and Applications of High-Resolution Electrohydrodynamic Jet Printing.

    PubMed

    Onses, M Serdar; Sutanto, Erick; Ferreira, Placid M; Alleyne, Andrew G; Rogers, John A

    2015-09-09

    This review gives an overview of techniques used for high-resolution jet printing that rely on electrohydrodynamically induced flows. Such methods enable the direct, additive patterning of materials with a resolution that can extend below 100 nm to provide unique opportunities not only in scientific studies but also in a range of applications that includes printed electronics, tissue engineering, and photonic and plasmonic devices. Following a brief historical perspective, this review presents descriptions of the underlying processes involved in the formation of liquid cones and jets to establish critical factors in the printing process. Different printing systems that share similar principles are then described, along with key advances that have been made in the last decade. Capabilities in terms of printable materials and levels of resolution are reviewed, with a strong emphasis on areas of potential application. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Printable elastic conductors with a high conductivity for electronic textile applications

    PubMed Central

    Matsuhisa, Naoji; Kaltenbrunner, Martin; Yokota, Tomoyuki; Jinno, Hiroaki; Kuribara, Kazunori; Sekitani, Tsuyoshi; Someya, Takao

    2015-01-01

    The development of advanced flexible large-area electronics such as flexible displays and sensors will thrive on engineered functional ink formulations for printed electronics where the spontaneous arrangement of molecules aids the printing processes. Here we report a printable elastic conductor with a high initial conductivity of 738 S cm−1 and a record high conductivity of 182 S cm−1 when stretched to 215% strain. The elastic conductor ink is comprised of Ag flakes, a fluorine rubber and a fluorine surfactant. The fluorine surfactant constitutes a key component which directs the formation of surface-localized conductive networks in the printed elastic conductor, leading to a high conductivity and stretchability. We demonstrate the feasibility of our inks by fabricating a stretchable organic transistor active matrix on a rubbery stretchability-gradient substrate with unimpaired functionality when stretched to 110%, and a wearable electromyogram sensor printed onto a textile garment. PMID:26109453

  19. Carbon Nanotube Flexible and Stretchable Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Le; Wang, Chuan

    2015-08-01

    The low-cost and large-area manufacturing of flexible and stretchable electronics using printing processes could radically change people's perspectives on electronics and substantially expand the spectrum of potential applications. Examples range from personalized wearable electronics to large-area smart wallpapers and from interactive bio-inspired robots to implantable health/medical apparatus. Owing to its one-dimensional structure and superior electrical property, carbon nanotube is one of the most promising material platforms for flexible and stretchable electronics. Here in this paper, we review the recent progress in this field. Applications of single-wall carbon nanotube networks as channel semiconductor in flexible thin-film transistors and integrated circuits, as stretchable conductors in various sensors, and as channel material in stretchable transistors will be discussed. Lastly, state-of-the-art advancement on printing process, which is ideal for large-scale fabrication of flexible and stretchable electronics, will also be reviewed in detail.

  20. Carbon Nanotube Flexible and Stretchable Electronics.

    PubMed

    Cai, Le; Wang, Chuan

    2015-12-01

    The low-cost and large-area manufacturing of flexible and stretchable electronics using printing processes could radically change people's perspectives on electronics and substantially expand the spectrum of potential applications. Examples range from personalized wearable electronics to large-area smart wallpapers and from interactive bio-inspired robots to implantable health/medical apparatus. Owing to its one-dimensional structure and superior electrical property, carbon nanotube is one of the most promising material platforms for flexible and stretchable electronics. Here in this paper, we review the recent progress in this field. Applications of single-wall carbon nanotube networks as channel semiconductor in flexible thin-film transistors and integrated circuits, as stretchable conductors in various sensors, and as channel material in stretchable transistors will be discussed. Lastly, state-of-the-art advancement on printing process, which is ideal for large-scale fabrication of flexible and stretchable electronics, will also be reviewed in detail.

  1. Screen printing as a scalable and low-cost approach for rigid and flexible thin-film transistors using separated carbon nanotubes.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xuan; Chen, Haitian; Gu, Xiaofei; Liu, Bilu; Wang, Wenli; Cao, Yu; Wu, Fanqi; Zhou, Chongwu

    2014-12-23

    Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes are very promising materials in printed electronics due to their excellent mechanical and electrical property, outstanding printability, and great potential for flexible electronics. Nonetheless, developing scalable and low-cost approaches for manufacturing fully printed high-performance single-wall carbon nanotube thin-film transistors remains a major challenge. Here we report that screen printing, which is a simple, scalable, and cost-effective technique, can be used to produce both rigid and flexible thin-film transistors using separated single-wall carbon nanotubes. Our fully printed top-gated nanotube thin-film transistors on rigid and flexible substrates exhibit decent performance, with mobility up to 7.67 cm2 V(-1) s(-1), on/off ratio of 10(4)∼10(5), minimal hysteresis, and low operation voltage (<10 V). In addition, outstanding mechanical flexibility of printed nanotube thin-film transistors (bent with radius of curvature down to 3 mm) and driving capability for organic light-emitting diode have been demonstrated. Given the high performance of the fully screen-printed single-wall carbon nanotube thin-film transistors, we believe screen printing stands as a low-cost, scalable, and reliable approach to manufacture high-performance nanotube thin-film transistors for application in display electronics. Moreover, this technique may be used to fabricate thin-film transistors based on other materials for large-area flexible macroelectronics, and low-cost display electronics.

  2. A Bioactive Carbon Nanotube-Based Ink for Printing 2D and 3D Flexible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Shin, Su Ryon; Farzad, Raziyeh; Tamayol, Ali; Manoharan, Vijayan; Mostafalu, Pooria; Zhang, Yu Shrike; Akbari, Mohsen; Jung, Sung Mi; Kim, Duckjin; Comotto, Mattia; Annabi, Nasim; Al-Hazmi, Faten Ebrahim; Dokmeci, Mehmet R; Khademhosseini, Ali

    2016-05-01

    The development of electrically conductive carbon nanotube-based inks is reported. Using these inks, 2D and 3D structures are printed on various flexible substrates such as paper, hydrogels, and elastomers. The printed patterns have mechanical and electrical properties that make them beneficial for various biological applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. 3D Printing of Highly Stretchable, Shape-Memory, and Self-Healing Elastomer toward Novel 4D Printing.

    PubMed

    Kuang, Xiao; Chen, Kaijuan; Dunn, Conner K; Wu, Jiangtao; Li, Vincent C F; Qi, H Jerry

    2018-02-28

    The three-dimensional (3D) printing of flexible and stretchable materials with smart functions such as shape memory (SM) and self-healing (SH) is highly desirable for the development of future 4D printing technology for myriad applications, such as soft actuators, deployable smart medical devices, and flexible electronics. Here, we report a novel ink that can be used for the 3D printing of highly stretchable, SM, and SH elastomer via UV-light-assisted direct-ink-write printing. An ink containing urethane diacrylate and a linear semicrystalline polymer is developed for the 3D printing of a semi-interpenetrating polymer network elastomer that can be stretched by up to 600%. The 3D-printed complex structures show interesting functional properties, such as high strain SM and SM -assisted SH capability. We demonstrate that such a 3D-printed SM elastomer has the potential application for biomedical devices, such as vascular repair devices. This research paves a new way for the further development of novel 4D printing, soft robotics, and biomedical devices.

  4. Case study on risk evaluation of printed electronics using nanosilver ink.

    PubMed

    Kim, Ellen; Lee, Ji Hyun; Kim, Jin Kwon; Lee, Gun Ho; Ahn, Kangho; Park, Jung Duck; Yu, Il Je

    2016-01-01

    With the ever-increasing development of nanotechnology, our society is being surrounded by possible risks related to exposure to manufactured nanomaterials. The consumer market already includes many products that contain silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), including various household products, such as yoga mats, cutting boards, running shirts, and socks. There is a growing concern over the release of AgNPs in workplaces related to the manufacture and application of nanomaterials. This study investigated the release of AgNPs during the operation of a printed electronics printer. Using an exposure simulation chamber, a nanoparticle collector, scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), condensation particle counter (CPC), dust monitor, and mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filters are all connected to measure the AgNP exposure levels when operating a printed electronics printer. A very small amount of AgNPs was released during the operation of the printed electronics printer, and the number of AgNPs inside the exposure simulation chamber was lower than that outside background. In addition, when evaluating the potential risks for consumers and workers using a margin of exposure (MOE) approach and target MOE of 1000, the operational results far exceeded the target MOE in this simulation study and in a previous workplace exposure study. The overall results indicate a no-risk concern level in the case of printed electronics using nanosilver ink.

  5. Flexible hybrid circuit fully inkjet-printed: Surface mount devices assembled by silver nanoparticles-based inkjet ink

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arrese, J.; Vescio, G.; Xuriguera, E.; Medina-Rodriguez, B.; Cornet, A.; Cirera, A.

    2017-03-01

    Nowadays, inkjet-printed devices such as transistors are still unstable in air and have poor performances. Moreover, the present electronics applications require a high degree of reliability and quality of their properties. In order to accomplish these application requirements, hybrid electronics is fulfilled by combining the advantages of the printing technologies with the surface-mount technology. In this work, silver nanoparticle-based inkjet ink (AgNP ink) is used as a novel approach to connect surface-mount devices (SMDs) onto inkjet-printed pads, conducted by inkjet printing technology. Excellent quality AgNP ink-junctions are ensured with high resolution picoliter drop jetting at low temperature (˜150 °C). Electrical, mechanical, and morphological characterizations are carried out to assess the performance of the AgNP ink junction. Moreover, AgNP ink is compared with common benchmark materials (i.e., silver epoxy and solder). Electrical contact resistance characterization shows a similar performance between the AgNP ink and the usual ones. Mechanical characterization shows comparable shear strength for AgNP ink and silver epoxy, and both present higher adhesion than solder. Morphological inspections by field-emission scanning electron microscopy confirm a high quality interface of the silver nanoparticle interconnection. Finally, a flexible hybrid circuit on paper controlled by an Arduino board is manufactured, demonstrating the viability and scalability of the AgNP ink assembling technique.

  6. Three-dimensional Printing of Silver Microarchitectures Using Newtonian Nanoparticle Inks.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sanghyeon; Kim, Jung Hyun; Wajahat, Muhammad; Jeong, Hwakyung; Chang, Won Suk; Cho, Sung Ho; Kim, Ji Tae; Seol, Seung Kwon

    2017-06-07

    Although three-dimensional (3D) printing has recently emerged as a technology to potentially bring about the next industrial revolution, the limited selection of usable materials restricts its use to simple prototyping. In particular, metallic 3D printing with submicrometer spatial resolution is essential for the realization of 3D-printed electronics. Herein, a meniscus-guided 3D printing method that exploits a low-viscosity (∼7 mPa·s) silver nanoparticle (AgNP) ink meniscus with Newtonian fluid characteristics (which is compatible with conventional inkjet printers) to fabricate 3D silver microarchitectures is reported. Poly(acrylic acid)-capped AgNP ink that exhibits a continuous ink flow through a confined nozzle without aggregation is designed in this study. Guiding the ink meniscus with controlled direction and speed enables both vertical pulling and layer-by-layer processing, resulting in the creation of 3D microobjects with designed shapes other than those for simple wiring. Various highly conductive (>10 4 S·cm -1 ) 3D metallic patterns are demonstrated for applications in electronic devices. This research is expected to widen the range of materials that can be employed in 3D printing technology, with the aim of moving 3D printing beyond prototyping and into real manufacturing platforms for future electronics.

  7. Microcontact Printing Patterning of an HOPG Surface by an Inverse Electron Demand Diels-Alder Reaction.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Jun; Hiltz, Jonathan; Tefashe, Ushula M; Mauzeroll, Janine; Lennox, R Bruce

    2018-06-21

    The chemical modification of an sp 2 hybridized carbon surface in a controllable manner is very challenging but also crucial for many applications. An inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction using microcontact printing technique is introduced to spatially control the modification of a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface under ambient conditions. The covalent modification was characterized by Raman spectroscopy, XPS, and SECM. Tetrazine derivatives can effectively react with an HOPG surface and with microcontact printing methods resulting in spatially patterned surfaces being produced with micrometer-scale resolution. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Studies on possibilities of polymer composites with conductive nanomaterials application in wearable electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gralczyk, Kinga; Janczak, D.; Dybowska-Sarapuk, Ł.; Lepak, S.; Wróblewski, G.; Jakubowska, M.

    2017-08-01

    In the last few years there has been a growing interest in wearable electronic products, which are generating considerable interest especially in sport and medical industries. But rigid electronics is not comfortable to wear, so things like stretchable substrates, interconnects and electronic devices might help. Flexible electronics could adjust to the curves of a human body and allow the users to move freely. The objective of this paper is to study possibilities of polymer composites with conductive nanomaterials application in wearable electronics. Pastes with graphene, silver nanoplates and carbon nanotubes were manufactured and then interconnects were screen-printed on the surfaces of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and fabric. Afterwards, the resistance and mechanical properties of samples were examined, also after washing them in a washing machine. It has been found that the best material for the conductive phase is silver. Traces printed directly on the fabric using conductive composites with one functional phase (silver nanoplates or graphene or carbon nanotubes) are too fragile to use them as a common solution in wearable electronics. Mechanical properties can be improved not only by adding carbon nanotubes or graphene to the silver paste, but also by printing additional layer of graphene paste or carbon nanotube paste onto silver layer. In fact, these solutions are not sufficient enough to solve a problem of using these composites in wearable electronics.

  9. The Internet: A Selective Annotated Bibliography of Print Material.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giguere, Marlene

    1993-01-01

    Describes 38 introductory print materials the novice may consult before using the Internet, including guides and directories to resources; general information about the Internet; materials about Internet applications such as electronic mail, remote login, and file transfer; and information about Internet tools such as Archie, Gopher, and WAIS…

  10. 3D nanostructured inkjet printed graphene via UV-pulsed laser irradiation enables paper-based electronics and electrochemical devices.

    PubMed

    Das, Suprem R; Nian, Qiong; Cargill, Allison A; Hondred, John A; Ding, Shaowei; Saei, Mojib; Cheng, Gary J; Claussen, Jonathan C

    2016-09-21

    Emerging research on printed and flexible graphene-based electronics is beginning to show tremendous promise for a wide variety of fields including wearable sensors and thin film transistors. However, post-print annealing/reduction processes that are necessary to increase the electrical conductivity of the printed graphene degrade sensitive substrates (e.g., paper) and are whole substrate processes that are unable to selectively anneal/reduce only the printed graphene-leaving sensitive device components exposed to damaging heat or chemicals. Herein a pulsed laser process is introduced that can selectively irradiate inkjet printed reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and subsequently improve the electrical conductivity (Rsheet∼0.7 kΩ□(-1)) of printed graphene above previously published reports. Furthermore, the laser process is capable of developing 3D petal-like graphene nanostructures from 2D planar printed graphene. These visible morphological changes display favorable electrochemical sensing characteristics-ferricyanide cyclic voltammetry with a redox peak separation (ΔEp) ≈ 0.7 V as well as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) amperometry with a sensitivity of 3.32 μA mM(-1) and a response time of <5 s. Thus this work paves the way for not only paper-based electronics with graphene circuits, it enables the creation of low-cost and disposable graphene-based electrochemical electrodes for myriad applications including sensors, biosensors, fuel cells, and theranostic devices.

  11. Plasma Jet Printing and in Situ Reduction of Highly Acidic Graphene Oxide.

    PubMed

    Dey, Avishek; Krishnamurthy, Satheesh; Bowen, James; Nordlund, Dennis; Meyyappan, M; Gandhiraman, Ram P

    2018-05-23

    Miniaturization of electronic devices and the advancement of Internet of Things pose exciting challenges to develop technologies for patterned deposition of functional nanomaterials. Printed and flexible electronic devices and energy storage devices can be embedded onto clothing or other flexible surfaces. Graphene oxide (GO) has gained much attention in printed electronics due its solution processability, robustness, and high electrical conductivity in the reduced state. Here, we introduce an approach to print GO films from highly acidic suspensions with in situ reduction using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Low-temperature plasma of a He and H 2 mixture was used successfully to reduce a highly acidic GO suspension (pH < 2) in situ during deposition. This technique overcomes the multiple intermediate steps required to increase the conductivity of deposited GO. X-ray spectroscopic studies confirmed that the reaction intermediates and the concentration of oxygen functionalities bonded to GO have been reduced significantly by this approach without any additional steps. Moreover, the reduced GO films showed enhanced conductivity. Hence, this technique has a strong potential for printing conducting patterns of GO for a range of large-scale applications.

  12. A novel fabrication method of carbon electrodes using 3D printing and chemical modification process.

    PubMed

    Tian, Pan; Chen, Chaoyang; Hu, Jie; Qi, Jin; Wang, Qianghua; Chen, Jimmy Ching-Ming; Cavanaugh, John; Peng, Yinghong; Cheng, Mark Ming-Cheng

    2017-11-23

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technique in the field of biomedical engineering and electronics. This paper presents a novel biofabrication method of implantable carbon electrodes with several advantages including fast prototyping, patient-specific and miniaturization without expensive cleanroom. The method combines stereolithography in additive manufacturing and chemical modification processes to fabricate electrically conductive carbon electrodes. The stereolithography allows the structures to be 3D printed with very fine resolution and desired shapes. The resin is then chemically modified to carbon using pyrolysis to enhance electrochemical performance. The electrochemical characteristics of 3D printing carbon electrodes are assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The specific capacitance of 3D printing carbon electrodes is much higher than the same sized platinum (Pt) electrode. In-vivo electromyography (EMG) recording, 3D printing carbon electrodes exhibit much higher signal-to-noise ratio (40.63 ± 7.73) than Pt electrodes (14.26 ± 6.83). The proposed biofabrication method is envisioned to enable 3D printing in many emerging applications in biomedical engineering and electronics.

  13. The Boom in 3D-Printed Sensor Technology

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Xiaoyue; Guo, Xiao; Kong, Bin; Zhang, Min; Qian, Xiang; Mi, Shengli; Sun, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Future sensing applications will include high-performance features, such as toxin detection, real-time monitoring of physiological events, advanced diagnostics, and connected feedback. However, such multi-functional sensors require advancements in sensitivity, specificity, and throughput with the simultaneous delivery of multiple detection in a short time. Recent advances in 3D printing and electronics have brought us closer to sensors with multiplex advantages, and additive manufacturing approaches offer a new scope for sensor fabrication. To this end, we review the recent advances in 3D-printed cutting-edge sensors. These achievements demonstrate the successful application of 3D-printing technology in sensor fabrication, and the selected studies deeply explore the potential for creating sensors with higher performance. Further development of multi-process 3D printing is expected to expand future sensor utility and availability. PMID:28534832

  14. Towards microscale electrohydrodynamic three-dimensional printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Jiankang; Xu, Fangyuan; Cao, Yi; Liu, Yaxiong; Li, Dichen

    2016-02-01

    It is challenging for the existing three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques to fabricate high-resolution 3D microstructures with low costs and high efficiency. In this work we present a solvent-based electrohydrodynamic 3D printing technique that allows fabrication of microscale structures like single walls, crossed walls, lattice and concentric circles. Process parameters were optimized to deposit tiny 3D patterns with a wall width smaller than 10 μm and a high aspect ratio of about 60. Tight bonding among neighbour layers could be achieved with a smooth lateral surface. In comparison with the existing microscale 3D printing techniques, the presented method is low-cost, highly efficient and applicable to multiple polymers. It is envisioned that this simple microscale 3D printing strategy might provide an alternative and innovative way for application in MEMS, biosensor and flexible electronics.

  15. Printed 2 V-operating organic inverter arrays employing a small-molecule/polymer blend

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shiwaku, Rei; Takeda, Yasunori; Fukuda, Takashi; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Matsui, Hiroyuki; Kumaki, Daisuke; Tokito, Shizuo

    2016-10-01

    Printed organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are well suited for low-cost electronic applications, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors. Achieving both high carrier mobility and uniform electrical characteristics in printed OTFT devices is essential in these applications. Here, we report on printed high-performance OTFTs and circuits using silver nanoparticle inks for the source/drain electrodes and a blend of dithieno[2,3-d2‧,3‧-d‧]benzo[1,2-b4,5-b‧]dithiophene (DTBDT-C6) and polystyrene for the organic semiconducting layer. A high saturation region mobility of 1.0 cm2 V-1 s-1 at low operation voltage of -5 V was obtained for relatively short channel lengths of 9 μm. All fifteen of the printed pseudo-CMOS inverter circuits were formed on a common substrate and operated at low operation voltage of 2 V with the total variation in threshold voltage of 0.35 V. Consequently, the printed OTFT devices can be used in more complex integrated circuit applications requiring low manufacturing cost over large areas.

  16. All-printed magnetically self-healing electrochemical devices

    PubMed Central

    Bandodkar, Amay J.; López, Cristian S.; Vinu Mohan, Allibai Mohanan; Yin, Lu; Kumar, Rajan; Wang, Joseph

    2016-01-01

    The present work demonstrates the synthesis and application of permanent magnetic Nd2Fe14B microparticle (NMP)–loaded graphitic inks for realizing rapidly self-healing inexpensive printed electrochemical devices. The incorporation of NMPs into the printable ink imparts impressive self-healing ability to the printed conducting trace, with rapid (~50 ms) recovery of repeated large (3 mm) damages at the same or different locations without any user intervention or external trigger. The permanent and surrounding-insensitive magnetic properties of the NMPs thus result in long-lasting ability to repair extreme levels of damage, independent of ambient conditions. This remarkable self-healing capability has not been reported for existing man-made self-healing systems and offers distinct advantages over common capsule and intrinsically self-healing systems. The printed system has been characterized by leveraging crystallographic, magnetic hysteresis, microscopic imaging, electrical conductivity, and electrochemical techniques. The real-life applicability of the new self-healing concept is demonstrated for the autonomous repair of all-printed batteries, electrochemical sensors, and wearable textile-based electrical circuits, indicating considerable promise for widespread practical applications and long-lasting printed electronic devices. PMID:27847875

  17. Printed 2 V-operating organic inverter arrays employing a small-molecule/polymer blend.

    PubMed

    Shiwaku, Rei; Takeda, Yasunori; Fukuda, Takashi; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Matsui, Hiroyuki; Kumaki, Daisuke; Tokito, Shizuo

    2016-10-04

    Printed organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are well suited for low-cost electronic applications, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors. Achieving both high carrier mobility and uniform electrical characteristics in printed OTFT devices is essential in these applications. Here, we report on printed high-performance OTFTs and circuits using silver nanoparticle inks for the source/drain electrodes and a blend of dithieno[2,3-d;2',3'-d']benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b']dithiophene (DTBDT-C 6 ) and polystyrene for the organic semiconducting layer. A high saturation region mobility of 1.0 cm 2  V -1  s -1 at low operation voltage of -5 V was obtained for relatively short channel lengths of 9 μm. All fifteen of the printed pseudo-CMOS inverter circuits were formed on a common substrate and operated at low operation voltage of 2 V with the total variation in threshold voltage of 0.35 V. Consequently, the printed OTFT devices can be used in more complex integrated circuit applications requiring low manufacturing cost over large areas.

  18. Ink-jet printing of graphene for flexible electronics: An environmentally-friendly approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capasso, A.; Del Rio Castillo, A. E.; Sun, H.; Ansaldo, A.; Pellegrini, V.; Bonaccorso, F.

    2015-12-01

    Mechanical flexibility is considered an asset in consumer electronics and next-generation electronic systems. Printed and flexible electronic devices could be embedded into clothing or other surfaces at home or office or in many products such as low-cost sensors integrated in transparent and flexible surfaces. In this context inks based on graphene and related two-dimensional materials (2DMs) are gaining increasing attention owing to their exceptional (opto)electronic, electrochemical and mechanical properties. The current limitation relies on the use of solvents, providing stable dispersions of graphene and 2DMs and fitting the proper fluidic requirements for printing, which are in general not environmentally benign, and with high boiling point. Non-toxic and low boiling point solvents do not possess the required rheological properties (i.e., surface tension, viscosity and density) for the solution processing of graphene and 2DMs. Such solvents (e.g., water, alcohols) require the addition of stabilizing agents such as polymers or surfactants for the dispersion of graphene and 2DMs, which however unavoidably corrupt their properties, thus preventing their use for the target application. Here, we demonstrate a viable strategy to tune the fluidic properties of water/ethanol mixtures (low-boiling point solvents) to first effectively exfoliate graphite and then disperse graphene flakes to formulate graphene-based inks. We demonstrate that such inks can be used to print conductive stripes (sheet resistance of ~13 kΩ/□) on flexible substrates (polyethylene terephthalate), moving a step forward towards the realization of graphene-based printed electronic devices.

  19. High-Speed 3D Printing of High-Performance Thermosetting Polymers via Two-Stage Curing.

    PubMed

    Kuang, Xiao; Zhao, Zeang; Chen, Kaijuan; Fang, Daining; Kang, Guozheng; Qi, Hang Jerry

    2018-04-01

    Design and direct fabrication of high-performance thermosets and composites via 3D printing are highly desirable in engineering applications. Most 3D printed thermosetting polymers to date suffer from poor mechanical properties and low printing speed. Here, a novel ink for high-speed 3D printing of high-performance epoxy thermosets via a two-stage curing approach is presented. The ink containing photocurable resin and thermally curable epoxy resin is used for the digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing. After printing, the part is thermally cured at elevated temperature to yield an interpenetrating polymer network epoxy composite, whose mechanical properties are comparable to engineering epoxy. The printing speed is accelerated by the continuous liquid interface production assisted DLP 3D printing method, achieving a printing speed as high as 216 mm h -1 . It is also demonstrated that 3D printing structural electronics can be achieved by combining the 3D printed epoxy composites with infilled silver ink in the hollow channels. The new 3D printing method via two-stage curing combines the attributes of outstanding printing speed, high resolution, low volume shrinkage, and excellent mechanical properties, and provides a new avenue to fabricate 3D thermosetting composites with excellent mechanical properties and high efficiency toward high-performance and functional applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Nanomaterial Based Sensors for NASA Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koehne, Jessica E.

    2016-01-01

    Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon nanofibers (CNFs), graphene and metal nanowires have shown interesting electronic properties and therefore have been pursued for a variety of space applications requiring ultrasensitive and light-weight sensor and electronic devices. We have been pursuing development of chemical and biosensors using carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers for the last several years and this talk will present the benefits of nanomaterials these applications. More recently, printing approaches to manufacturing these devices have been explored as a strategy that is compatible to a microgravity environment. Nanomaterials are either grown in house or purchased and processed as electrical inks. Chemical modification or coatings are added to the nanomaterials to tailor the nanomaterial to the exact application. The development of printed chemical sensors and biosensors will be discussed for applications ranging from crew life support to exploration missions.

  1. Fabrication of In(0.75)Zn(1.5)Sn(1.0) (IZTO) Thin-Film Transistors Using Solution-Processable Materials and PZT Inkjet-Printing.

    PubMed

    Lee, Tai-Kuang; Liuand, Chao-Te; Lee, Wen-Hsi

    2017-01-01

    Recently, Thin Film Transistors (TFTs) have been studied widely because of potential applications in low cost, low-temperature process and flexible displays. They can be fabricated by easy processes based on solution methods. But the mobility of organic TFTs is lower and the threshold voltage is higher than amorphous Si TFTs. In order to enhance the channel mobility and satisfy with the requirement of low-cost fabrication, we prepare a low-cost, mask-free, reduced material wastage, deposited technology using transparent, directly printable, air-stable semiconductor slurries and dielectric solutions. In our investigations, we attempt to obtain a high performance and low-cost TFT via preparing materials, designing device structure, and using PZT inkjet-printing technology. A stable and non-precipitated metal oxide ink with appropriate doping was prepared for the fabrication of an InxZn1.5Sn1.0 (IZTO) by PZT inkjet-printing. The soluble direct-printing process is a powerful tool for material research and implies that the printable materials and the printing technology enable the use of all-printed low-cost flexible displays and other transparent electronic applications. Transparent materials including dielectric PVP, conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) and active IZTO were employed into the fabrication of our PZT inkjet-printing process. After annealed at 180 °C, The experimental all-printed TFT exhibit the carrier mobility of 0.194 cm2/Vs, sub-threshold slope of 20 V/decade, and the threshold voltage of 5 V, initially. All-inkjet-printed films have great transparency, potentially in transparent electronics and the transmittance pattern in visible part of the spectrum (400–700 nm) is over 80%.

  2. Fabrication of ultra-fine nanostructures using edge transfer printing.

    PubMed

    Xue, Mianqi; Li, Fengwang; Cao, Tingbing

    2012-03-21

    The exploration of new methods and techniques for application in diverse fields, such as photonics, microfluidics, biotechnology and flexible electronics is of increasing scientific and technical interest for multiple uses over distance of 10-100 nm. This article discusses edge transfer printing--a series of unconventional methods derived from soft lithography for nanofabrication. It possesses the advantages of easy fabrication, low-cost and great serviceability. In this paper, we show how to produce exposed edges and use various materials for edge transfer printing, while nanoskiving, nanotransfer edge printing and tunable cracking for nanogaps are introduced. Besides this, different functional materials, such as metals, inorganic semiconductors and polymers, as well as localised heating and charge patterning, are described here as unconventional "inks" for printing. Edge transfer printing, which can effectively produce sub-100 nm scale ultra-fine structures, has broad applications, including metallic nanowires as nanoelectrodes, semiconductor nanowires for chemical sensors, heterostructures of organic semiconductors, plasmonic devices and so forth. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

  3. Laser-induced forward transfer for printed electronics applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernández-Pradas, J. M.; Sopeña, P.; González-Torres, S.; Arrese, J.; Cirera, A.; Serra, P.

    2018-02-01

    Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a printing technique based on the action of a laser pulse that is focused on a thin film of a precursor ink for getting the transfer of a droplet onto a receiver substrate. The experiments presented in this article aim to demonstrate the ability of LIFT to produce electronic circuits on paper, a substrate that is flexible, cheap and recyclable. Tests were conducted to study the printing of conductive tracks with an Ag ink. The printing of a suspension of carbon nanofibers was also studied to demonstrate the ability of LIFT for printing inks with particles with some microns in size that provoke inkjet nozzles to clog. As a proof-of-concept of the LIFT possibilities, both inks were used to print entirely by LIFT a functional humidity sensor on a piece of paper. All the LIFT experiments were performed with a Nd:YAG laser that delivers pulses of a few hundreds of ns in an attempt to approach the technique to laser systems that are already introduced in many production lines for marking and labeling.

  4. Fully Printed Ultraflexible Supercapacitor Supported by a Single-Textile Substrate.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Huihui; Qiao, Yan; Lu, Zhisong

    2016-11-30

    Textile-based supercapacitors have recently attracted much attention owing to their great potential as energy storage components in wearable electronics. However, fabrication of a high-performance, fully printed, and ultraflexible supercapacitor based on a single textile still remains a great challenge. Herein, a facile, low-cost, and textile-compatible method involving screen printing and transfer printing is developed to construct all-solid-state supercapacitors on a single silk fabric. The system exhibits a high specific capacitance of 19.23 mF cm -2 at a current density of 1 mA cm -2 and excellent cycling stability with capacitance retention of 84% after 2000 charging/discharging cycles. In addition, the device possesses superior mechanical stability with stable performance and structures after 100 times of bending and twisting. A butterfly-patterned supercapacitor was manufactured to demonstrate the compatibility of the printing approaches to textile aesthetics. This work may provide a facile and versatile approach for fabricating rationally designed ultraflexible textile-based power-storage elements for potential applications in smart textiles and stretchable/flexible electronics.

  5. Inkjet printing of 2D layered materials.

    PubMed

    Li, Jiantong; Lemme, Max C; Östling, Mikael

    2014-11-10

    Inkjet printing of 2D layered materials, such as graphene and MoS2, has attracted great interests for emerging electronics. However, incompatible rheology, low concentration, severe aggregation and toxicity of solvents constitute critical challenges which hamper the manufacturing efficiency and product quality. Here, we introduce a simple and general technology concept (distillation-assisted solvent exchange) to efficiently overcome these challenges. By implementing the concept, we have demonstrated excellent jetting performance, ideal printing patterns and a variety of promising applications for inkjet printing of 2D layered materials. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. 75 FR 81152 - Interpretation of Protection System Reliability Standard

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-27

    ... created electronically using word processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to... reh'g & compliance, 117 FERC ] 61,126 (2006), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (DC... print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format, at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp . Mail...

  7. Printed 2 V-operating organic inverter arrays employing a small-molecule/polymer blend

    PubMed Central

    Shiwaku, Rei; Takeda, Yasunori; Fukuda, Takashi; Fukuda, Kenjiro; Matsui, Hiroyuki; Kumaki, Daisuke; Tokito, Shizuo

    2016-01-01

    Printed organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are well suited for low-cost electronic applications, such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and sensors. Achieving both high carrier mobility and uniform electrical characteristics in printed OTFT devices is essential in these applications. Here, we report on printed high-performance OTFTs and circuits using silver nanoparticle inks for the source/drain electrodes and a blend of dithieno[2,3-d;2′,3′-d′]benzo[1,2-b;4,5-b′]dithiophene (DTBDT-C6) and polystyrene for the organic semiconducting layer. A high saturation region mobility of 1.0 cm2 V−1 s−1 at low operation voltage of −5 V was obtained for relatively short channel lengths of 9 μm. All fifteen of the printed pseudo-CMOS inverter circuits were formed on a common substrate and operated at low operation voltage of 2 V with the total variation in threshold voltage of 0.35 V. Consequently, the printed OTFT devices can be used in more complex integrated circuit applications requiring low manufacturing cost over large areas. PMID:27698493

  8. A low-cost 3-D printed stethoscope connected to a smartphone.

    PubMed

    Aguilera-Astudillo, Carlos; Chavez-Campos, Marx; Gonzalez-Suarez, Alan; Garcia-Cordero, Jose L

    2016-08-01

    We demonstrate the fabrication of a digital stethoscope using a 3D printer and commercial off-the-shelf electronics. A chestpiece consists of an electret microphone embedded into the drum of a 3D printed chestpiece. An electronic dongle amplifies the signal from the microphone and reduces any external noise. It also adjusts the signal to the voltages accepted by the smartphones headset jack. A graphical user interface programmed in Android displays the signals processed by the dongle. The application also saves the processed signal and sends it to a physician.

  9. Paper-based silver-nanowire electronic circuits with outstanding electrical conductivity and extreme bending stability.

    PubMed

    Huang, Gui-Wen; Xiao, Hong-Mei; Fu, Shao-Yun

    2014-08-07

    Here a facile, green and efficient printing-filtration-press (PFP) technique is reported for room-temperature (RT) mass-production of low-cost, environmentally friendly, high performance paper-based electronic circuits. The as-prepared silver nanowires (Ag-NWs) are uniformly deposited at RT on a pre-printed paper substrate to form high quality circuits via vacuum filtration and pressing. The PFP circuit exhibits more excellent electrical property and bending stability compared with other flexible circuits made by existing techniques. Furthermore, practical applications of the PFP circuits are demonstrated.

  10. Tensile characteristics of metal nanoparticle films on flexible polymer substrates for printed electronics applications.

    PubMed

    Kim, Sanghyeok; Won, Sejeong; Sim, Gi-Dong; Park, Inkyu; Lee, Soon-Bok

    2013-03-01

    Metal nanoparticle solutions are widely used for the fabrication of printed electronic devices. The mechanical properties of the solution-processed metal nanoparticle thin films are very important for the robust and reliable operation of printed electronic devices. In this paper, we report the tensile characteristics of silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) thin films on flexible polymer substrates by observing the microstructures and measuring the electrical resistance under tensile strain. The effects of the annealing temperatures and periods of Ag NP thin films on their failure strains are explained with a microstructural investigation. The maximum failure strain for Ag NP thin film was 6.6% after initial sintering at 150 °C for 30 min. Thermal annealing at higher temperatures for longer periods resulted in a reduction of the maximum failure strain, presumably due to higher porosity and larger pore size. We also found that solution-processed Ag NP thin films have lower failure strains than those of electron beam evaporated Ag thin films due to their highly porous film morphologies.

  11. Fully Printed Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposites for Flexible Thermoelectric Applications.

    PubMed

    Ou, Canlin; Sangle, Abhijeet L; Datta, Anuja; Jing, Qingshen; Busolo, Tommaso; Chalklen, Thomas; Narayan, Vijay; Kar-Narayan, Sohini

    2018-06-13

    Thermoelectric materials, capable of interconverting heat and electricity, are attractive for applications in thermal energy harvesting as a means to power wireless sensors, wearable devices, and portable electronics. However, traditional inorganic thermoelectric materials pose significant challenges due to high cost, toxicity, scarcity, and brittleness, particularly when it comes to applications requiring flexibility. Here, we investigate organic-inorganic nanocomposites that have been developed from bespoke inks which are printed via an aerosol jet printing method onto flexible substrates. For this purpose, a novel in situ aerosol mixing method has been developed to ensure uniform distribution of Bi 2 Te 3 /Sb 2 Te 3 nanocrystals, fabricated by a scalable solvothermal synthesis method, within a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate matrix. The thermoelectric properties of the resulting printed nanocomposite structures have been evaluated as a function of composition, and the power factor was found to be maximum (∼30 μW/mK 2 ) for a nominal loading fraction of 85 wt % Sb 2 Te 3 nanoflakes. Importantly, the printed nanocomposites were found to be stable and robust upon repeated flexing to curvatures up to 300 m -1 , making these hybrid materials particularly suitable for flexible thermoelectric applications.

  12. Laser-Assisted Reduction of Highly Conductive Circuits Based on Copper Nitrate for Flexible Printed Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Shi; Zhang, Shigang; Zhou, Weiping; Ma, Delong; Ma, Ying; Joshi, Pooran; Hu, Anming

    2017-10-01

    Stretchable electronic sensing devices are defining the path toward wearable electronics. High-performance flexible strain sensors attached on clothing or human skin are required for potential applications in the entertainment, health monitoring, and medical care sectors. In this work, conducting copper electrodes were fabricated on polydimethylsiloxane as sensitive stretchable microsensors by integrating laser direct writing and transfer printing approaches. The copper electrode was reduced from copper salt using laser writing rather than the general approach of printing with pre-synthesized copper or copper oxide nanoparticles. An electrical resistivity of 96 μΩ cm was achieved on 40-μm-thick Cu electrodes on flexible substrates. The motion sensing functionality successfully demonstrated a high sensitivity and mechanical robustness. This in situ fabrication method leads to a path toward electronic devices on flexible substrates.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

  13. Advances in digital printing and quality considerations of digitally printed images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waes, Walter C.

    1997-02-01

    The traditional 'graphic arts' market has changed very rapidly. It has been only ten years now since Aldus introduced its 'PageMaker' software for text and layout. The platform used was Apple-Mac, which became also the standard for many other graphic applications. The so-called high-end workstations disappeared. This was the start for what later was called: the desk top publishing revolution. At the same time, image scanning became also user-friendly and heavy duty scanners were reduced to desktop-size. Color- reproduction became a commodity product. Since then, the pre-press industry has been going through a technical nightmare, trying to keep up with the digital explosion. One after another, tasks and crafts of pre-press were being transformed by digital technologies. New technologies in this field came almost too fast for many people to adapt. The next digital revolution will be for the commercial printers. All the reasons are explained later in this document. There is now a definite need for a different business-strategy and a new positioning in the electronic media-world. Niches have to be located for new graphic arts- applications. Electronic services to-and-from originators' and executors environments became a requirement. Data can now flow on-line between the printer and the originator of the job. It is no longer the pre-press shop who is controlling this. In many cases, electronic data goes between the print-buyer or agency and the printer. High power communication-systems with accepted standard color- management are transforming the printer, and more particularly, the pre-press shop fatally. The new digital printing market, now in the beginning of its expected full expansion, has to do with growing requests coming from agencies and other print-buyers for: (1) short-run printing; (2) print-on-demand approximately in-time; (3) personalization or other forms of customization; (4) quick turnaround.

  14. Screen-Printed Washable Electronic Textiles as Self-Powered Touch/Gesture Tribo-Sensors for Intelligent Human-Machine Interaction.

    PubMed

    Cao, Ran; Pu, Xianjie; Du, Xinyu; Yang, Wei; Wang, Jiaona; Guo, Hengyu; Zhao, Shuyu; Yuan, Zuqing; Zhang, Chi; Li, Congju; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2018-05-22

    Multifunctional electronic textiles (E-textiles) with embedded electric circuits hold great application prospects for future wearable electronics. However, most E-textiles still have critical challenges, including air permeability, satisfactory washability, and mass fabrication. In this work, we fabricate a washable E-textile that addresses all of the concerns and shows its application as a self-powered triboelectric gesture textile for intelligent human-machine interfacing. Utilizing conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and screen-printing technology, this kind of E-textile embraces high conductivity (0.2 kΩ/sq), high air permeability (88.2 mm/s), and can be manufactured on common fabric at large scales. Due to the advantage of the interaction between the CNTs and the fabrics, the electrode shows excellent stability under harsh mechanical deformation and even after being washed. Moreover, based on a single-electrode mode triboelectric nanogenerator and electrode pattern design, our E-textile exhibits highly sensitive touch/gesture sensing performance and has potential applications for human-machine interfacing.

  15. MO-B-BRD-00: Clinical Applications of 3D Printing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented. This data is used to 3D print individualized physical models of patient’s unique anatomy for aid in planning complex and challenging surgical procedures. Methods, techniques and imaging requirements for 3D printing anatomic models from imaging data will be discussed. Specific applications currently being used in the radiology clinic will be detailed. Standardized phantoms for radiation therapy are abundant. However, custom phantom designs can be advantageous for both clinical tasks and research. 3D printing is a useful method of custom fabrication that allows one to construct custom objects relatively quickly. Possibilities for custom radiotherapy phantoms range from 3D printing a hollow shell and filling the shell with tissue equivalent materials to fully printing the entire phantom with materials that are tissue equivalent as well as suitable for 3D printing. A range of materials available for use in radiotherapy phantoms and in the case of phantoms for dosimetric measurements, this choice is critical. The necessary steps required will be discussed including: modalities of 3D model generation, 3D model requirements for 3D printing, generation of machine instructions from the 3D model, and 3D printing techniques, choice of phantoms material, and troubleshooting techniques for each step in the process. Case examples of 3D printed phantoms will be shown. Learning Objectives: Understand the types of 3D modeling software required to design your device, the file formats required for data transfer from design software to 3D printer, and general troubleshooting techniques for each step of the process. Learn the differences between materials and design for photons vs. electrons vs. protons. Understand the importance of material choice and design geometries for your custom phantoms. Learn specific steps of quality assurance and quality control for 3D printed beam filters and compensators for proton therapy. Learn of special 3D printing applications for imaging. Cunha: Research support from Phillips Healthcare.« less

  16. MO-B-BRD-04: Sterilization for 3D Printed Brachytherapy Applicators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cunha, J.

    This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented. This data is used to 3D print individualized physical models of patient’s unique anatomy for aid in planning complex and challenging surgical procedures. Methods, techniques and imaging requirements for 3D printing anatomic models from imaging data will be discussed. Specific applications currently being used in the radiology clinic will be detailed. Standardized phantoms for radiation therapy are abundant. However, custom phantom designs can be advantageous for both clinical tasks and research. 3D printing is a useful method of custom fabrication that allows one to construct custom objects relatively quickly. Possibilities for custom radiotherapy phantoms range from 3D printing a hollow shell and filling the shell with tissue equivalent materials to fully printing the entire phantom with materials that are tissue equivalent as well as suitable for 3D printing. A range of materials available for use in radiotherapy phantoms and in the case of phantoms for dosimetric measurements, this choice is critical. The necessary steps required will be discussed including: modalities of 3D model generation, 3D model requirements for 3D printing, generation of machine instructions from the 3D model, and 3D printing techniques, choice of phantoms material, and troubleshooting techniques for each step in the process. Case examples of 3D printed phantoms will be shown. Learning Objectives: Understand the types of 3D modeling software required to design your device, the file formats required for data transfer from design software to 3D printer, and general troubleshooting techniques for each step of the process. Learn the differences between materials and design for photons vs. electrons vs. protons. Understand the importance of material choice and design geometries for your custom phantoms. Learn specific steps of quality assurance and quality control for 3D printed beam filters and compensators for proton therapy. Learn of special 3D printing applications for imaging. Cunha: Research support from Phillips Healthcare.« less

  17. Electronic journal access: how does it affect the print subscription price?*

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Frances L.; Wrynn, Paul; Rieke, Judith L.

    2001-01-01

    Objective: This study examined the rates of print journal subscription price increases according to the type of available electronic access. The types of access included: electronic priced separately from the print, combination print with “free online” access, and aggregated, defined here as electronic access purchased as part of a collection. The percentages of print price increases were compared to each other and to that for titles available only in print. The authors were not aware of prior objective research in this area. Methods: The authors analyzed the percentage print price increases of 300 journals over a five-year time period. The titles were grouped according to type of available electronic access. The median and mean percentage print price increases were calculated and plotted for all titles within each group. Results: Using both the median and the mean to look at the percentage print price increases over five years, it was obvious that print prices for journals with electronic access exceeded journals that did not offer an electronic option. Electronic priced separately averaged 3% to 5% higher than print only titles using both measures. Combination print with “free online” access had higher increases from 1996 to 1999, but, in 2000, their percentage increases were about the same as print only titles. The rate of price increases for aggregated titles consistently went down over the past five years. Journals with no electronic option showed the lowest percentage rates of print price increase. Conclusions: The authors' findings reveal that the increases of print prices for their sample of titles were higher if a type of electronic access was offered. According to the results of this study, aggregated collections currently represent the electronic option whose percentage price increase for print prices was lowest. However, the uneven fluctuations in rates of subscription prices revealed that the pricing of journals with electronic access is still evolving. More study is recommended to see if the trends observed in this study are sustained over a longer time period. PMID:11837258

  18. Exposure assessment of workers in printed electronics workplace.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ji Hyun; Sohn, Eun Kyung; Ahn, Jin Soo; Ahn, Kangho; Kim, Keun Soo; Lee, Jong Hwan; Lee, Taik Min; Yu, Il Je

    2013-07-01

    Printed electronics uses converging technologies, such as printing, fine mechanics, nanotechnology, electronics and other new technologies. Consequently, printed electronics raises additional health and safety concerns to those experienced in the traditional printing industry. This study investigated two printed electronics workplaces based on a walk-through survey and personal and area sampling. All the printed electronics operations were conducted in a cleanroom. No indication of exposure to excess silver nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was found. While the organic solvents were lower than current occupational exposure limits, there was a lack of engineering controls, such as local exhaust ventilation, correct enclosure and duct connections. There was also an insufficient quantity of personal protective equipment, and some organic solvents not described in the safety data sheets (SDSs) were detected in the air samples. Plus, the cleaning work, a major emissions operation, was not conducted within a hood, and the cleaning waste was not properly disposed of. Therefore, the present exposure assessment results from two printed electronics workplaces suggest that the printed electronics industry needs to take note of the occupational safety and health risks and hazards already established by the traditional printing industry, along with new risks and hazards originating from converging technologies such as nanotechnology.

  19. Printing Electronic Components from Copper-Infused Ink and Thermoplastic Mediums

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flowers, Patrick F.

    The demand for printable electronics has sharply increased in recent years and is projected to continue to rise. Unfortunately, electronic materials which are suitable for desired applications while being compatible with available printing techniques are still often lacking. This thesis addresses two such challenging areas. In the realm of two-dimensional ink-based printing of electronics, a major barrier to the realization of printable computers that can run programs is the lack of a solution-coatable non-volatile memory with performance metrics comparable to silicon-based devices. To address this deficiency, I developed a nonvolatile memory based on Cu-SiO2 core-shell nanowires that can be printed from solution and exhibits on-off ratios of 106, switching speeds of 50 ns, a low operating voltage of 2 V, and operates for at least 104 cycles without failure. Each of these metrics is similar to or better than Flash memory (the write speed is 20 times faster than Flash). Memory architectures based on the individual memory cells demonstrated here could enable the printing of the more complex, embedded computing devices that are expected to make up an internet of things. Recently, the exploration of three-dimensional printing techniques to fabricate electronic materials began. A suitable general-purpose conductive thermoplastic filament was not available, however. In this work I examine the current state of conductive thermoplastic filaments, including a newly-released highly conductive filament that my lab has produced which we call Electrifi. I focus on the use of dual-material fused filament fabrication (FFF) to 3D print electronic components (conductive traces, resistors, capacitors, inductors) and circuits (a fully-printed high-pass filter). The resistivity of traces printed from conductive thermoplastic filaments made with carbon-black, graphene, and copper as conductive fillers was found to be 12, 0.78, and 0.014 ohm cm, respectively, enabling the creation of resistors with resistances spanning 3 orders of magnitude. The carbon black and graphene filaments were brittle and fractured easily, but the copper-based filament could be bent at least 500 times with little change in its resistance. Impedance measurements made on the thermoplastic filaments demonstrate that the copper-based filament had an impedance similar to a conductive PCB trace at 1 MHz. Dual material 3D printing was used to fabricate a variety of inductors and capacitors with properties that could be predictably tuned by modifying either the geometry of the components, or the materials used to fabricate the components. These resistors, capacitors, and inductors were combined to create a fully 3D printed high-pass filter with properties comparable to its conventional counterparts. The relatively low impedance of the copper-based filament enable its use to 3D print a receiver coil for wireless power transfer. We also demonstrate the ability to embed and connect surface mounted components in 3D printed objects with a low-cost ($1,000 in parts), open source dual-material 3D printer. This work thus demonstrates the potential for FFF 3D printing to create complex, three-dimensional circuits composed of either embedded or fully-printed electronic components.

  20. Electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 3D printed polymer composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viskadourakis, Z.; Vasilopoulos, K. C.; Economou, E. N.; Soukoulis, C. M.; Kenanakis, G.

    2017-12-01

    We report on preliminary results regarding the electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of various 3D printed polymeric composite structures. All studied samples were fabricated using 3D printing technology, following the fused deposition modeling approach, using commercially available filaments as starting materials. The electromagnetic shielding performance of the fabricated 3D samples was investigated in the so called C-band of the electromagnetic spectrum (3.5-7.0 GHz), which is typically used for long-distance radio telecommunications. We provide evidence that 3D printing technology can be effectively utilized to prepare operational shields, making them promising candidates for electromagnetic shielding applications for electronic devices.

  1. Printable Functional Chips Based on Nanoparticle Assembly.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yu; Li, Wenbo; Qin, Meng; Zhou, Haihua; Zhang, Xingye; Li, Fengyu; Song, Yanlin

    2017-01-01

    With facile manufacturability and modifiability, impressive nanoparticles (NPs) assembly applications were performed for functional patterned devices, which have attracted booming research attention due to their increasing applications in high-performance optical/electrical devices for sensing, electronics, displays, and catalysis. By virtue of easy and direct fabrication to desired patterns, high throughput, and low cost, NPs assembly printing is one of the most promising candidates for the manufacturing of functional micro-chips. In this review, an overview of the fabrications and applications of NPs patterned assembly by printing methods, including inkjet printing, lithography, imprinting, and extended printing techniques is presented. The assembly processes and mechanisms on various substrates with distinct wettabilities are deeply discussed and summarized. Via manipulating the droplet three phase contact line (TCL) pinning or slipping, the NPs contracted in ink are controllably assembled following the TCL, and generate novel functional chips and correlative integrate devices. Finally, the perspective of future developments and challenges is presented and widely exhibited. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Selective evaporation of focusing fluid in two-fluid hydrodynamic print head.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Keicher, David M.; Cook, Adam W.

    The work performed in this project has demonstrated the feasibility to use hydrodynamic focusing of two fluid steams to create a novel micro printing technology for electronics and other high performance applications. Initial efforts focused solely on selective evaporation of the sheath fluid from print stream provided insight in developing a unique print head geometry allowing excess sheath fluid to be separated from the print flow stream for recycling/reuse. Fluid flow models suggest that more than 81 percent of the sheath fluid can be removed without affecting the print stream. Further development and optimization is required to demonstrate this capabilitymore » in operation. Print results using two-fluid hydrodynamic focusing yielded a 30 micrometers wide by 0.5 micrometers tall line that suggests that the cross-section of the printed feature from the print head was approximately 2 micrometers in diameter. Printing results also demonstrated that complete removal of the sheath fluid is not necessary for all material systems. The two-fluid printing technology could enable printing of insulated conductors and clad optical interconnects. Further development of this concept should be pursued.« less

  3. A Low-Cost Inkjet-Printed Aptamer-Based Electrochemical Biosensor for the Selective Detection of Lysozyme.

    PubMed

    Khan, Niazul Islam; Maddaus, Alec G; Song, Edward

    2018-01-15

    Recently, inkjet-printing has gained increased popularity in applications such as flexible electronics and disposable sensors, as well as in wearable sensors because of its multifarious advantages. This work presents a novel, low-cost immobilization technique using inkjet-printing for the development of an aptamer-based biosensor for the detection of lysozyme, an important biomarker in various disease diagnosis. The strong affinity between the carbon nanotube (CNT) and the single-stranded DNA is exploited to immobilize the aptamers onto the working electrode by printing the ink containing the dispersion of CNT-aptamer complex. The inkjet-printing method enables aptamer density control, as well as high resolution patternability. Our developed sensor shows a detection limit of 90 ng/mL with high target selectivity against other proteins. The sensor also demonstrates a shelf-life for a reasonable period. This technology has potential for applications in developing low-cost point-of-care diagnostic testing kits for home healthcare.

  4. A New 3D Printing Strategy by Harnessing Deformation, Instability, and Fracture of Viscoelastic Inks.

    PubMed

    Yuk, Hyunwoo; Zhao, Xuanhe

    2018-02-01

    Direct ink writing (DIW) has demonstrated great potential as a multimaterial multifunctional fabrication method in areas as diverse as electronics, structural materials, tissue engineering, and soft robotics. During DIW, viscoelastic inks are extruded out of a 3D printer's nozzle as printed fibers, which are deposited into patterns when the nozzle moves. Hence, the resolution of printed fibers is commonly limited by the nozzle's diameter, and the printed pattern is limited by the motion paths. These limits have severely hampered innovations and applications of DIW 3D printing. Here, a new strategy to exceed the limits of DIW 3D printing by harnessing deformation, instability, and fracture of viscoelastic inks is reported. It is shown that a single nozzle can print fibers with resolution much finer than the nozzle diameter by stretching the extruded ink, and print various thickened or curved patterns with straight nozzle motions by accumulating the ink. A quantitative phase diagram is constructed to rationally select parameters for the new strategy. Further, applications including structures with tunable stiffening, 3D structures with gradient and programmable swelling properties, all printed with a single nozzle are demonstrated. The current work demonstrates that the mechanics of inks plays a critical role in developing 3D printing technology. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Revealing martensitic transformation and α/β interface evolution in electron beam melting three-dimensional-printed Ti-6Al-4V

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Xipeng; Kok, Yihong; Toh, Wei Quan; Tan, Yu Jun; Descoins, Marion; Mangelinck, Dominique; Tor, Shu Beng; Leong, Kah Fai; Chua, Chee Kai

    2016-01-01

    As an important metal three-dimensional printing technology, electron beam melting (EBM) is gaining increasing attention due to its huge potential applications in aerospace and biomedical fields. EBM processing of Ti-6Al-4V as well as its microstructure and mechanical properties were extensively investigated. However, it is still lack of quantitative studies regarding its microstructural evolution, indicative of EBM thermal process. Here, we report α′ martensitic transformation and α/β interface evolution in varied printing thicknesses of EBM-printed Ti-6Al-4V block samples by means of atom probe tomography. Quantitative chemical composition analysis suggests a general phase transformation sequence. By increasing in-fill hatched thickness, elemental partitioning ratios arise and β volume fraction is increased. Furthermore, we observe kinetic vanadium segregation and aluminum depletion at interface front and the resultant α/β interface widening phenomenon. It may give rise to an increased α/β lattice mismatch and weakened α/β interfaces, which could account for the degraded strength as printing thickness increases. PMID:27185285

  6. 78 FR 19152 - Revisions to Modeling, Data, and Analysis Reliability Standard

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-29

    ... processing software should be filed in native applications or print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format...,126 (2006), aff'd sub nom. Alcoa, Inc. v. FERC, 564 F.3d 1342 (D.C. Cir. 2009). 3. In March 2007, the... print-to-PDF format and not in a scanned format. Commenters filing electronically do not need to make a...

  7. 77 FR 2957 - Application for Manufacturing Authority, Liberty Pumps, Inc. (Submersible and Water Pumps...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-20

    ..., mechanical seals, electric motors, transformers, capacitors, switches, electronic components, integrated circuits, process controllers, printed circuit assemblies, electrical components, and measuring instruments...

  8. MO-B-BRD-01: Creation of 3D Printed Phantoms for Clinical Radiation Therapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ehler, E.

    This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented. This data is used to 3D print individualized physical models of patient’s unique anatomy for aid in planning complex and challenging surgical procedures. Methods, techniques and imaging requirements for 3D printing anatomic models from imaging data will be discussed. Specific applications currently being used in the radiology clinic will be detailed. Standardized phantoms for radiation therapy are abundant. However, custom phantom designs can be advantageous for both clinical tasks and research. 3D printing is a useful method of custom fabrication that allows one to construct custom objects relatively quickly. Possibilities for custom radiotherapy phantoms range from 3D printing a hollow shell and filling the shell with tissue equivalent materials to fully printing the entire phantom with materials that are tissue equivalent as well as suitable for 3D printing. A range of materials available for use in radiotherapy phantoms and in the case of phantoms for dosimetric measurements, this choice is critical. The necessary steps required will be discussed including: modalities of 3D model generation, 3D model requirements for 3D printing, generation of machine instructions from the 3D model, and 3D printing techniques, choice of phantoms material, and troubleshooting techniques for each step in the process. Case examples of 3D printed phantoms will be shown. Learning Objectives: Understand the types of 3D modeling software required to design your device, the file formats required for data transfer from design software to 3D printer, and general troubleshooting techniques for each step of the process. Learn the differences between materials and design for photons vs. electrons vs. protons. Understand the importance of material choice and design geometries for your custom phantoms. Learn specific steps of quality assurance and quality control for 3D printed beam filters and compensators for proton therapy. Learn of special 3D printing applications for imaging. Cunha: Research support from Phillips Healthcare.« less

  9. MO-B-BRD-03: Principles, Pitfalls and Techniques of 3D Printing for Bolus and Compensators

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Baker, J.

    This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented. This data is used to 3D print individualized physical models of patient’s unique anatomy for aid in planning complex and challenging surgical procedures. Methods, techniques and imaging requirements for 3D printing anatomic models from imaging data will be discussed. Specific applications currently being used in the radiology clinic will be detailed. Standardized phantoms for radiation therapy are abundant. However, custom phantom designs can be advantageous for both clinical tasks and research. 3D printing is a useful method of custom fabrication that allows one to construct custom objects relatively quickly. Possibilities for custom radiotherapy phantoms range from 3D printing a hollow shell and filling the shell with tissue equivalent materials to fully printing the entire phantom with materials that are tissue equivalent as well as suitable for 3D printing. A range of materials available for use in radiotherapy phantoms and in the case of phantoms for dosimetric measurements, this choice is critical. The necessary steps required will be discussed including: modalities of 3D model generation, 3D model requirements for 3D printing, generation of machine instructions from the 3D model, and 3D printing techniques, choice of phantoms material, and troubleshooting techniques for each step in the process. Case examples of 3D printed phantoms will be shown. Learning Objectives: Understand the types of 3D modeling software required to design your device, the file formats required for data transfer from design software to 3D printer, and general troubleshooting techniques for each step of the process. Learn the differences between materials and design for photons vs. electrons vs. protons. Understand the importance of material choice and design geometries for your custom phantoms. Learn specific steps of quality assurance and quality control for 3D printed beam filters and compensators for proton therapy. Learn of special 3D printing applications for imaging. Cunha: Research support from Phillips Healthcare.« less

  10. MO-B-BRD-02: 3D Printing in the Clinic

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Remmes, N.

    This session is designed so that the learning objectives are practical. The intent is that the attendee may take home an understanding of not just the technology, but also the logistical steps necessary to execute these 3D printing techniques in the clinic. Four practical 3D printing topics will be discussed: (i) Creating bolus and compensators for photon machines; (ii) tools for proton therapy; (iii) clinical applications in imaging; (iv) custom phantom design for clinic and research use. The use of 3D printers within the radiation oncology setting is proving to be a useful tool for creating patient specific bolus andmore » compensators with the added benefit of cost savings. Creating the proper protocol is essential to ensuring that the desired effect is achieved and modeled in the treatment planning system. The critical choice of printer material (since it determines the interaction with the radiation) will be discussed. Selection of 3D printer type, design methods, verification of dose calculation, and the printing process will be detailed to give the basis for establishing your own protocol for electron and photon fields. A practical discussion of likely obstacles that may be encountered will be included. The diversity of systems and techniques in proton facilities leads to different facilities having very different requirements for beam modifying hardware and quality assurance devices. Many departments find the need to design and fabricate facility-specific equipment, making 3D printing an attractive technology. 3D printer applications in proton therapy will be discussed, including beam filters and compensators, and the design of proton therapy specific quality assurance tools. Quality control specific to 3D printing in proton therapy will be addressed. Advantages and disadvantages of different printing technology for these applications will also be discussed. 3D printing applications using high-resolution radiology-based imaging data will be presented. This data is used to 3D print individualized physical models of patient’s unique anatomy for aid in planning complex and challenging surgical procedures. Methods, techniques and imaging requirements for 3D printing anatomic models from imaging data will be discussed. Specific applications currently being used in the radiology clinic will be detailed. Standardized phantoms for radiation therapy are abundant. However, custom phantom designs can be advantageous for both clinical tasks and research. 3D printing is a useful method of custom fabrication that allows one to construct custom objects relatively quickly. Possibilities for custom radiotherapy phantoms range from 3D printing a hollow shell and filling the shell with tissue equivalent materials to fully printing the entire phantom with materials that are tissue equivalent as well as suitable for 3D printing. A range of materials available for use in radiotherapy phantoms and in the case of phantoms for dosimetric measurements, this choice is critical. The necessary steps required will be discussed including: modalities of 3D model generation, 3D model requirements for 3D printing, generation of machine instructions from the 3D model, and 3D printing techniques, choice of phantoms material, and troubleshooting techniques for each step in the process. Case examples of 3D printed phantoms will be shown. Learning Objectives: Understand the types of 3D modeling software required to design your device, the file formats required for data transfer from design software to 3D printer, and general troubleshooting techniques for each step of the process. Learn the differences between materials and design for photons vs. electrons vs. protons. Understand the importance of material choice and design geometries for your custom phantoms. Learn specific steps of quality assurance and quality control for 3D printed beam filters and compensators for proton therapy. Learn of special 3D printing applications for imaging. Cunha: Research support from Phillips Healthcare.« less

  11. Recent progress of high performance polymer OLED and OPV materials for organic printed electronics.

    PubMed

    Sekine, Chizu; Tsubata, Yoshiaki; Yamada, Takeshi; Kitano, Makoto; Doi, Shuji

    2014-06-01

    The development of organic printed electronics has been expanding to a variety of applications and is expected to bring innovations to our future life. Along with this trend, high performance organic materials with cost-efficient fabrication processes and specific features such as thin, light weight, bendable, and low power consumption are required. A variety of organic materials have been investigated in the development of this field. The basic guidelines for material design and the recent progress of polymer-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) are reported.

  12. Recent progress of high performance polymer OLED and OPV materials for organic printed electronics

    PubMed Central

    Sekine, Chizu; Tsubata, Yoshiaki; Yamada, Takeshi; Kitano, Makoto; Doi, Shuji

    2014-01-01

    The development of organic printed electronics has been expanding to a variety of applications and is expected to bring innovations to our future life. Along with this trend, high performance organic materials with cost-efficient fabrication processes and specific features such as thin, light weight, bendable, and low power consumption are required. A variety of organic materials have been investigated in the development of this field. The basic guidelines for material design and the recent progress of polymer-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) are reported. PMID:27877671

  13. Recent progress of high performance polymer OLED and OPV materials for organic printed electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sekine, Chizu; Tsubata, Yoshiaki; Yamada, Takeshi; Kitano, Makoto; Doi, Shuji

    2014-06-01

    The development of organic printed electronics has been expanding to a variety of applications and is expected to bring innovations to our future life. Along with this trend, high performance organic materials with cost-efficient fabrication processes and specific features such as thin, light weight, bendable, and low power consumption are required. A variety of organic materials have been investigated in the development of this field. The basic guidelines for material design and the recent progress of polymer-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) are reported.

  14. Screen-Printing Fabrication and Characterization of Stretchable Electronics

    PubMed Central

    Suikkola, Jari; Björninen, Toni; Mosallaei, Mahmoud; Kankkunen, Timo; Iso-Ketola, Pekka; Ukkonen, Leena; Vanhala, Jukka; Mäntysalo, Matti

    2016-01-01

    This article focuses on the fabrication and characterization of stretchable interconnects for wearable electronics applications. Interconnects were screen-printed with a stretchable silver-polymer composite ink on 50-μm thick thermoplastic polyurethane. The initial sheet resistances of the manufactured interconnects were an average of 36.2 mΩ/◽, and half the manufactured samples withstood single strains of up to 74%. The strain proportionality of resistance is discussed, and a regression model is introduced. Cycling strain increased resistance. However, the resistances here were almost fully reversible, and this recovery was time-dependent. Normalized resistances to 10%, 15%, and 20% cyclic strains stabilized at 1.3, 1.4, and 1.7. We also tested the validity of our model for radio-frequency applications through characterization of a stretchable radio-frequency identification tag. PMID:27173424

  15. 3D Printed Organ Models with Physical Properties of Tissue and Integrated Sensors.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Kaiyan; Zhao, Zichen; Haghiashtiani, Ghazaleh; Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; He, Mingyu; Su, Ruitao; Zhu, Zhijie; Bhuiyan, Didarul B; Murugan, Paari; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; Chu, Chih-Chang; Ogle, Brenda M; Saltzman, Daniel A; Konety, Badrinath R; Sweet, Robert M; McAlpine, Michael C

    2018-03-01

    The design and development of novel methodologies and customized materials to fabricate patient-specific 3D printed organ models with integrated sensing capabilities could yield advances in smart surgical aids for preoperative planning and rehearsal. Here, we demonstrate 3D printed prostate models with physical properties of tissue and integrated soft electronic sensors using custom-formulated polymeric inks. The models show high quantitative fidelity in static and dynamic mechanical properties, optical characteristics, and anatomical geometries to patient tissues and organs. The models offer tissue-mimicking tactile sensation and behavior and thus can be used for the prediction of organ physical behavior under deformation. The prediction results show good agreement with values obtained from simulations. The models also allow the application of surgical and diagnostic tools to their surface and inner channels. Finally, via the conformal integration of 3D printed soft electronic sensors, pressure applied to the models with surgical tools can be quantitatively measured.

  16. Internet of "printed" Things: low-cost fabrication of autonomous sensing nodes by inkjet printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kawahara, Yoshihiro

    2014-11-01

    "What if electronics devices are printed using an inkjet printer even at home?" "What if those devices no longer need a battery?" I will introduce two enabling technologies for the Internet of Things concept. 1. Instant Inkjet Circuits: A low cost, fast and accessible technology to support the rapid prototyping of electronic devices. We demonstrated that "sintering-free" silver nano particle ink with a commodity inkjet printer can be used to fabricate printed circuit board and high-frequency applications such as antennas and sensors. The technology is now commercialized by AgIC, Inc. 2. Wireless Power: Although large amounts of data can be exchanged over a wireless communication link, mobile devices are still tethered by power cables. We are trying to solve this problem by two different approaches: energy harvesting. A simple circuitry comprised of diodes and capacitor can convert ambient radio signals into DC current. Our research revealed the signals from TV tower located 6.5km apart could be used to feed 100 microwatts to power microcontrollers.

  17. Low-Cost Manufacturing of Bioresorbable Conductors by Evaporation-Condensation-Mediated Laser Printing and Sintering of Zn Nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Shou, Wan; Mahajan, Bikram K; Ludwig, Brandon; Yu, Xiaowei; Staggs, Joshua; Huang, Xian; Pan, Heng

    2017-07-01

    Currently, bioresorbable electronic devices are predominantly fabricated by complex and expensive vacuum-based integrated circuit (IC) processes. Here, a low-cost manufacturing approach for bioresorbable conductors on bioresorbable polymer substrates by evaporation-condensation-mediated laser printing and sintering of Zn nanoparticle is reported. Laser sintering of Zn nanoparticles has been technically difficult due to the surface oxide on nanoparticles. To circumvent the surface oxide, a novel approach is discovered to print and sinter Zn nanoparticle facilitated by evaporation-condensation in confined domains. The printing process can be performed on low-temperature substrates in ambient environment allowing easy integration on a roll-to-roll platform for economical manufacturing of bioresorbable electronics. The fabricated Zn conductors show excellent electrical conductivity (≈1.124 × 10 6 S m -1 ), mechanical durability, and water dissolvability. Successful demonstration of strain gauges confirms the potential application in various environmentally friendly sensors and circuits. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. 3D Printed Organ Models with Physical Properties of Tissue and Integrated Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Kaiyan; Zhao, Zichen; Haghiashtiani, Ghazaleh; Guo, Shuang-Zhuang; He, Mingyu; Su, Ruitao; Zhu, Zhijie; Bhuiyan, Didarul B.; Murugan, Paari; Meng, Fanben; Park, Sung Hyun; Chu, Chih-Chang; Ogle, Brenda M.; Saltzman, Daniel A.; Konety, Badrinath R.

    2017-01-01

    The design and development of novel methodologies and customized materials to fabricate patient-specific 3D printed organ models with integrated sensing capabilities could yield advances in smart surgical aids for preoperative planning and rehearsal. Here, we demonstrate 3D printed prostate models with physical properties of tissue and integrated soft electronic sensors using custom-formulated polymeric inks. The models show high quantitative fidelity in static and dynamic mechanical properties, optical characteristics, and anatomical geometries to patient tissues and organs. The models offer tissue-mimicking tactile sensation and behavior and thus can be used for the prediction of organ physical behavior under deformation. The prediction results show good agreement with values obtained from simulations. The models also allow the application of surgical and diagnostic tools to their surface and inner channels. Finally, via the conformal integration of 3D printed soft electronic sensors, pressure applied to the models with surgical tools can be quantitatively measured. PMID:29608202

  19. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hadi, Pejman; Ning, Chao; Ouyang, Weiyi

    Highlights: • Environmental impacts of electronic waste and specifically waste printed circuit boards. • Review of the recycling techniques of waste printed circuit boards. • Advantages of physico-mechanical recycling techniques over chemical methods. • Utilization of nonmetallic fraction of waste printed circuit boards as modifier/filler. • Recent advances in the use of nonmetallic fraction of waste printed circuit boards as precursor. - Abstract: Electronic waste, including printed circuit boards, is growing at an alarming rate due to the accelerated technological progress and the shorter lifespan of the electronic equipment. In the past decades, due to the lack of proper economicmore » and environmentally-benign recycling technologies, a major fraction of e-waste generated was either destined to landfills or incinerated with the sole intention of its disposal disregarding the toxic nature of this waste. Recently, with the increasing public awareness over their environment and health issues and with the enaction of more stringent regulations, environmentally-benign recycling has been driven to be an alternative option partially replacing the traditional eco-unfriendly disposal methods. One of the most favorable green technologies has been the mechanical separation of the metallic and nonmetallic fraction of the waste printed circuit boards. Although metallic fraction, as the most profitable component, is used to generate the revenue of the separation process, the nonmetallic fraction (NMF) has been left isolated. Herein, the recent developments in the application of NMF have been comprehensively reviewed and an eco-friendly emerging usage of NMF as a value-added material for sustainable remediation has been introduced.« less

  20. [RESEARCH PROGRESS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING TECHNIQUE FOR SPINAL IMPLANTS].

    PubMed

    Lu, Qi; Yu, Binsheng

    2016-09-08

    To summarize the current research progress of three-dimensional (3D) printing technique for spinal implants manufacture. The recent original literature concerning technology, materials, process, clinical applications, and development direction of 3D printing technique in spinal implants was reviewed and analyzed. At present, 3D printing technologies used to manufacture spinal implants include selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, and electron beam melting. Titanium and its alloys are mainly used. 3D printing spinal implants manufactured by the above materials and technology have been successfully used in clinical. But the problems regarding safety, related complications, cost-benefit analysis, efficacy compared with traditional spinal implants, and the lack of relevant policies and regulations remain to be solved. 3D printing technique is able to provide individual and customized spinal implants for patients, which is helpful for the clinicians to perform operations much more accurately and safely. With the rapid development of 3D printing technology and new materials, more and more 3D printing spinal implants will be developed and used clinically.

  1. Fully Packaged Carbon Nanotube Supercapacitors by Direct Ink Writing on Flexible Substrates.

    PubMed

    Chen, Bolin; Jiang, Yizhou; Tang, Xiaohui; Pan, Yayue; Hu, Shan

    2017-08-30

    The ability to print fully packaged integrated energy storage components (e.g., supercapacitors) is of critical importance for practical applications of printed electronics. Due to the limited variety of printable materials, most studies on printed supercapacitors focus on printing the electrode materials but rarely the full-packaged cell. This work presents for the first time the printing of a fully packaged single-wall carbon nanotube-based supercapacitor with direct ink writing (DIW) technology. Enabled by the developed ink formula, DIW setup, and cell architecture, the whole printing process is mask free, transfer free, and alignment free with precise and repeatable control on the spatial distribution of all constituent materials. Studies on cell design show that a wider electrode pattern and narrower gap distance between electrodes lead to higher specific capacitance. The as-printed fully packaged supercapacitors have energy and power performances that are among the best in recently reported planar carbon-based supercapacitors that are only partially printed or nonprinted.

  2. Inkjet-printing of non-volatile organic resistive devices and crossbar array structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sax, Stefan; Nau, Sebastian; Popovic, Karl; Bluemel, Alexander; Klug, Andreas; List-Kratochvil, Emil J. W.

    2015-09-01

    Due to the increasing demand for storage capacity in various electronic gadgets like mobile phones or tablets, new types of non-volatile memory devices have gained a lot of attention over the last few years. Especially multilevel conductance switching elements based on organic semiconductors are of great interest due to their relatively simple device architecture and their small feature size. Since organic semiconductors combine the electronic properties of inorganic materials with the mechanical characteristics of polymers, this class of materials is suitable for solution based large area device preparation techniques. Consequently, inkjet based deposition techniques are highly capable of facing preparation related challenges. By gradually replacing the evaporated electrodes with inkjet printed silver, the preparation related influence onto device performance parameters such as the ON/OFF ratio was investigated with IV measurements and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Due to the electrode surface roughness the solvent load during the printing of the top electrode as well as organic layer inhomogeneity's the utilization in array applications is hampered. As a prototypical example a 1diode-1resistor element and a 2×2 subarray from 5×5 array matrix were fully characterized demonstrating the versatility of inkjet printing for device preparation.

  3. Commercial printing and electronic color printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Joseph W.

    1995-04-01

    Technologies such as Xeikon, Indigo, and the Heidelberg/Presstek GTO-DI can change both the way print buyers may purchase printed material and the way printers and trade services respond to changing demands. Our recent study surveys the graphic arts industry for their current views of these new products and provides forecasts of installations and usage with breakdowns by market segment and size of firm. The acceptance of desktop publishing and electronic prepress have not only paved the way for a totally electronic printing process, but it has broadened the base of people who develop color originals for reproduction. Electronic printing adds the ability to customize jobs on the fly. How print providers will respond to the impact of electronic color printing depends on how each firm perceives the 'threat.' Most printing companies are run by entrepreneurial individuals who have, as their highest priority, their own economic survival. Service bureaus are already looking at electronic color printing as yet another way to differentiate their businesses. The study was based on a mail survey with 682 responses from graphic arts firms, interviews with printers, suppliers, associations and industry executives, and detailed secondary research. Results of a new survey in progress in January 1995 is also presented.

  4. Personal electronics printing via tapping mode composite liquid metal ink delivery and adhesion mechanism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Yi; He, Zhi-Zhu; Yang, Jun; Liu, Jing

    2014-04-01

    Printed electronics is becoming increasingly important in a variety of newly emerging areas. However, restricted to the rather limited conductive inks and available printing strategies, the current electronics manufacture is usually confined to industry level. Here, we show a highly cost-effective and entirely automatic printing way towards personal electronics making, through introducing a tapping-mode composite fluid delivery system. Fundamental mechanisms regarding the reliable printing, transfer and adhesion of the liquid metal inks on the substrate were disclosed through systematic theoretical interpretation and experimental measurements. With this liquid metal printer, a series of representative electronic patterns spanning from single wires to desired complex configurations such as integrated circuit (IC), printed-circuits-on-board (PCB), electronic paintings, or more do-it-yourself (DIY) devices, were demonstrated to be printed out with high precision in a moment. And the total machine cost already reached personally affordable price. This is hard to achieve by a conventional PCB technology which generally takes long time and is material, water and energy consuming, while the existing printed electronics is still far away from the real direct printing goal. The present work opens the way for large scale personal electronics manufacture and is expected to generate important value for the coming society.

  5. Personal electronics printing via tapping mode composite liquid metal ink delivery and adhesion mechanism.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Yi; He, Zhi-Zhu; Yang, Jun; Liu, Jing

    2014-04-04

    Printed electronics is becoming increasingly important in a variety of newly emerging areas. However, restricted to the rather limited conductive inks and available printing strategies, the current electronics manufacture is usually confined to industry level. Here, we show a highly cost-effective and entirely automatic printing way towards personal electronics making, through introducing a tapping-mode composite fluid delivery system. Fundamental mechanisms regarding the reliable printing, transfer and adhesion of the liquid metal inks on the substrate were disclosed through systematic theoretical interpretation and experimental measurements. With this liquid metal printer, a series of representative electronic patterns spanning from single wires to desired complex configurations such as integrated circuit (IC), printed-circuits-on-board (PCB), electronic paintings, or more do-it-yourself (DIY) devices, were demonstrated to be printed out with high precision in a moment. And the total machine cost already reached personally affordable price. This is hard to achieve by a conventional PCB technology which generally takes long time and is material, water and energy consuming, while the existing printed electronics is still far away from the real direct printing goal. The present work opens the way for large scale personal electronics manufacture and is expected to generate important value for the coming society.

  6. Personal electronics printing via tapping mode composite liquid metal ink delivery and adhesion mechanism

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Yi; He, Zhi-Zhu; Yang, Jun; Liu, Jing

    2014-01-01

    Printed electronics is becoming increasingly important in a variety of newly emerging areas. However, restricted to the rather limited conductive inks and available printing strategies, the current electronics manufacture is usually confined to industry level. Here, we show a highly cost-effective and entirely automatic printing way towards personal electronics making, through introducing a tapping-mode composite fluid delivery system. Fundamental mechanisms regarding the reliable printing, transfer and adhesion of the liquid metal inks on the substrate were disclosed through systematic theoretical interpretation and experimental measurements. With this liquid metal printer, a series of representative electronic patterns spanning from single wires to desired complex configurations such as integrated circuit (IC), printed-circuits-on-board (PCB), electronic paintings, or more do-it-yourself (DIY) devices, were demonstrated to be printed out with high precision in a moment. And the total machine cost already reached personally affordable price. This is hard to achieve by a conventional PCB technology which generally takes long time and is material, water and energy consuming, while the existing printed electronics is still far away from the real direct printing goal. The present work opens the way for large scale personal electronics manufacture and is expected to generate important value for the coming society. PMID:24699375

  7. Carbon nanotubes polymer nanoparticles inks for healthcare textile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rai, Pratyush; Lee, Jungmin; Mathur, Gyanesh N.; Varadan, Vijay K.

    2012-10-01

    Healthcare textiles are ambient health monitoring systems that can contribute towards medical aid as well as general fitness of the populace. These are textile based products that have sensor systems mounted on them or are electrically functionalized to act as sensors. While embedded sensor chipsets and connection wires have been shown as working prototypes of this concept, there is a need for seamless integration of sensor technologies without hindering the inherent properties of the textile. Screen printing or stamping with electrically conductive inks have been demonstrated as technologies for fabricating electronics on flexible substrates. They are applicable to textile manufacturing as well. Printing technology allows for fabrication of nanocomposite based electronics elements in a bottom-up fashion. This has advantages such as low material consumption, high speed fabrication and low temperature processing. In this research, Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polyaniline nanoparticles (PANP) core shell based nanocomposites were synthesized and formulated into colloidal ink. Printed MWCNTs-PANP traces were electrically characterized and compared with traces made with those made by other composites such as Silver, and Carbon Black. The nanocomposite based inks are compared for proposed applications as sensor systems and conductive tracks on smart textile for pervasive wireless healthcare system that can be mass produced using low cost printing processes.

  8. Printable Spacecraft: Flexible Electronic Platforms for NASA Missions. Phase One

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Short, Kendra (Principal Investigator); Van Buren, David (Principal Investigator)

    2012-01-01

    Atmospheric confetti. Inchworm crawlers. Blankets of ground penetrating radar. These are some of the unique mission concepts which could be enabled by a printable spacecraft. Printed electronics technology offers enormous potential to transform the way NASA builds spacecraft. A printed spacecraft's low mass, volume and cost offer dramatic potential impacts to many missions. Network missions could increase from a few discrete measurements to tens of thousands of platforms improving areal density and system reliability. Printed platforms could be added to any prime mission as a low-cost, minimum resource secondary payload to augment the science return. For a small fraction of the mass and cost of a traditional lander, a Europa flagship mission might carry experimental printed surface platforms. An Enceladus Explorer could carry feather-light printed platforms to release into volcanic plumes to measure composition and impact energies. The ability to print circuits directly onto a variety of surfaces, opens the possibility of multi-functional structures and membranes such as "smart" solar sails and balloons. The inherent flexibility of a printed platform allows for in-situ re-configurability for aerodynamic control or mobility. Engineering telemetry of wheel/soil interactions are possible with a conformal printed sensor tape fit around a rover wheel. Environmental time history within a sample return canister could be recorded with a printed sensor array that fits flush to the interior of the canister. Phase One of the NIAC task entitled "Printable Spacecraft" investigated the viability of printed electronics technologies for creating multi-functional spacecraft platforms. Mission concepts and architectures that could be enhanced or enabled with this technology were explored. This final report captures the results and conclusions of the Phase One study. First, the report presents the approach taken in conducting the study and a mapping of results against the proposed Phase One objectives. Then an overview of the general field of printed electronics is provided, including manufacturing approaches, commercial drivers, and the current state of integrated systems. The bulk of the report contains the results and findings of Phase One organized into four sections: a survey of components required for a printable spacecraft, technology roadmaps considerations, science mission and engineering applications, and potential risks and challenges of the technology.

  9. 37 CFR 202.3 - Registration of copyright.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... 202.3 Section 202.3 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.... Deposit materials in support of the online application may be submitted electronically in a digital format... request to the Copyright Public Information Office, Library of Congress. Printed form applications may be...

  10. Design of a CMOS readout circuit on ultra-thin flexible silicon chip for printed strain gauges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elsobky, Mourad; Mahsereci, Yigit; Keck, Jürgen; Richter, Harald; Burghartz, Joachim N.

    2017-09-01

    Flexible electronics represents an emerging technology with features enabling several new applications such as wearable electronics and bendable displays. Precise and high-performance sensors readout chips are crucial for high quality flexible electronic products. In this work, the design of a CMOS readout circuit for an array of printed strain gauges is presented. The ultra-thin readout chip and the printed sensors are combined on a thin Benzocyclobutene/Polyimide (BCB/PI) substrate to form a Hybrid System-in-Foil (HySiF), which is used as an electronic skin for robotic applications. Each strain gauge utilizes a Wheatstone bridge circuit, where four Aerosol Jet® printed meander-shaped resistors form a full-bridge topology. The readout chip amplifies the output voltage difference (about 5 mV full-scale swing) of the strain gauge. One challenge during the sensor interface circuit design is to compensate for the relatively large dc offset (about 30 mV at 1 mA) in the bridge output voltage so that the amplified signal span matches the input range of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The circuit design uses the 0. 5 µm mixed-signal GATEFORESTTM technology. In order to achieve the mechanical flexibility, the chip fabrication is based on either back thinned wafers or the ChipFilmTM technology, which enables the manufacturing of silicon chips with a thickness of about 20 µm. The implemented readout chip uses a supply of 5 V and includes a 5-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a differential difference amplifier (DDA), and a 10-bit successive approximation register (SAR) ADC. The circuit is simulated across process, supply and temperature corners and the simulation results indicate excellent performance in terms of circuit stability and linearity.

  11. Three-Dimensional Printed Poly(vinyl alcohol) Substrate with Controlled On-Demand Degradation for Transient Electronics.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Jinsu; Han, Jungmin; Choi, Bongsik; Lee, Yongwoo; Kim, Yeamin; Park, Jinhee; Lim, Meehyun; Kang, Min-Ho; Kim, Dae Hwan; Kim, Dong Myong; Kim, Sungho; Choi, Sung-Jin

    2018-05-25

    Electronics that degrade after stable operation for a desired operating time, called transient electronics, are of great interest in many fields, including biomedical implants, secure memory devices, and environmental sensors. Thus, the development of transient materials is critical for the advancement of transient electronics and their applications. However, previous reports have mostly relied on achieving transience in aqueous solutions, where the transience time is largely predetermined based on the materials initially selected at the beginning of the fabrication. Therefore, accurate control of the transience time is difficult, thereby limiting their application. In this work, we demonstrate transient electronics based on a water-soluble poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) substrate on which carbon nanotube (CNT)-based field-effect transistors were fabricated. We regulated the structural parameters of the PVA substrate using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to accurately control and program the transience time of the PVA substrate in water. The 3D printing technology can produce complex objects directly, thus enabling the efficient fabrication of a transient substrate with a prescribed and controlled transience time. In addition, the 3D printer was used to develop a facile method for the selective and partial destruction of electronics.

  12. Fluoropolymer based composite with Ag particles as 3D printable conductive ink for stretchable electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Amit; La, Thanh Giang; Li, Xinda; Chung, Hyun Joong

    The recent development of stretchable electronics expands the scope of wearable and healthcare applications. This creates a high demand in stretchy conductor that can maintain conductivity at high strain conditions. Here, we describe a simple fabrication pathway to achieve stretchable, 3D-printable and low-cost conductive composite ink. The ink is used to print complex stretchable patterns with high conductivity. The elastic ink is composed of silver(Ag) flakes, fluorine rubber, an organic solvent and surfactant. The surfactant plays multiple roles in in the composite. The surfactant promotes compatibility between silver flakes and fluorine rubber; at the same time, it affects the mechanical properties of the hosting fluoropolymers and adhesion properties of the composite. Based on experimental observations, we discuss the exact role of the surfactant in the composite. The resulting composite exhibits high conductivity value of 8.49 *10 4 S/m along with high reliability against repeated stretching/releasing cycles. Interesting examples of transfer printing of the printed ink and its applications in working devices, such as RFID tag and antennas, are also showcased.

  13. Print versus electronic journals: a preliminary investigation into the effect of journal format on research processes*

    PubMed Central

    Sathe, Nila A.; Grady, Jenifer L.; Giuse, Nunzia B.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To begin investigating the impact of electronic journals on research processes such as information seeking, the authors conducted a pilot journal-use study to test the hypothesis that patrons use print and electronic journals differently. Methodology: We placed fifteen high-use print titles also available in electronic format behind the circulation desk; patrons were asked to complete a survey upon requesting a journal. We also conducted a parallel survey of patrons using library computers. Both surveys asked patrons to identify themselves by user category and queried them about their journal use. Results: During the month-long study, patrons completed sixty-nine surveys of electronic and ninety surveys of print journal use. Results analysis indicated that fellows, students, and residents preferred electronic journals, and faculty preferred print journals. Patrons used print journals for reading articles and scanning contents; they employed electronic journals for printing articles and checking references. Users considered electronic journals easier to access and search than print journals; however, they reported that print journals had higher quality text and figures. Discussion/Conclusion: This study is an introductory step in examining how electronic journals affect research processes. Our data revealed that there were distinct preferences in format among categories. In addition to collection management implications for libraries, these data also have implications for publishers and educators; current electronic formats do not facilitate all types of uses and thus may be changing learning patterns as well. PMID:11999183

  14. Chemically Driven Printed Textile Sensors Based on Graphene and Carbon Nanotubes

    PubMed Central

    Skrzetuska, Ewa; Puchalski, Michał; Krucińska, Izabella

    2014-01-01

    The unique properties of graphene, such as the high elasticity, mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, very high electrical conductivity and transparency, make them it an interesting material for stretchable electronic applications. In the work presented herein, the authors used graphene and carbon nanotubes to introduce chemical sensing properties into textile materials by means of a screen printing method. Carbon nanotubes and graphene pellets were dispersed in water and used as a printing paste in the screen printing process. Three printing paste compositions were prepared—0%, 1% and 3% graphene pellet content with a constant 3% carbon nanotube mass content. Commercially available materials were used in this process. As a substrate, a twill woven cotton fabric was utilized. It has been found that the addition of graphene to printing paste that contains carbon nanotubes significantly enhances the electrical conductivity and sensing properties of the final product. PMID:25211197

  15. Nanocrystals for electronics.

    PubMed

    Panthani, Matthew G; Korgel, Brian A

    2012-01-01

    Semiconductor nanocrystals are promising materials for low-cost large-area electronic device fabrication. They can be synthesized with a wide variety of chemical compositions and size-tunable optical and electronic properties as well as dispersed in solvents for room-temperature deposition using various types of printing processes. This review addresses research progress in large-area electronic device applications using nanocrystal-based electrically active thin films, including thin-film transistors, light-emitting diodes, photovoltaics, and thermoelectrics.

  16. Electrohydrodynamic printing of organic polymeric resistors on flat and uneven surfaces

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maktabi, Sepehr; Chiarot, Paul R., E-mail: pchiarot@binghamton.edu

    In materials printing applications, the ability to generate fine droplets is critical for achieving high-resolution features. Other desirable characteristics are high print speeds, large stand-off distances, and minimal instrumentation requirements. In this work, a tunable electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing technique capable of generating micron-sized droplets is reported. This method was used to print organic resistors on flat and uneven substrates. These ubiquitous electronic components were built using the commercial polymer-based conductive ink poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), which has been widely used in the manufacturing of organic electronic devices. Resistors with widths from 50 to 500 μm and resistances from 1 to 70 Ω/μm weremore » created. An array of emission modes for EHD printing was identified. Among these, the most promising is the microdripping mode, where droplets 10 times smaller than the nozzle's inner diameter were created at frequencies in excess of 5 kHz. It was found that the ink flow rate, applied voltage, and stand-off distance all significantly influence the droplet generation frequency. In particular, the experimental results reveal that the frequency increases nonlinearly with the applied voltage. The non-Newtonian shear thinning behavior of PEDOT:PSS strongly influenced the droplet frequency. Finally, the topology of a 3-dimensional target substrate had a significant effect on the structure and function of a printed resistor.« less

  17. Book of Knowledge (BOK) for NASA Electronic Packaging Roadmap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghaffarian, Reza

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this document is to update the NASA roadmap on packaging technologies (initially released in 2007) and to present the current trends toward further reducing size and increasing functionality. Due to the breadth of work being performed in the area of microelectronics packaging, this report presents only a number of key packaging technologies detailed in three industry roadmaps for conventional microelectronics and a more recently introduced roadmap for organic and printed electronics applications. The topics for each category were down-selected by reviewing the 2012 reports of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductor (ITRS), the 2013 roadmap reports of the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), the 2013 roadmap of association connecting electronics industry (IPC), the Organic Printed Electronics Association (OE-A). The report also summarizes the results of numerous articles and websites specifically discussing the trends in microelectronics packaging technologies.

  18. Accurately controlled sequential self-folding structures by polystyrene film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Dongping; Yang, Yang; Chen, Yong; Lan, Xing; Tice, Jesse

    2017-08-01

    Four-dimensional (4D) printing overcomes the traditional fabrication limitations by designing heterogeneous materials to enable the printed structures evolve over time (the fourth dimension) under external stimuli. Here, we present a simple 4D printing of self-folding structures that can be sequentially and accurately folded. When heated above their glass transition temperature pre-strained polystyrene films shrink along the XY plane. In our process silver ink traces printed on the film are used to provide heat stimuli by conducting current to trigger the self-folding behavior. The parameters affecting the folding process are studied and discussed. Sequential folding and accurately controlled folding angles are achieved by using printed ink traces and angle lock design. Theoretical analyses are done to guide the design of the folding processes. Programmable structures such as a lock and a three-dimensional antenna are achieved to test the feasibility and potential applications of this method. These self-folding structures change their shapes after fabrication under controlled stimuli (electric current) and have potential applications in the fields of electronics, consumer devices, and robotics. Our design and fabrication method provides an easy way by using silver ink printed on polystyrene films to 4D print self-folding structures for electrically induced sequential folding with angular control.

  19. Development of high-performance printed organic field-effect transistors and integrated circuits.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yong; Liu, Chuan; Khim, Dongyoon; Noh, Yong-Young

    2015-10-28

    Organic electronics is regarded as an important branch of future microelectronics especially suited for large-area, flexible, transparent, and green devices, with their low cost being a key benefit. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), the primary building blocks of numerous expected applications, have been intensively studied, and considerable progress has recently been made. However, there are still a number of challenges to the realization of high-performance OFETs and integrated circuits (ICs) using printing technologies. Therefore, in this perspective article, we investigate the main issues concerning developing high-performance printed OFETs and ICs and seek strategies for further improvement. Unlike many other studies in the literature that deal with organic semiconductors (OSCs), printing technology, and device physics, our study commences with a detailed examination of OFET performance parameters (e.g., carrier mobility, threshold voltage, and contact resistance) by which the related challenges and potential solutions to performance development are inspected. While keeping this complete understanding of device performance in mind, we check the printed OFETs' components one by one and explore the possibility of performance improvement regarding device physics, material engineering, processing procedure, and printing technology. Finally, we analyze the performance of various organic ICs and discuss ways to optimize OFET characteristics and thus develop high-performance printed ICs for broad practical applications.

  20. Preparation of a YAG:Ce phosphor glass by screen-printing technology and its application in LED packaging.

    PubMed

    Yang, Liang; Chen, Mingxiang; Lv, Zhicheng; Wang, Simin; Liu, Xiaogang; Liu, Sheng

    2013-07-01

    A simple and practical method for preparing phosphor glass is proposed. Phosphor distribution and element analysis are investigated by optical microscope and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The phosphor particles dispersed in the matrix are vividly observed, and their distributions are uniform. Spectrum distribution and color coordinates dependent on the thickness of the screen-printed phosphor layer coupled with a blue light emitting diode (LED) chip are studied. The luminous efficacy of the 75 μm printed phosphor-layer phosphor glass packaged white LED is 81.24 lm/W at 350 mA. This study opens up many possibilities for applications using the phosphor glass on a selected chip in which emission is well absorbed by all phosphors. The screen-printing technique also offers possibilities for the design and engineering of complex phosphor layers on glass substrates. Phosphor screen-printing technology allows the realization of high stability and thermal conductivity for the phosphor layer. This phosphor glass method provides many possibilities for LED packing, including thin-film flip chip and remote phosphor technology.

  1. Fabrications and Applications of Stimulus-Responsive Polymer Films and Patterns on Surfaces: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Jem-Kun; Chang, Chi-Jung

    2014-01-01

    In the past two decades, we have witnessed significant progress in developing high performance stimuli-responsive polymeric materials. This review focuses on recent developments in the preparation and application of patterned stimuli-responsive polymers, including thermoresponsive layers, pH/ionic-responsive hydrogels, photo-responsive film, magnetically-responsive composites, electroactive composites, and solvent-responsive composites. Many important new applications for stimuli-responsive polymers lie in the field of nano- and micro-fabrication, where stimuli-responsive polymers are being established as important manipulation tools. Some techniques have been developed to selectively position organic molecules and then to obtain well-defined patterned substrates at the micrometer or submicrometer scale. Methods for patterning of stimuli-responsive hydrogels, including photolithography, electron beam lithography, scanning probe writing, and printing techniques (microcontact printing, ink-jet printing) were surveyed. We also surveyed the applications of nanostructured stimuli-responsive hydrogels, such as biotechnology (biological interfaces and purification of biomacromoles), switchable wettability, sensors (optical sensors, biosensors, chemical sensors), and actuators. PMID:28788489

  2. Angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) analysis of lanthanum oxide for micro-flexography printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassan, S.; Yusof, M. S.; Embong, Z.; Maksud, M. I.

    2016-01-01

    Micro-flexography printing was developed in patterning technique from micron to nano scale range to be used for graphic, electronic and bio-medical device on variable substrates. In this work, lanthanum oxide (La2O3) has been used as a rare earth metal candidate as depositing agent. This metal deposit was embedded on Carbon (C) and Silica (Si) wafer substrate using Magnetron Sputtering technique. The choose of Lanthanum as a target is due to its wide application in producing electronic devices such as thin film battery and printed circuit board. The La2O3 deposited on the surface of Si wafer substrate was then analyzed using Angle Resolve X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS). The position for each synthetic component in the narrow scan of Lanthanum (La) 3d and O 1s are referred to the electron binding energy (eV). The La 3d narrow scan revealed that the oxide species of this particular metal is mainly contributed by La2O3 and La(OH)3. The information of oxygen species, O2- component from O 1s narrow scan indicated that there are four types of species which are contributed from the bulk (O2-), two chemisorb component (La2O3) and La(OH)3 and physisorp component (OH). Here, it is proposed that from the adhesive and surface chemical properties of La, it is suitable as an alternative medium for micro-flexography printing technique in printing multiple fine solid lines at nano scale. Hence, this paper will describe the capability of this particular metal as rare earth metal for use in of micro-flexography printing practice. The review of other parameters contributing to print fine lines will also be described later.

  3. Gigahertz Electromagnetic Structures via Direct Ink Writing for Radio-Frequency Oscillator and Transmitter Applications.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Nanjia; Liu, Chengye; Lewis, Jennifer A; Ham, Donhee

    2017-04-01

    Radio-frequency (RF) electronics, which combine passive electromagnetic devices and active transistors to generate and process gigahertz (GHz) signals, provide a critical basis of ever-pervasive wireless networks. While transistors are best realized by top-down fabrication, relatively larger electromagnetic passives are within the reach of printing techniques. Here, direct writing of viscoelastic silver-nanoparticle inks is used to produce a broad array of RF passives operating up to 45 GHz. These include lumped devices such as inductors and capacitors, and wave-based devices such as transmission lines, their resonant networks, and antennas. Moreover, to demonstrate the utility of these printed RF passive structures in active RF electronic circuits, they are combined with discrete transistors to fabricate GHz self-sustained oscillators and synchronized oscillator arrays that provide RF references, and wireless transmitters clocked by the oscillators. This work demonstrates the synergy of direct ink writing and RF electronics for wireless applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Printing of microstructure strain sensor for structural health monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Le, Minh Quyen; Ganet, Florent; Audigier, David; Capsal, Jean-Fabien; Cottinet, Pierre-Jean

    2017-05-01

    Recent advances in microelectronics and materials should allow the development of integrated sensors with transduction properties compatible with being printed directly onto a 3D substrate, especially metallic and polymer substrates. Inorganic and organic electronic materials in microstructured and nanostructured forms, intimately integrated in ink, offer particularly attractive characteristics, with realistic pathways to sophisticated embodiments. Here, we report on these strategies and demonstrate the potential of 3D-printed microelectronics based on a structural health monitoring (SHM) application for the precision weapon systems. We show that our printed sensors can be employed in non-invasive, high-fidelity and continuous strain monitoring of handguns, making it possible to implement printed sensors on a 3D substrate in either SHM or remote diagnostics. We propose routes to commercialization and novel device opportunities and highlight the remaining challenges for research.

  5. Lumped Parameter Modeling for Rapid Vibration Response Prototyping and Test Correlation for Electronic Units

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Dyke, Michael B.

    2013-01-01

    Present preliminary work using lumped parameter models to approximate dynamic response of electronic units to random vibration; Derive a general N-DOF model for application to electronic units; Illustrate parametric influence of model parameters; Implication of coupled dynamics for unit/board design; Demonstrate use of model to infer printed wiring board (PWB) dynamics from external chassis test measurement.

  6. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ma, Beihai; Balachandran, Uthamalingam

    The invention provides a stacked capacitor configuration comprising subunits each with a thickness of as low as 20 microns. Also provided is combination capacitor and printed wire board wherein the capacitor is encapsulated by the wire board. The invented capacitors are applicable in micro-electronic applications and high power applications, whether it is AC to DC or DC to AC, or DC to DC.

  7. Printed Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lettow, John S. (Inventor); Crain, John M. (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Korkut, Sibel (Inventor); Chiang, Katherine S. (Inventor); Chen, Chuan-Hua (Inventor); Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor)

    2016-01-01

    Printed electronic device comprising a substrate onto at least one surface of which has been applied a layer of an electrically conductive ink comprising functionalized graphene sheets and at least one binder. A method of preparing printed electronic devices is further disclosed.

  8. Printed Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Korkut, Sibel (Inventor); Chiang, Katherine S. (Inventor); Crain, John M. (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Lettow, John S. (Inventor); Chen, Chuan-Hua (Inventor); Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor)

    2018-01-01

    Printed electronic device comprising a substrate onto at least one surface of which has been applied a layer of an electrically conductive ink comprising functionalized graphene sheets and at least one binder. A method of preparing printed electronic devices is further disclosed.

  9. Printed Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Chen, Chuan-Hua (Inventor); Lettow, John S. (Inventor); Chiang, Katherine S. (Inventor); Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor); Crain, John M. (Inventor); Korkut, Sibel (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Printed electronic device comprising a substrate onto at least one surface of which has been applied a layer of an electrically conductive ink comprising functionalized graphene sheets and at least one binder. A method of preparing printed electronic devices is further disclosed.

  10. Printed Electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Crain, John M. (Inventor); Chiang, Katherine S. (Inventor); Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor); Lettow, John S. (Inventor); Korkut, Sibel A. (Inventor); Chen, Chuan-Hua (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    Printed electronic device comprising a substrate onto at least one surface of which has been applied a layer of an electrically conductive ink comprising functionalized graphene sheets and at least one binder. A method of preparing printed electronic devices is further disclosed.

  11. Printed electronics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lettow, John S. (Inventor); Prud'Homme, Robert K. (Inventor); Crain, John M. (Inventor); Aksay, Ilhan A. (Inventor); Korkut, Sibel A. (Inventor); Chiang, Katherine S. (Inventor); Chen, Chuan-hua (Inventor)

    2012-01-01

    Printed electronic device comprising a substrate onto at least one surface of which has been applied a layer of an electrically conductive ink comprising functionalized graphene sheets and at least one binder. A method of preparing printed electronic devices is further disclosed.

  12. Printed silver nanowire antennas with low signal loss at high-frequency radio

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komoda, Natsuki; Nogi, Masaya; Suganuma, Katsuaki; Kohno, Kazuo; Akiyama, Yutaka; Otsuka, Kanji

    2012-05-01

    Silver nanowires are printable and conductive, and are believed to be promising materials in the field of printed electronics. However, the resistivity of silver nanowire printed lines is higher than that of metallic particles or flakes even when sintered at high temperatures of 100-400 °C. Therefore, their applications have been limited to the replacement of transparent electrodes made from high-resistivity materials, such as doped metallic oxides, conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes. Here we report that using printed silver nanowire lines, signal losses obtained in the high-frequency radio were lower than those obtained using etched copper foil antennas, because their surfaces were much smoother than those of etched copper foil antennas. This was the case even though the resistivity of silver nanowire lines was 43-71 μΩ cm, which is much higher than that of etched copper foil (2 μΩ cm). When printed silver nanowire antennas were heated at 100 °C, they achieved signal losses that were much lower than those of silver paste antennas comprising microparticles, nanoparticles, and flakes. Furthermore, using a low temperature process, we succeeded in remotely controlling a commercialized radio-controlled car by transmitting a 2.45 GHz signal via a silver nanowire antenna printed on a polyethylene terephthalate film.Silver nanowires are printable and conductive, and are believed to be promising materials in the field of printed electronics. However, the resistivity of silver nanowire printed lines is higher than that of metallic particles or flakes even when sintered at high temperatures of 100-400 °C. Therefore, their applications have been limited to the replacement of transparent electrodes made from high-resistivity materials, such as doped metallic oxides, conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes. Here we report that using printed silver nanowire lines, signal losses obtained in the high-frequency radio were lower than those obtained using etched copper foil antennas, because their surfaces were much smoother than those of etched copper foil antennas. This was the case even though the resistivity of silver nanowire lines was 43-71 μΩ cm, which is much higher than that of etched copper foil (2 μΩ cm). When printed silver nanowire antennas were heated at 100 °C, they achieved signal losses that were much lower than those of silver paste antennas comprising microparticles, nanoparticles, and flakes. Furthermore, using a low temperature process, we succeeded in remotely controlling a commercialized radio-controlled car by transmitting a 2.45 GHz signal via a silver nanowire antenna printed on a polyethylene terephthalate film. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Operation of R/C car with a silver nanowire monopole antenna. See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr30485f

  13. Inkjet-Printed Electrodes on A4 Paper Substrates for Low-Cost, Disposable, and Flexible Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

    PubMed

    Sundriyal, Poonam; Bhattacharya, Shantanu

    2017-11-08

    Printed electronics is widely gaining much attention for compact and high-performance energy-storage devices because of the advancement of flexible electronics. The development of a low-cost current collector, selection, and utilization of the proper material deposition tool and improvement of the device energy density are major challenges for the existing flexible supercapacitors. In this paper, we have reported an inkjet-printed solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor on commercial A4 paper using a low-cost desktop printer (EPSON L130). The physical properties of all inks have been carefully optimized so that the developed inks are within the printable range, i.e., Fromm number of 4 < Z < 14 for all inks. The paper substrate is made conducting (sheet resistance ∼ 1.6 Ω/sq) by printing 40 layers of conducting graphene oxide (GO) ink on its surface. The developed conducting patterns on paper are further printed with a GO-MnO 2 nanocomposite ink to make a positive electrode, and another such structure is printed with activated carbon ink to form a negative electrode. A combination of both of these electrodes is outlaid by fabricating an asymmetric supercapacitor. The assembled asymmetric supercapacitor with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-LiCl gel electrolyte shows a stable potential window of 0-2.0 V and exhibits outstanding flexibility, good cyclic stability, high rate capability, and high energy density. The fabricated paper-substrate-based flexible asymmetric supercapacitor also displays an excellent electrochemical performances, e.g., a maximum areal capacitance of 1.586 F/cm 2 (1023 F/g) at a current density of 4 mA/cm 2 , highest energy density of 22 mWh/cm 3 at a power density of 0.099 W/cm 3 , a capacity retention of 89.6% even after 9000 charge-discharge cycles, and a low charge-transfer resistance of 2.3 Ω. So, utilization of inkjet printing for the development of paper-based flexible electronics has a strong potential for embedding into the next generation low-cost, compact, and wearable energy-storage devices and other printed electronic applications.

  14. Direct Desktop Printed-Circuits-on-Paper Flexible Electronics

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Yi; He, Zhizhu; Gao, Yunxia; Liu, Jing

    2013-01-01

    There currently lacks of a way to directly write out electronics, just like printing pictures on paper by an office printer. Here we show a desktop printing of flexible circuits on paper via developing liquid metal ink and related working mechanisms. Through modifying adhesion of the ink, overcoming its high surface tension by dispensing machine and designing a brush like porous pinhead for printing alloy and identifying matched substrate materials among different papers, the slightly oxidized alloy ink was demonstrated to be flexibly printed on coated paper, which could compose various functional electronics and the concept of Printed-Circuits-on-Paper was thus presented. Further, RTV silicone rubber was adopted as isolating inks and packaging material to guarantee the functional stability of the circuit, which suggests an approach for printing 3D hybrid electro-mechanical device. The present work paved the way for a low cost and easygoing method in directly printing paper electronics.

  15. Extremely Robust and Patternable Electrodes for Copy-Paper-Based Electronics.

    PubMed

    Ahn, Jaeho; Seo, Ji-Won; Lee, Tae-Ik; Kwon, Donguk; Park, Inkyu; Kim, Taek-Soo; Lee, Jung-Yong

    2016-07-27

    We propose a fabrication process for extremely robust and easily patternable silver nanowire (AgNW) electrodes on paper. Using an auxiliary donor layer and a simple laminating process, AgNWs can be easily transferred to copy paper as well as various other substrates using a dry process. Intercalating a polymeric binder between the AgNWs and the substrate through a simple printing technique enhances adhesion, not only guaranteeing high foldability of the electrodes, but also facilitating selective patterning of the AgNWs. Using the proposed process, extremely crease-tolerant electronics based on copy paper can be fabricated, such as a printed circuit board for a 7-segment display, portable heater, and capacitive touch sensor, demonstrating the applicability of the AgNWs-based electrodes to paper electronics.

  16. The Nonsubscription Side of Periodicals: Changes in Library Operations and Costs between Print and Electronic Formats

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schonfeld, Roger C.; King, Donald W.; Okerson, Ann; Fenton, Eileen Gifford

    2004-01-01

    Many academic and research libraries are in the midst of what may ultimately be a major transition for various parts of their collection--a shift from print to electronic format. Libraries that had long subscribed only to print versions of journals are, in increasing numbers, licensing electronic versions to replace the print. What effects will…

  17. Electrical properties of solution-deposited ZnO thin-film transistors by low-temperature annealing.

    PubMed

    Lim, Chul; Oh, Ji Young; Koo, Jae Bon; Park, Chan Woo; Jung, Soon-Won; Na, Bock Soon; Chu, Hye Yong

    2014-11-01

    Flexible oxide thin-film transistors (Oxide-TFTs) have emerged as next generation transistors because of their applicability in electronic device. In particular, the major driving force behind solution-processed zinc oxide film research is its prospective use in printing for electronics. A low-temperature process to improve the performance of solution-processed n-channel ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated via spin-coating and inkjet-printing is introduced here. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using a facile sonochemical method that was slightly modified based on a previously reported method. The influence of the annealing atmosphere on both nanoparticle-based TFT devices fabricated via spin-coating and those created via inkjet printing was investigated. For the inkjet-printed TFTs, the characteristics were improved significantly at an annealing temperature of 150 degrees C. The field effect mobility, V(th), and the on/off current ratios were 3.03 cm2/Vs, -3.3 V, and 10(4), respectively. These results indicate that annealing at 150 degrees C 1 h is sufficient to obtain a mobility (μ(sat)) as high as 3.03 cm2/Vs. Also, the active layer of the solution-based ZnO nanoparticles allowed the production of high-performance TFTs for low-cost, large-area electronics and flexible devices.

  18. A thin-film microprocessor with inkjet print-programmable memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Myny, Kris; Smout, Steve; Rockelé, Maarten; Bhoolokam, Ajay; Ke, Tung Huei; Steudel, Soeren; Cobb, Brian; Gulati, Aashini; Rodriguez, Francisco Gonzalez; Obata, Koji; Marinkovic, Marko; Pham, Duy-Vu; Hoppe, Arne; Gelinck, Gerwin H.; Genoe, Jan; Dehaene, Wim; Heremans, Paul

    2014-12-01

    The Internet of Things is driving extensive efforts to develop intelligent everyday objects. This requires seamless integration of relatively simple electronics, for example through `stick-on' electronics labels. We believe the future evolution of this technology will be governed by Wright's Law, which was first proposed in 1936 and states that the cost of a product decreases with cumulative production. This implies that a generic electronic device that can be tailored for application-specific requirements during downstream integration would be a cornerstone in the development of the Internet of Things. We present an 8-bit thin-film microprocessor with a write-once, read-many (WORM) instruction generator that can be programmed after manufacture via inkjet printing. The processor combines organic p-type and soluble oxide n-type thin-film transistors in a new flavor of the familiar complementary transistor technology with the potential to be manufactured on a very thin polyimide film, enabling low-cost flexible electronics. It operates at 6.5 V and reaches clock frequencies up to 2.1 kHz. An instruction set of 16 code lines, each line providing a 9 bit instruction, is defined by means of inkjet printing of conductive silver inks.

  19. INK-JET PRINTING OF PF6 FOR OLED APPLICATIONS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burrasca, G.; Fasolino, T.; Miscioscia, R.

    2008-08-28

    In the last years there has been much interest in applying ink-jet printing (IJP) technology to the deposition of several materials for organic electronics applications, including metals, polymers and nanoparticles dispersions on flexible substrates. The aim of this work is to study the effect of ink-jet deposition of polymer films in the manufacturing of OLED devices comparing their performances to standard technologies. The ink-jet printed polymer is introduced in an hybrid structure in which other layers are deposited by vacuum thermal evaporation. The electrical and optical properties of the obtained devices are investigated.OLEDs with the same structure were fabricated bymore » spin-coating a polymer film by the same solution used as ink. Results have been compared to the above ones to determine how the deposition method affects the device optoelectronic properties.« less

  20. Structure, electrical characteristics, and high-temperature stability of aerosol jet printed silver nanoparticle films

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rahman, Md Taibur; McCloy, John; Panat, Rahul, E-mail: rahul.panat@wsu.edu, E-mail: rvchintalapalle@utep.edu

    Printed electronics has emerged as a versatile eco-friendly fabrication technique to create sintered nanoparticle (NP) films on arbitrary surfaces with an excellent control over the film microstructure. While applicability of such films for high-temperature applications is not explored previously, herein we report the high-temperature electrical stability of silver (Ag) metal NP films fabricated using an Aerosol Jet based printing technique and demonstrate that this behavior is dictated by changes in the film microstructure. In-situ high temperature (24–500 °C) impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the real part of the impedance increases with increasing temperature up to 150 °C, at which point a decreasingmore » trend prevails until 300 °C, followed again by an increase in impedance. The electrical behavior is correlated with the in-situ grain growth of the Ag NP films, as observed afterwards by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and could be tailored by controlling the initial microstructure through sintering conditions. Using combined diffraction and spectroscopic analytical methods, it is demonstrated the Aerosol Jet printed Ag NP films exhibit enhanced thermal stability and oxidation resistance. In addition to establishing the conditions for stability of Ag NP films, the results provide a fundamental understanding of the effect of grain growth and reduction in grain boundary area on the electrical stability of sintered NP films.« less

  1. Structure, electrical characteristics, and high-temperature stability of aerosol jet printed silver nanoparticle films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Md Taibur; McCloy, John; Ramana, C. V.; Panat, Rahul

    2016-08-01

    Printed electronics has emerged as a versatile eco-friendly fabrication technique to create sintered nanoparticle (NP) films on arbitrary surfaces with an excellent control over the film microstructure. While applicability of such films for high-temperature applications is not explored previously, herein we report the high-temperature electrical stability of silver (Ag) metal NP films fabricated using an Aerosol Jet based printing technique and demonstrate that this behavior is dictated by changes in the film microstructure. In-situ high temperature (24-500 °C) impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the real part of the impedance increases with increasing temperature up to 150 °C, at which point a decreasing trend prevails until 300 °C, followed again by an increase in impedance. The electrical behavior is correlated with the in-situ grain growth of the Ag NP films, as observed afterwards by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and could be tailored by controlling the initial microstructure through sintering conditions. Using combined diffraction and spectroscopic analytical methods, it is demonstrated the Aerosol Jet printed Ag NP films exhibit enhanced thermal stability and oxidation resistance. In addition to establishing the conditions for stability of Ag NP films, the results provide a fundamental understanding of the effect of grain growth and reduction in grain boundary area on the electrical stability of sintered NP films.

  2. Fully inkjet-printed two-dimensional material field-effect heterojunctions for wearable and textile electronics.

    PubMed

    Carey, Tian; Cacovich, Stefania; Divitini, Giorgio; Ren, Jiesheng; Mansouri, Aida; Kim, Jong M; Wang, Chaoxia; Ducati, Caterina; Sordan, Roman; Torrisi, Felice

    2017-10-31

    Fully printed wearable electronics based on two-dimensional (2D) material heterojunction structures also known as heterostructures, such as field-effect transistors, require robust and reproducible printed multi-layer stacks consisting of active channel, dielectric and conductive contact layers. Solution processing of graphite and other layered materials provides low-cost inks enabling printed electronic devices, for example by inkjet printing. However, the limited quality of the 2D-material inks, the complexity of the layered arrangement, and the lack of a dielectric 2D-material ink able to operate at room temperature, under strain and after several washing cycles has impeded the fabrication of electronic devices on textile with fully printed 2D heterostructures. Here we demonstrate fully inkjet-printed 2D-material active heterostructures with graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) inks, and use them to fabricate all inkjet-printed flexible and washable field-effect transistors on textile, reaching a field-effect mobility of ~91 cm 2  V -1  s -1 , at low voltage (<5 V). This enables fully inkjet-printed electronic circuits, such as reprogrammable volatile memory cells, complementary inverters and OR logic gates.

  3. High Temperature Pt/Alumina Co-Fired System for 500 C Electronic Packaging Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Liang-Yu; Neudeck, Philip G.; Spry, David J.; Beheim, Glenn M.; Hunter, Gary W.

    2015-01-01

    Gold thick-film metallization and 96 alumina substrate based prototype packaging system developed for 500C SiC electronics and sensors is briefly reviewed, the needs of improvement are discussed. A high temperature co-fired alumina material system based packaging system composed of 32-pin chip-level package and printed circuit board is discussed for packaging 500C SiC electronics and sensors.

  4. 3D Printing of Plant Golgi Stacks from Their Electron Tomographic Models.

    PubMed

    Mai, Keith Ka Ki; Kang, Madison J; Kang, Byung-Ho

    2017-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an effective tool for preparing tangible 3D models from computer visualizations to assist in scientific research and education. With the recent popularization of 3D printing processes, it is now possible for individual laboratories to convert their scientific data into a physical form suitable for presentation or teaching purposes. Electron tomography is an electron microscopy method by which 3D structures of subcellular organelles or macromolecular complexes are determined at nanometer-level resolutions. Electron tomography analyses have revealed the convoluted membrane architectures of Golgi stacks, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. But the intricacy of their 3D organizations is difficult to grasp from tomographic models illustrated on computer screens. Despite the rapid development of 3D printing technologies, production of organelle models based on experimental data with 3D printing has rarely been documented. In this chapter, we present a simple guide to creating 3D prints of electron tomographic models of plant Golgi stacks using the two most accessible 3D printing technologies.

  5. 3D Printing PDMS Elastomer in a Hydrophilic Support Bath via Freeform Reversible Embedding.

    PubMed

    Hinton, Thomas J; Hudson, Andrew; Pusch, Kira; Lee, Andrew; Feinberg, Adam W

    2016-10-10

    Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer is used in a wide range of biomaterial applications including microfluidics, cell culture substrates, flexible electronics, and medical devices. However, it has proved challenging to 3D print PDMS in complex structures due to its low elastic modulus and need for support during the printing process. Here we demonstrate the 3D printing of hydrophobic PDMS prepolymer resins within a hydrophilic Carbopol gel support via freeform reversible embedding (FRE). In the FRE printing process, the Carbopol support acts as a Bingham plastic that yields and fluidizes when the syringe tip of the 3D printer moves through it, but acts as a solid for the PDMS extruded within it. This, in combination with the immiscibility of hydrophobic PDMS in the hydrophilic Carbopol, confines the PDMS prepolymer within the support for curing times up to 72 h while maintaining dimensional stability. After printing and curing, the Carbopol support gel releases the embedded PDMS prints by using phosphate buffered saline solution to reduce the Carbopol yield stress. As proof-of-concept, we used Sylgard 184 PDMS to 3D print linear and helical filaments via continuous extrusion and cylindrical and helical tubes via layer-by-layer fabrication. Importantly, we show that the 3D printed tubes were manifold and perfusable. The results demonstrate that hydrophobic polymers with low viscosity and long cure times can be 3D printed using a hydrophilic support, expanding the range of biomaterials that can be used in additive manufacturing. Further, by implementing the technology using low cost open-source hardware and software tools, the FRE printing technique can be rapidly implemented for research applications.

  6. Screen printing of a capacitive cantilever-based motion sensor on fabric using a novel sacrificial layer process for smart fabric applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Yang; Torah, Russel; Yang, Kai; Beeby, Steve; Tudor, John

    2013-07-01

    Free-standing cantilevers have been fabricated by screen printing sacrificial and structural layers onto a standard polyester cotton fabric. By printing additional conductive layers, a complete capacitive motion sensor on fabric using only screen printing has been fabricated. This type of free-standing structure cannot currently be fabricated using conventional fabric manufacturing processes. In addition, compared to conventional smart fabric fabrication processes (e.g. weaving and knitting), screen printing offers the advantages of geometric design flexibility and the ability to simultaneously print multiple devices of the same or different designs. Furthermore, a range of active inks exists from the printed electronics industry which can potentially be applied to create many types of smart fabric. Four cantilevers with different lengths have been printed on fabric using a five-layer structure with a sacrificial material underneath the cantilever. The sacrificial layer is subsequently removed at 160 °C for 30 min to achieve a freestanding cantilever above the fabric. Two silver electrodes, one on top of the cantilever and the other on top of the fabric, are used to capacitively detect the movement of the cantilever. In this way, an entirely printed motion sensor is produced on a standard fabric. The motion sensor was initially tested on an electromechanical shaker rig at a low frequency range to examine the linearity and the sensitivity of each design. Then, these sensors were individually attached to a moving human forearm to evaluate more representative results. A commercial accelerometer (Microstrain G-link) was mounted alongside for comparison. The printed sensors have a similar motion response to the commercial accelerometer, demonstrating the potential of a printed smart fabric motion sensor for use in intelligent clothing applications.

  7. 3D Printing PDMS Elastomer in a Hydrophilic Support Bath via Freeform Reversible Embedding

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer is used in a wide range of biomaterial applications including microfluidics, cell culture substrates, flexible electronics, and medical devices. However, it has proved challenging to 3D print PDMS in complex structures due to its low elastic modulus and need for support during the printing process. Here we demonstrate the 3D printing of hydrophobic PDMS prepolymer resins within a hydrophilic Carbopol gel support via freeform reversible embedding (FRE). In the FRE printing process, the Carbopol support acts as a Bingham plastic that yields and fluidizes when the syringe tip of the 3D printer moves through it, but acts as a solid for the PDMS extruded within it. This, in combination with the immiscibility of hydrophobic PDMS in the hydrophilic Carbopol, confines the PDMS prepolymer within the support for curing times up to 72 h while maintaining dimensional stability. After printing and curing, the Carbopol support gel releases the embedded PDMS prints by using phosphate buffered saline solution to reduce the Carbopol yield stress. As proof-of-concept, we used Sylgard 184 PDMS to 3D print linear and helical filaments via continuous extrusion and cylindrical and helical tubes via layer-by-layer fabrication. Importantly, we show that the 3D printed tubes were manifold and perfusable. The results demonstrate that hydrophobic polymers with low viscosity and long cure times can be 3D printed using a hydrophilic support, expanding the range of biomaterials that can be used in additive manufacturing. Further, by implementing the technology using low cost open-source hardware and software tools, the FRE printing technique can be rapidly implemented for research applications. PMID:27747289

  8. 48 CFR 1819.1005 - Applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing. 334613 Magnetic and Optical Recording Media... and Wireless Communication Equipment Manufacturing. 336415 Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing. 336419 Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and...

  9. 48 CFR 1819.1005 - Applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... Printed Circuit Assembly (Electronic Assembly) Manufacturing. 334613 Magnetic and Optical Recording Media... and Wireless Communication Equipment Manufacturing. 336415 Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing. 336419 Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and...

  10. Fractal dendrite-based electrically conductive composites for laser-scribed flexible circuits

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Cheng; Cui, Xiaoya; Zhang, Zhexu; Chiang, Sum Wai; Lin, Wei; Duan, Huan; Li, Jia; Kang, Feiyu; Wong, Ching-Ping

    2015-01-01

    Fractal metallic dendrites have been drawing more attentions recently, yet they have rarely been explored in electronic printing or packaging applications because of the great challenges in large-scale synthesis and limited understanding in such applications. Here we demonstrate a controllable synthesis of fractal Ag micro-dendrites at the hundred-gram scale. When used as the fillers for isotropically electrically conductive composites (ECCs), the unique three-dimensional fractal geometrical configuration and low-temperature sintering characteristic render the Ag micro dendrites with an ultra-low electrical percolation threshold of 0.97 vol% (8 wt%). The ultra-low percolation threshold and self-limited fusing ability may address some critical challenges in current interconnect technology for microelectronics. For example, only half of the laser-scribe energy is needed to pattern fine circuit lines printed using the present ECCs, showing great potential for wiring ultrathin circuits for high performance flexible electronics. PMID:26333352

  11. A High-yield Two-step Transfer Printing Method for Large-scale Fabrication of Organic Single-crystal Devices on Arbitrary Substrates

    PubMed Central

    Deng, Wei; Zhang, Xiujuan; Pan, Huanhuan; Shang, Qixun; Wang, Jincheng; Zhang, Xiaohong; Zhang, Xiwei; Jie, Jiansheng

    2014-01-01

    Single-crystal organic nanostructures show promising applications in flexible and stretchable electronics, while their applications are impeded by the large incompatibility with the well-developed photolithography techniques. Here we report a novel two-step transfer printing (TTP) method for the construction of organic nanowires (NWs) based devices onto arbitrary substrates. Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) NWs are first transfer-printed from the growth substrate to the desired receiver substrate by contact-printing (CP) method, and then electrode arrays are transfer-printed onto the resulting receiver substrate by etching-assisted transfer printing (ETP) method. By utilizing a thin copper (Cu) layer as sacrificial layer, microelectrodes fabricated on it via photolithography could be readily transferred to diverse conventional or non-conventional substrates that are not easily accessible before with a high transfer yield of near 100%. The ETP method also exhibits an extremely high flexibility; various electrodes such as Au, Ti, and Al etc. can be transferred, and almost all types of organic devices, such as resistors, Schottky diodes, and field-effect transistors (FETs), can be constructed on planar or complex curvilinear substrates. Significantly, these devices can function properly and exhibit closed or even superior performance than the device counterparts fabricated by conventional approach. PMID:24942458

  12. Applications of additive manufacturing in dentistry: A review.

    PubMed

    Bhargav, Aishwarya; Sanjairaj, Vijayavenkatraman; Rosa, Vinicius; Feng, Lu Wen; Fuh Yh, Jerry

    2017-07-24

    Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing has been hailed as the third industrial revolution as it has caused a paradigm shift in the way objects have been manufactured. Conventionally, converting a raw material to a fully finished and assembled, usable product comprises several steps which can be eliminated by using this process as functional products can be created directly from the raw material at a fraction of the time originally consumed. Thus, AM has found applications in several sectors including automotive, aerospace, printed electronics, and healthcare. AM is increasingly being used in the healthcare sector, given its potential to fabricate patient-specific customized implants with required accuracy and precision. Implantable heart valves, rib cages, and bones are some of the examples where AM technologies are used. A vast variety of materials including ceramics, metals, polymers, and composites have been processed to fabricate intricate implants using 3D printing. The applications of AM in dentistry include maxillofacial implants, dentures, and other prosthetic aids. It may also be used in surgical training and planning, as anatomical models can be created at ease using AM. This article gives an overview of the AM process and reviews in detail the applications of 3D printing in dentistry. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Laser-based direct-write techniques for cell printing

    PubMed Central

    Schiele, Nathan R; Corr, David T; Huang, Yong; Raof, Nurazhani Abdul; Xie, Yubing; Chrisey, Douglas B

    2016-01-01

    Fabrication of cellular constructs with spatial control of cell location (±5 μm) is essential to the advancement of a wide range of applications including tissue engineering, stem cell and cancer research. Precise cell placement, especially of multiple cell types in co- or multi-cultures and in three dimensions, can enable research possibilities otherwise impossible, such as the cell-by-cell assembly of complex cellular constructs. Laser-based direct writing, a printing technique first utilized in electronics applications, has been adapted to transfer living cells and other biological materials (e.g., enzymes, proteins and bioceramics). Many different cell types have been printed using laser-based direct writing, and this technique offers significant improvements when compared to conventional cell patterning techniques. The predominance of work to date has not been in application of the technique, but rather focused on demonstrating the ability of direct writing to pattern living cells, in a spatially precise manner, while maintaining cellular viability. This paper reviews laser-based additive direct-write techniques for cell printing, and the various cell types successfully laser direct-written that have applications in tissue engineering, stem cell and cancer research are highlighted. A particular focus is paid to process dynamics modeling and process-induced cell injury during laser-based cell direct writing. PMID:20814088

  14. Innovative Pressure Sensor Platform and Its Integration with an End-User Application

    PubMed Central

    Flores-Caballero, Antonio; Copaci, Dorin; Blanco, María Dolores; Moreno, Luis; Herrán, Jaime; Fernández, Iván; Ochoteco, Estíbaliz; Cabañero, German; Grande, Hans

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the fully integration of an innovative and low-cost pressure sensor sheet based on a bendable and printed electronics technology. All integration stages are covered, from most low-level functional system, like physical analog sensor data acquisition, followed by embedded data processing, to end user interactive visual application. Data acquisition embedded software and hardware was developed using a Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP). Finally, after first electronic prototype successful testing, a Taylor-made electronics was developed, reducing electronics volume to 3.5 cm × 6 cm × 2 cm with a maximum power consumption of 765 mW for both electronics and pressure sensor sheet. PMID:24922455

  15. Controlling the crack formation in inkjet-printed silver nanoparticle thin-films for high resolution patterning using intense pulsed light treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gokhale, Pritesh; Mitra, Dana; Sowade, Enrico; Yoti Mitra, Kalyan; Leonel Gomes, Henrique; Ramon, Eloi; Al-Hamry, Ammar; Kanoun, Olfa; Baumann, Reinhard R.

    2017-12-01

    During the last years, intense pulsed light (IPL) processing has been employed and studied intensively for the drying and sintering of metal nanoparticle layers deposited by means of printing methods on flexible polymer substrates. IPL was found to be a very fast and substrate-gentle approach qualified for the field of flexible and large-area printed electronics, i.e. manufactured via roll-to-roll processing. In this contribution, IPL is used for the fine-patterning of printed silver nanoparticle layers. The patterning is obtained by induced and controlled crack formation in the thin silver layer due to the intense exposure of IPL. The crack formation is controlled by selection of the substrate material, the fine-tuning of the morphology of the silver layer and an application of a dielectric layer on top of the silver layer that acts as a stress concentrator. Careful optimization of the IPL parameters allowed to adjust the lateral width of the crack. This novel approach turned out to be a fast and reproducible high-resolution patterning process for multiple applications, e.g. to pattern the source-drain electrodes for all-inkjet-printed thin-film transistors.

  16. Development of paper-based wireless communication modules for point-of-care diagnostic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Suzanne; Bezuidenhout, Petroné H.; Land, Kevin; Korvink, Jan G.; Mager, Dario

    2016-02-01

    We present an ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification based wireless communication set-up for paper-based point-of-care diagnostic applications, based on a sensing radio frequency identification chip. Paper provides a low-cost, disposable platform for ease of fluidic handling without bulky instrumentation, and is thus ideally suited for point-ofcare applications; however, result communication - a crucial aspect for healthcare to be implemented effectively - is still lacking. Printing of radio frequency identification antennas and electronic circuitry for sensing on paper are presented, with read out of the results using a radio frequency identification reader illustrated, demonstrating the feasibility of developing integrated, all-printed solutions for point-of-care diagnosis in resource-limited settings.

  17. Lead (Pb)-Free Solder Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    VIANCO,PAUL T.

    2000-08-15

    Legislative and marketing forces both abroad and in the US are causing the electronics industry to consider the use of Pb-free solders in place of traditional Sn-Pb alloys. Previous case studies have demonstrated the satisfactory manufacturability and reliability of several Pb-free compositions for printed circuit board applications. Those data, together with the results of fundamental studies on Pb-free solder materials, have indicated the general feasibility of their use in the broader range of present-day, electrical and electronic components.

  18. Tattoo-Paper Transfer as a Versatile Platform for All-Printed Organic Edible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Bonacchini, Giorgio E; Bossio, Caterina; Greco, Francesco; Mattoli, Virgilio; Kim, Yun-Hi; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Caironi, Mario

    2018-04-01

    The use of natural or bioinspired materials to develop edible electronic devices is a potentially disruptive technology that can boost point-of-care testing. The technology exploits devices that can be safely ingested, along with pills or even food, and operated from within the gastrointestinal tract. Ingestible electronics can potentially target a significant number of biomedical applications, both as therapeutic and diagnostic tool, and this technology may also impact the food industry, by providing ingestible or food-compatible electronic tags that can "smart" track goods and monitor their quality along the distribution chain. Temporary tattoo-paper is hereby proposed as a simple and versatile platform for the integration of electronics onto food and pharmaceutical capsules. In particular, the fabrication of all-printed organic field-effect transistors on untreated commercial tattoo-paper, and their subsequent transfer and operation on edible substrates with a complex nonplanar geometry is demonstrated. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board.

    PubMed

    Andersson, Henrik A; Manuilskiy, Anatoliy; Haller, Stefan; Hummelgård, Magnus; Sidén, Johan; Hummelgård, Christine; Olin, Håkan; Nilsson, Hans-Erik

    2014-03-07

    Printed electronics is a rapidly developing field where many components can already be manufactured on flexible substrates by printing or by other high speed manufacturing methods. However, the functionality of even the most inexpensive microcontroller or other integrated circuit is, at the present time and for the foreseeable future, out of reach by means of fully printed components. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate hybrid printed electronics, where regular electrical components are mounted on flexible substrates to achieve high functionality at a low cost. Moreover, the use of paper as a substrate for printed electronics is of growing interest because it is an environmentally friendly and renewable material and is, additionally, the main material used for many packages in which electronics functionalities could be integrated. One of the challenges for such hybrid printed electronics is the mounting of the components and the interconnection between layers on flexible substrates with printed conductive tracks that should provide as low a resistance as possible while still being able to be used in a high speed manufacturing process. In this article, several conductive adhesives are evaluated as well as soldering for mounting surface mounted components on a paper circuit board with ink-jet printed tracks and, in addition, a double sided Arduino compatible circuit board is manufactured and programmed.

  20. The Future of Product Design Utilising Printed Electronics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    York, Nicola; Southee, Darren; Evans, Mark

    2017-01-01

    This paper addresses the teaching of emerging technologies to design students, using "printed electronics" as an example as it recently became viable to mass manufacture and is ready for use in designs. Printed electronics is introduced as a disruptive technology, and approaches employed in knowledge transfer to industrial/product…

  1. 3D-Printed Graphene/Polylactic Acid Electrodes Promise High Sensitivity in Electroanalysis.

    PubMed

    Manzanares Palenzuela, C Lorena; Novotný, Filip; Krupička, Petr; Sofer, Zdeněk; Pumera, Martin

    2018-05-01

    Additive manufacturing provides a unique tool for prototyping structures toward electrochemical sensing, due to its ability to produce highly versatile, tailored-shaped devices in a low-cost and fast way with minimized waste. Here we present 3D-printed graphene electrodes for electrochemical sensing. Ring- and disc-shaped electrodes were 3D-printed with a Fused Deposition Modeling printer and characterized using cyclic voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy. Different redox probes K 3 Fe(CN) 6 :K 4 Fe(CN) 6 , FeCl 3 , ascorbic acid, Ru(NH 3 ) 6 Cl 3 , and ferrocene monocarboxylic acid) were used to assess the electrochemical performance of these devices. Finally, the electrochemical detection of picric acid and ascorbic acid was carried out as proof-of-concept analytes for sensing applications. Such customizable platforms represent promising alternatives to conventional electrodes for a wide range of sensing applications.

  2. Laminated Object Manufacturing of 3D-Printed Laser-Induced Graphene Foams.

    PubMed

    Luong, Duy Xuan; Subramanian, Ajay K; Silva, Gladys A Lopez; Yoon, Jongwon; Cofer, Savannah; Yang, Kaichun; Owuor, Peter Samora; Wang, Tuo; Wang, Zhe; Lou, Jun; Ajayan, Pulickel M; Tour, James M

    2018-05-29

    Laser-induced graphene (LIG), a graphene structure synthesized by a one-step process through laser treatment of commercial polyimide (PI) film in an ambient atmosphere, has been shown to be a versatile material in applications ranging from energy storage to water treatment. However, the process as developed produces only a 2D product on the PI substrate. Here, a 3D LIG foam printing process is developed on the basis of laminated object manufacturing, a widely used additive-manufacturing technique. A subtractive laser-milling process to yield further refinements to the 3D structures is also developed and shown here. By combining both techniques, various 3D graphene objects are printed. The LIG foams show good electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, as well as viability in various energy storage and flexible electronic sensor applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Additive manufacturing of glass for optical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Junjie; Gilbert, Luke J.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Kinzel, Edward C.

    2016-04-01

    Glasses including fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Additive manufacturing has several potential benefits including increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research in AM of glasses is limited and has focused on non-optical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz also has a higher working temperature than soda lime glass which poses a challenge for AM. In this work, fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the work piece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed fused quartz. A spectrometer is used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the melt pool. Thin-walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. Finally, a 3D fused quartz cube is printed using the newly acquired layer height and polished on each surface. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the polished cube are both measured. These results show that the filament fed process has the potential to print fused quartz with optical transparency and of index of refraction uniformity approaching bulk processed glass.

  4. Optimisation of Substrate Angles for Multi-material and Multi-functional Inkjet Printing.

    PubMed

    Vaithilingam, Jayasheelan; Saleh, Ehab; Wildman, Ricky D; Hague, Richard J M; Tuck, Christopher J

    2018-06-13

    Three dimensional inkjet printing of multiple materials for electronics applications are challenging due to the limited material availability, inconsistencies in layer thickness between dissimilar materials and the need to expose the printed tracks of metal nanoparticles to temperature above 100 °C for sintering. It is envisaged that instead of printing a dielectric and a conductive material on the same plane, by printing conductive tracks on an angled dielectric surface, the required number of silver layers and consequently, the exposure of the polymer to high temperature and the build time of the component can be significantly reduced. Conductive tracks printed with a fixed print height (FH) showed significantly better resolution for all angles than the fixed slope (FS) sample where the print height varied to maintain the slope length. The electrical resistance of the tracks remained under 10Ω up to 60° for FH; whereas for the FS samples, the resistance remained under 10Ω for samples up to 45°. Thus by fixing the print height to 4 mm, precise tracks with low resistance can be printed at substrate angles up to 60°. By adopting this approach, the build height "Z" can be quickly attained with less exposure of the polymer to high temperature.

  5. Use of Electronic Versus Print Textbooks by Chilean Dental Students: A National Survey.

    PubMed

    Aravena, Pedro Christian; Schulz, Karen; Parra, Annemarie; Perez-Rojas, Francisco; Rosas, Cristian; Cartes-Velásquez, Ricardo

    2017-03-01

    Electronic textbooks have become available in recent decades as replacements or alternatives for print versions. The aim of this descriptive cross-sectional study was to evaluate the use of electronic versus print textbooks by Chilean dental students. The target population was students from 14 Chilean dental schools. The questionnaire was adapted and translated to Spanish from a previous survey used in a similar study. It consisted of the following variables: preferred type, type used, frequency of use, source, electronic devices used to read, and disposal after use. The use of textbooks was analyzed and compared by gender and course (p≤0.05). The final sample consisted of 3,256 students (21.38±2.5 years of age, 50.8% women). Most of the participants reported using both types of texts, with most (63.9%) preferring print over electronic texts, including significantly more women (p<0.001) and first-year students (p<0.001). Most of the participants (82.8%), more women (p<0.001), and with variations over years of study (p<0.001) reported that they printed out their electronic texts, and 91.8% kept their printed material. Most of the students used electronic books on a daily basis (47.3%) or at least twice a week (30.7%). The main source of electronic textbooks was the Internet (43.8%). A personal computer was the most widely used device for reading electronic texts (95.0%), followed by a cell phone (46.4%) and a tablet (24.5%). Overall, these Chilean dental students preferred print over electronic textbooks, despite having available electronic devices.

  6. Integrated ion sensor device applications based on printed hybrid material systems (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    List-Kratochvil, Emil J. W.

    2016-09-01

    Comfortable, wearable sensors and computers will enhance every person's awareness of his or her health condition, environment, chemical pollutants, potential hazards, and information of interest. In agriculture and in the food industry there is a need for a constant control of the condition and needs of plants, animals, and farm products. Yet many of these applications depend upon the development of novel, cheap devices and sensors that are easy to implement and to integrate. Organic semiconductors as well as several inorganic materials and hybrid material systems have proven to combine a number of intriguing optical and electronic properties with simple processing methods. As it will be reviewed in this contribution, these materials are believed to find their application in printed electronic devices allowing for the development of smart disposable devices in food-, health-, and environmental monitoring, diagnostics and control, possibly integrated into arrays of sensor elements for multi-parameter detection. In this contribution we review past and recent achievements in the field. Followed by a brief introduction, we will focus on two topics being on the agenda recently: a) the use of electrolyte-gated organic field-effect transistor (EGOFET) and ion-selective membrane based sensors for in-situ sensing of ions and biological substances and b) the development of hybrid material based resistive switches and their integration into fully functional, printed hybrid crossbar sensor array structures.

  7. A Combination of Boron Nitride Nanotubes and Cellulose Nanofibers for the Preparation of a Nanocomposite with High Thermal Conductivity.

    PubMed

    Zeng, Xiaoliang; Sun, Jiajia; Yao, Yimin; Sun, Rong; Xu, Jian-Bin; Wong, Ching-Ping

    2017-05-23

    With the current development of modern electronics toward miniaturization, high-degree integration and multifunctionalization, considerable heat is accumulated, which results in the thermal failure or even explosion of modern electronics. The thermal conductivity of materials has thus attracted much attention in modern electronics. Although polymer composites with enhanced thermal conductivity are expected to address this issue, achieving higher thermal conductivity (above 10 W m -1 K -1 ) at filler loadings below 50.0 wt % remains challenging. Here, we report a nanocomposite consisting of boron nitride nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers that exhibits high thermal conductivity (21.39 W m -1 K -1 ) at 25.0 wt % boron nitride nanotubes. Such high thermal conductivity is attributed to the high intrinsic thermal conductivity of boron nitride nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers, the one-dimensional structure of boron nitride nanotubes, and the reduced interfacial thermal resistance due to the strong interaction between the boron nitride nanotubes and cellulose nanofibers. Using the as-prepared nanocomposite as a flexible printed circuit board, we demonstrate its potential usefulness in electronic device-cooling applications. This thermally conductive nanocomposite has promising applications in thermal interface materials, printed circuit boards or organic substrates in electronics and could supplement conventional polymer-based materials.

  8. All-solid-state micro-supercapacitors based on inkjet printed graphene electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jiantong; Mishukova, Viktoriia; Östling, Mikael

    2016-09-01

    The all-solid-state graphene-based in-plane micro-supercapacitors are fabricated simply through reliable inkjet printing of pristine graphene in interdigitated structure on silicon wafers to serve as both electrodes and current collectors, and a following drop casting of polymer electrolytes (polyvinyl alcohol/H3PO4). Benefiting from the printing processing, an attractive porous electrode microstructure with a large number of vertically orientated graphene flakes is observed. The devices exhibit commendable areal capacitance over 0.1 mF/cm2 and a long cycle life of over 1000 times. The simple and scalable fabrication technique for efficient micro-supercapacitors is promising for on-chip energy storage applications in emerging electronics.

  9. Angle resolved x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) analysis of lanthanum oxide for micro-flexography printing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hassan, S., E-mail: suhaimihas@uthm.edu.my; Yusof, M. S., E-mail: mdsalleh@uthm.edu.my; Maksud, M. I., E-mail: midris1973@gmail.com

    2016-01-22

    Micro-flexography printing was developed in patterning technique from micron to nano scale range to be used for graphic, electronic and bio-medical device on variable substrates. In this work, lanthanum oxide (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}) has been used as a rare earth metal candidate as depositing agent. This metal deposit was embedded on Carbon (C) and Silica (Si) wafer substrate using Magnetron Sputtering technique. The choose of Lanthanum as a target is due to its wide application in producing electronic devices such as thin film battery and printed circuit board. The La{sub 2}O{sub 3} deposited on the surface of Si wafer substratemore » was then analyzed using Angle Resolve X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS). The position for each synthetic component in the narrow scan of Lanthanum (La) 3d and O 1s are referred to the electron binding energy (eV). The La 3d narrow scan revealed that the oxide species of this particular metal is mainly contributed by La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and La(OH){sub 3}. The information of oxygen species, O{sup 2-} component from O 1s narrow scan indicated that there are four types of species which are contributed from the bulk (O{sup 2−}), two chemisorb component (La{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and La(OH){sub 3} and physisorp component (OH). Here, it is proposed that from the adhesive and surface chemical properties of La, it is suitable as an alternative medium for micro-flexography printing technique in printing multiple fine solid lines at nano scale. Hence, this paper will describe the capability of this particular metal as rare earth metal for use in of micro-flexography printing practice. The review of other parameters contributing to print fine lines will also be described later.« less

  10. Wartime Trigonometry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goetz, Albert

    2016-01-01

    "Media Clips" appears in every issue of "Mathematics Teacher," offering readers contemporary, authentic applications of quantitative reasoning based on print or electronic media. Based on "In All the Light We Cannot See" (2014), by Anthony Doerr, this article provides a brief trigonometry problem that was solved by…

  11. Developing Humanities Collections in the Digital Age: Exploring Humanities Faculty Engagement with Electronic and Print Resources

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kachaluba, Sarah Buck; Brady, Jessica Evans; Critten, Jessica

    2014-01-01

    This article is based on quantitative and qualitative research examining humanities scholars' understandings of the advantages and disadvantages of print versus electronic information resources. It explores how humanities' faculty members at Florida State University (FSU) use print and electronic resources, as well as how they perceive these…

  12. Low-Dielectric Polyimides

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    St. Clair, Anne K.; St. Clair, Terry L.; Winfree, William P.; Emerson, Bert R., Jr.

    1989-01-01

    New process developed to produce aromatic condensation polyimide films and coatings having dielectric constants in range of 2.4 to 3.2. Materials better electrical insulators than state-of-the-art commercial polyimides. Several low-dielectric-constant polyimides have excellent resistance to moisture. Useful as film and coating materials for both industrial and aerospace applications where high electrical insulation, resistance to moisture, mechanical strength, and thermal stability required. Applicable to production of high-temperature and moisture-resistance adhesives, films, photoresists, and coatings. Electronic applications include printed-circuit boards, both of composite and flexible-film types and potential use in automotive, aerospace, and electronic industries.

  13. Input Scanners: A Growing Impact In A Diverse Marketplace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marks, Kevin E.

    1989-08-01

    Just as newly invented photographic processes revolutionized the printing industry at the turn of the century, electronic imaging has affected almost every computer application today. To completely emulate traditionally mechanical means of information handling, computer based systems must be able to capture graphic images. Thus, there is a widespread need for the electronic camera, the digitizer, the input scanner. This paper will review how various types of input scanners are being used in many diverse applications. The following topics will be covered: - Historical overview of input scanners - New applications for scanners - Impact of scanning technology on select markets - Scanning systems issues

  14. Developing novel 3D antennas using advanced additive manufacturing technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mirzaee, Milad

    In today's world of wireless communication systems, antenna engineering is rapidly advancing as the wireless services continue to expand in support of emerging commercial applications. Antennas play a key role in the performance of advanced transceiver systems where they serve to convert electric power to electromagnetic waves and vice versa. Researchers have held significant interest in developing this crucial component for wireless communication systems by employing a variety of design techniques. In the past few years, demands for electrically small antennas continues to increase, particularly among portable and mobile wireless devices, medical electronics and aerospace systems. This trend toward smaller electronic devices makes the three dimensional (3D) antennas very appealing, since they can be designed in a way to use every available space inside the devise. Additive Manufacturing (AM) method could help to find great solutions for the antennas design for next generation of wireless communication systems. In this thesis, the design and fabrication of 3D printed antennas using AM technology is studied. To demonstrate this application of AM, different types of antennas structures have been designed and fabricated using various manufacturing processes. This thesis studies, for the first time, embedded conductive 3D printed antennas using PolyLactic Acid (PLA) and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for substrate parts and high temperature carbon paste for conductive parts which can be a good candidate to overcome the limitations of direct printing on 3D surfaces that is the most popular method to fabricate conductive parts of the antennas. This thesis also studies, for the first time, the fabrication of antennas with 3D printed conductive parts which can contribute to the new generation of 3D printed antennas.

  15. Thermally Stable Cellulose Nanocrystals toward High-Performance 2D and 3D Nanostructures.

    PubMed

    Jia, Chao; Bian, Huiyang; Gao, Tingting; Jiang, Feng; Kierzewski, Iain Michael; Wang, Yilin; Yao, Yonggang; Chen, Liheng; Shao, Ziqiang; Zhu, J Y; Hu, Liangbing

    2017-08-30

    Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted much attention in a broad range of fields such as flexible electronics, tissue engineering, and 3D printing for their excellent mechanical strength and intriguing optical properties. Economic, sustainable, and eco-friendly production of cellulose nanomaterials with high thermal stability, however, remains a tremendous challenge. Here versatile cellulose nanocrystals (DM-OA-CNCs) are prepared through fully recyclable oxalic acid (OA) hydrolysis along with disk-milling (DM) pretreatment of bleached kraft eucalyptus pulp. Compared with the commonly used cellulose nanocrystals from sulfuric acid hydrolysis, DM-OA-CNCs show several advantages including large aspect ratio, carboxylated surface, and excellent thermal stability along with high yield. We also successfully demonstrate the fabrication of high-performance films and 3D-printed patterns using DM-OA-CNCs. The high-performance films with high transparency, ultralow haze, and excellent thermal stability have the great potential for applications in flexible electronic devices. The 3D-printed patterns with porous structures can be potentially applied in the field of tissue engineering as scaffolds.

  16. Electroless-plated Ni pattern with catalyst printing on indium-gallium-zinc oxide surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Onoue, Miki; Ogura, Shintaro; Kusaka, Yasuyuki; Fukuda, Nobuko; Yamamoto, Noritaka; Kojima, Keisuke; Chikama, Katsumi; Ushijima, Hirobumi

    2017-05-01

    Electroless plated metals have been used for wiring and electrodes in the manufacture of electronic devices. To obtain plated patterns, etching and photoresist are generally used. However, through catalyst patterning by printing, we can obtain metal patterns without etching and photoresists by electroless plating. Solution-processed indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) has received significant attention for showing high performance and ease of preparation in air atmosphere. In this study, we prepared an electroless plated pattern by catalyst printing as electrodes of IGZO TFT. There are few reports on the application of plated metal electrodes prepared by catalyst printing to the source and drain electrodes of IGZO TFT. The prepared IGZO TFT exhibits a typical current-voltage (I-V) curve. The plated electrodes caused many problems such as performance degradation. However, our result showed that the plated metal electrodes can drive IGZO TFT. In addition, we confirm plated metal growth into the catalyst layer by cross sectional scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) of the plated Ni. We discuss the relevance of the measured work function (WF) of the electrode materials and the performance of IGZO TFT.

  17. Solution-processed polycrystalline silicon on paper

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Trifunovic, M.; Ishihara, R., E-mail: r.ishihara@tudelft.nl; Shimoda, T.

    Printing electronics has led to application areas which were formerly impossible with conventional electronic processes. Solutions are used as inks on top of large areas at room temperatures, allowing the production of fully flexible circuitry. Commonly, research in these inks have focused on organic and metal-oxide ink materials due to their printability, while these materials lack in the electronic performance when compared to silicon electronics. Silicon electronics, on the other hand, has only recently found their way in solution processes. Printing of cyclopentasilane as the silicon ink has been conducted and devices with far superior electric performance have been mademore » when compared to other ink materials. A thermal annealing step of this material, however, was necessary, which prevented its usage on inexpensive substrates with a limited thermal budget. In this work, we introduce a method that allows polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) production directly from the same liquid silicon ink using excimer laser irradiation. In this way, poly-Si could be formed directly on top of paper even with a single laser pulse. Using this method, poly-Si transistors were created at a maximum temperature of only 150 °C. This method allows silicon device formation on inexpensive, temperature sensitive substrates such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate or paper, which leads to applications that require low-cost but high-speed electronics.« less

  18. A 3D printed superconducting aluminium microwave cavity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Creedon, Daniel L.; Goryachev, Maxim; Kostylev, Nikita; Sercombe, Timothy B.; Tobar, Michael E.

    2016-07-01

    3D printing of plastics, ceramics, and metals has existed for several decades and has revolutionized many areas of manufacturing and science. Printing of metals, in particular, has found a number of applications in fields as diverse as customized medical implants, jet engine bearings, and rapid prototyping in the automotive industry. Although many techniques are used for 3D printing metals, they commonly rely on computer controlled melting or sintering of a metal alloy powder using a laser or electron beam. The mechanical properties of parts produced in such a way have been well studied, but little attention has been paid to their electrical properties. Here we show that a microwave cavity (resonant frequencies 9.9 and 11.2 GHz) 3D printed using an Al-12Si alloy exhibits superconductivity when cooled below the critical temperature of aluminium (1.2 K), with a performance comparable with the common 6061 alloy of aluminium. Superconducting cavities find application in numerous areas of physics, from particle accelerators to cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments. The result is achieved even with a very large concentration of non-superconducting silicon in the alloy of 12.18%, compared with Al-6061, which has between 0.4% and 0.8%. Our results may pave the way for the possibility of 3D printing superconducting cavity configurations that are otherwise impossible to machine.

  19. 3D printing of nano- and micro-structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramasamy, Mouli; Varadan, Vijay K.

    2016-04-01

    Additive manufacturing or 3D printing techniques are being vigorously investigated as a replacement to the traditional and conventional methods in fabrication to bring forth cost and time effective approaches. Introduction of 3D printing has led to printing micro and nanoscale structures including tissues and organelles, bioelectric sensors and devices, artificial bones and transplants, microfluidic devices, batteries and various other biomaterials. Various microfabrication processes have been developed to fabricate micro components and assemblies at lab scale. 3D Fabrication processes that can accommodate the functional and geometrical requirements to realize complicated structures are becoming feasible through advances in additive manufacturing. This advancement could lead to simpler development mechanisms of novel components and devices exhibiting complex features. For instance, development of microstructure electrodes that can penetrate the epidermis of the skin to collect the bio potential signal may prove very effective than the electrodes that measure signal from the skin's surface. The micro and nanostructures will have to possess extraordinary material and mechanical properties for its dexterity in the applications. A substantial amount of research being pursued on stretchable and flexible devices based on PDMA, textiles, and organic electronics. Despite the numerous advantages these substrates and techniques could solely offer, 3D printing enables a multi-dimensional approach towards finer and complex applications. This review emphasizes the use of 3D printing to fabricate micro and nanostructures for that can be applied for human healthcare.

  20. A 3D printed superconducting aluminium microwave cavity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Creedon, Daniel L.; Goryachev, Maxim; Kostylev, Nikita

    3D printing of plastics, ceramics, and metals has existed for several decades and has revolutionized many areas of manufacturing and science. Printing of metals, in particular, has found a number of applications in fields as diverse as customized medical implants, jet engine bearings, and rapid prototyping in the automotive industry. Although many techniques are used for 3D printing metals, they commonly rely on computer controlled melting or sintering of a metal alloy powder using a laser or electron beam. The mechanical properties of parts produced in such a way have been well studied, but little attention has been paid tomore » their electrical properties. Here we show that a microwave cavity (resonant frequencies 9.9 and 11.2 GHz) 3D printed using an Al-12Si alloy exhibits superconductivity when cooled below the critical temperature of aluminium (1.2 K), with a performance comparable with the common 6061 alloy of aluminium. Superconducting cavities find application in numerous areas of physics, from particle accelerators to cavity quantum electrodynamics experiments. The result is achieved even with a very large concentration of non-superconducting silicon in the alloy of 12.18%, compared with Al-6061, which has between 0.4% and 0.8%. Our results may pave the way for the possibility of 3D printing superconducting cavity configurations that are otherwise impossible to machine.« less

  1. Control of Evaporation Behavior of an Inkjet-Printed Dielectric Layer Using a Mixed-Solvent System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Hak Soon; Kang, Byung Ju; Oh, Je Hoon

    2016-01-01

    In this study, the evaporation behavior and the resulting morphology of inkjet-printed dielectric layers were controlled using a mixed-solvent system to fabricate uniform poly-4-vinylphenol (PVP) dielectric layers without any pinholes. The mixed-solvent system consisted of two different organic solvents: 1-hexanol and ethanol. The effects of inkjet-printing variables such as overlap condition, substrate temperature, and different printing sequences (continuous and interlacing printing methods) on the inkjet-printed dielectric layer were also investigated. Increasing volume fraction of ethanol (VFE) is likely to reduce the evaporation rate gradient and the drying time of the inkjet-printed dielectric layer; this diminishes the coffee stain effect and thereby improves the uniformity of the inkjet-printed dielectric layer. However, the coffee stain effect becomes more severe with an increase in the substrate temperature due to the enhanced outward convective flow. The overlap condition has little effect on the evaporation behavior of the printed dielectric layer. In addition, the interlacing printing method results in either a stronger coffee stain effect or wavy structures of the dielectric layers depending on the VFE of the PVP solution. All-inkjet-printed capacitors without electrical short circuiting can be successfully fabricated using the optimized PVP solution (VFE = 0.6); this indicates that the mixed-solvent system is expected to play an important role in the fabrication of high-quality inkjet-printed dielectric layers in various printed electronics applications.

  2. Connecting Print and Electronic Titles: An Integrated Approach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolfe, Judith; Konecky, Joan Latta; Boden, Dana W. R.

    2011-01-01

    Libraries make heavy investments in electronic resources, with many of these resources reflecting title changes, bundled subsets, or content changes of formerly print material. These changes can distance the electronic format from its print origins, creating discovery and access issues. A task force was formed to explore the enhancement of catalog…

  3. The Decline of Print: Ten Years of Print Serial Use in a Small Academic Medical Library

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosati, Karen Thompson

    2006-01-01

    Tracking use of print journals over a ten-year period has allowed The University of South Carolina (USC) School of Medicine Library an essential tool for more accurate collection development, for both print and electronic selection. This lengthy study has provided usage statistics for purchasing decisions regarding electronic subscriptions still…

  4. Spray printing of organic semiconducting single crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rigas, Grigorios-Panagiotis; Payne, Marcia M.; Anthony, John E.; Horton, Peter N.; Castro, Fernando A.; Shkunov, Maxim

    2016-11-01

    Single-crystal semiconductors have been at the forefront of scientific interest for more than 70 years, serving as the backbone of electronic devices. Inorganic single crystals are typically grown from a melt using time-consuming and energy-intensive processes. Organic semiconductor single crystals, however, can be grown using solution-based methods at room temperature in air, opening up the possibility of large-scale production of inexpensive electronics targeting applications ranging from field-effect transistors and light-emitting diodes to medical X-ray detectors. Here we demonstrate a low-cost, scalable spray-printing process to fabricate high-quality organic single crystals, based on various semiconducting small molecules on virtually any substrate by combining the advantages of antisolvent crystallization and solution shearing. The crystals' size, shape and orientation are controlled by the sheer force generated by the spray droplets' impact onto the antisolvent's surface. This method demonstrates the feasibility of a spray-on single-crystal organic electronics.

  5. Printed Electronic Devices in Human Spaceflight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bacon, John B.

    2004-01-01

    The space environment requires robust sensing, control, and automation, whether in support of human spaceflight or of robotic exploration. Spaceflight embodies the known extremes of temperature, radiation, shock, vibration, and static loads, and demands high reliability at the lowest possible mass. Because printed electronic circuits fulfill all these requirements, printed circuit technology and the exploration of space have been closely coupled throughout their short histories. In this presentation, we will explore the space (and space launch) environments as drivers of printed circuit design, a brief history of NASA's use of printed electronic circuits, and we will examine future requirements for such circuits in our continued exploration of space.

  6. Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters.

    PubMed

    Chiulan, Ioana; Frone, Adriana Nicoleta; Brandabur, Călin; Panaitescu, Denis Mihaela

    2017-12-24

    3D printing represents a valuable alternative to traditional processing methods, clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in the manufacture of various products, such as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, artificial tissues and organs, electronics, components for the automotive industry, art objects and so on. This revolutionary technique showed unique capabilities for fabricating complex structures, with precisely controlled physical characteristics, facile tunable mechanical properties, biological functionality and easily customizable architecture. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main 3D-printing technologies currently employed in the case of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), two of the most important classes of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters. Moreover, a short presentation of the main 3D-printing methods is briefly discussed. Both PLA and PHA, in the form of filaments or powder, proved to be suitable for the fabrication of artificial tissue or scaffolds for bone regeneration. The processability of PLA and PHB blends and composites fabricated through different 3D-printing techniques, their final characteristics and targeted applications in bioengineering are thoroughly reviewed.

  7. Print quality challenges for the next decade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer, John D.

    1990-07-01

    The decade of the eighties has seen a remarkable transformation in the performance and capabilities of shared and personal printers. Dramatic gains have been made in four key areas: cost, throughput, reliability and most significantly, print quality. The improvements in text print quality due to algorithmic fonts and increased resolution have been pivotal in the creation of the desktop publishing market. Electronic pre-press systems now include hardware to receive Postscript files accompanied by color originals for scanning and separation. These systems have application in the commercial printing of a wide variety of material e.g. books, magazines, brochures, newspapers. The vision of the future of hardcopy now embraces the full spectrum from typeset text to full color reproduction of natural images due to the advent of grayscale and color capability in printer technology. This will place increased demands for improvements in print quality, particularly in the use of grayscale and color. This paper gives an overview of the challenges which must be met and discusses data communication standards and print quality measurement techniques as a means of meeting these challenges for both color and black and white output.

  8. Preparation of epoxy-acrylate copolymer/nano-silica via Pickering emulsion polymerization and its application as printing binder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Dangge; Chang, Rui; Lyu, Bin; Ma, Jianzhong; Duan, Xiying

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents a facile and efficient synthesis method to fabricate epoxy-acrylate copolymer/nano-silica latex via Pickering emulsion polymerization stabilized by silica sol. The effects of solid contents, silica concentration and polymerization time on emulsion polymerization were studied. The core-shell epoxy-acrylate copolymer/nano-silica was obtained with average diameter 690 nm, was observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The formation mechanism of epoxy-acrylate copolymer/nano-silica emulsion polymerization was proposed through observing the morphology of latex particles at different polymerization time. Fourier Transformation Infrared (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) were used to study structure and thermostability of the composites. Morphology of the latex film was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results indicated that nano-silica particles existed in the composite emulsion and could improve the thermal stability of the film. The epoxy-acrylate copolymer/nano-silica latex was used as binder applied to cotton fabric for pigment printing. The application results demonstrated that Pickering emulsion stabilized by silica sol has good effects in the pigment printing binder without surfactant. Compared with commodity binder, the resistance to wet rubbing fastness and soaping fastness were improved half grade.

  9. Temperature measurement systems in wearable electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walczak, S.; Gołebiowski, J.

    2014-08-01

    The aim of this paper is to present the concept of temperature measurement system, adapted to wearable electronics applications. Temperature is one of the most commonly monitored factor in smart textiles, especially in sportswear, medical and rescue products. Depending on the application, measured temperature could be used as an initial value of alert, heating, lifesaving or analysis system. The concept of the temperature measurement multi-point system, which consists of flexible screen-printed resistive sensors, placed on the T-shirt connected with the central unit and the power supply is elaborated in the paper.

  10. Comparison of laser and intense pulsed light sintering (IPL) for inkjet-printed copper nanoparticle layers

    PubMed Central

    Niittynen, Juha; Sowade, Enrico; Kang, Hyunkyoo; Baumann, Reinhard R.; Mäntysalo, Matti

    2015-01-01

    In this contribution we discuss the sintering of an inkjet-printed copper nanoparticle ink based on electrical performance and microstructure analysis. Laser and intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering are employed in order to compare the different techniques and their feasibility for electronics manufacturing. A conductivity of more than 20% of that of bulk copper material has been obtained with both sintering methods. Laser and IPL sintering techniques are considered to be complementary techniques and are highly suitable in different application fields. PMID:25743631

  11. A simple, low-cost conductive composite material for 3D printing of electronic sensors.

    PubMed

    Leigh, Simon J; Bradley, Robert J; Purssell, Christopher P; Billson, Duncan R; Hutchins, David A

    2012-01-01

    3D printing technology can produce complex objects directly from computer aided digital designs. The technology has traditionally been used by large companies to produce fit and form concept prototypes ('rapid prototyping') before production. In recent years however there has been a move to adopt the technology as full-scale manufacturing solution. The advent of low-cost, desktop 3D printers such as the RepRap and Fab@Home has meant a wider user base are now able to have access to desktop manufacturing platforms enabling them to produce highly customised products for personal use and sale. This uptake in usage has been coupled with a demand for printing technology and materials able to print functional elements such as electronic sensors. Here we present formulation of a simple conductive thermoplastic composite we term 'carbomorph' and demonstrate how it can be used in an unmodified low-cost 3D printer to print electronic sensors able to sense mechanical flexing and capacitance changes. We show how this capability can be used to produce custom sensing devices and user interface devices along with printed objects with embedded sensing capability. This advance in low-cost 3D printing with offer a new paradigm in the 3D printing field with printed sensors and electronics embedded inside 3D printed objects in a single build process without requiring complex or expensive materials incorporating additives such as carbon nanotubes.

  12. Clear as Glass: A Combined List of Print and Electronic Journals in the Knowledge Base

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowe, M. Sara

    2008-01-01

    The non-standard practice at Cowles Library at Drake University has been to display electronic journals and some print journals in the Knowledge Base while simultaneously listing print journals and some electronic journals in the online public access catalog (OPAC). The result was a system that made it difficult for patrons to determine our…

  13. Ink jet printing of silver metallization for photovoltaics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vest, R. W.

    1985-01-01

    Progress was made in the continuing development of the ink jet printing system for thick film circuits. The unit being used is a prototype ink jet printer. One of the first tasks completed was the complete documentation of this ink jet printing system as it existed. It was determined that this was an essential step in deciding what modifications were needed to the system and how these modifications would be implemented. Design modification studies were started for electronic, mechanical, and programming aspects of the ystem. The areas needeing improvement were discussed and applicable changes decided upon. Some improvments were completed. Although the general areas needing improving were identified and some changes decided upon, the exact details of how other changes can be implemented are yet been decided.

  14. Inkjet-printed p-type nickel oxide thin-film transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Hailong; Zhu, Jingguang; Chen, Maosheng; Guo, Tailiang; Li, Fushan

    2018-05-01

    High-performance inkjet-printed nickel oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) with Al2O3 high-k dielectric have been fabricated using a sol-gel precursor ink. The "coffee ring" effect during the printing process was facilely restrained by modifying the viscosity of the ink to control the outward capillary flow. The impacts on the device performance was studied in detail in consideration of annealing temperature of the nickel oxide film and the properties of dielectric layer. The optimized switching ability of the device were achieved at an annealing temperature of 280 °C on a 50-nm-thick Al2O3 dielectric layer, with a hole mobility of 0.78 cm2/V·s, threshold voltage of -0.6 V and on/off current ratio of 5.3 × 104. The as-printed p-type oxide TFTs show potential application in low-cost, large-area complementary electronic devices.

  15. Fabricating nanowire devices on diverse substrates by simple transfer-printing methods.

    PubMed

    Lee, Chi Hwan; Kim, Dong Rip; Zheng, Xiaolin

    2010-06-01

    The fabrication of nanowire (NW) devices on diverse substrates is necessary for applications such as flexible electronics, conformable sensors, and transparent solar cells. Although NWs have been fabricated on plastic and glass by lithographic methods, the choice of device substrates is severely limited by the lithographic process temperature and substrate properties. Here we report three new transfer-printing methods for fabricating NW devices on diverse substrates including polydimethylsiloxane, Petri dishes, Kapton tapes, thermal release tapes, and many types of adhesive tapes. These transfer-printing methods rely on the differences in adhesion to transfer NWs, metal films, and devices from weakly adhesive donor substrates to more strongly adhesive receiver substrates. Electrical characterization of fabricated NW devices shows that reliable ohmic contacts are formed between NWs and electrodes. Moreover, we demonstrated that Si NW devices fabricated by the transfer-printing methods are robust piezoresistive stress sensors and temperature sensors with reliable performance.

  16. Methodology and technological aspects of the flexible substrate preparation for ink-jet printing technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarapata, Grzegorz; Marzecki, Michał

    2013-10-01

    The ink-jet printing technology becomes especially promising for wide volume of production of cheap sensors, consumable electronics and other dedicated applications of everyday life like smart packaging, smart textiles, smart labels, etc. To achieve this goal new materials compatible with ink-jet printing should be developed. Currently on the market there is a growing number of inks with different properties, but their use requires many tests related to its printability and their interaction with other materials. The paper presents technological problems that are encountered by people associated with fabrication of various devices with using of inkjet printing techniques. Results presented in the paper show the influence of surface preparation techniques on the quality of achieved shapes, the impact of other materials already deposited and the impact of another external factors. During carried out experiments the printer Dimatix DMP 2831 and several inks base on nanosilver or dielectric UV curable was used.

  17. Forensic print extraction using 3D technology and its processing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajeev, Srijith; Shreyas, Kamath K. M.; Panetta, Karen; Agaian, Sos S.

    2017-05-01

    Biometric evidence plays a crucial role in criminal scene analysis. Forensic prints can be extracted from any solid surface such as firearms, doorknobs, carpets and mugs. Prints such as fingerprints, palm prints, footprints and lip-prints can be classified into patent, latent, and three-dimensional plastic prints. Traditionally, law enforcement officers capture these forensic traits using an electronic device or extract them manually, and save the data electronically using special scanners. The reliability and accuracy of the method depends on the ability of the officer or the electronic device to extract and analyze the data. Furthermore, the 2-D acquisition and processing system is laborious and cumbersome. This can lead to the increase in false positive and true negative rates in print matching. In this paper, a method and system to extract forensic prints from any surface, irrespective of its shape, is presented. First, a suitable 3-D camera is used to capture images of the forensic print, and then the 3-D image is processed and unwrapped to obtain 2-D equivalent biometric prints. Computer simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of using 3-D technology for biometric matching of fingerprints, palm prints, and lip-prints. This system can be further extended to other biometric and non-biometric modalities.

  18. Fully printed flexible fingerprint-like three-axis tactile and slip force and temperature sensors for artificial skin.

    PubMed

    Harada, Shingo; Kanao, Kenichiro; Yamamoto, Yuki; Arie, Takayuki; Akita, Seiji; Takei, Kuniharu

    2014-12-23

    A three-axis tactile force sensor that determines the touch and slip/friction force may advance artificial skin and robotic applications by fully imitating human skin. The ability to detect slip/friction and tactile forces simultaneously allows unknown objects to be held in robotic applications. However, the functionalities of flexible devices have been limited to a tactile force in one direction due to difficulties fabricating devices on flexible substrates. Here we demonstrate a fully printed fingerprint-like three-axis tactile force and temperature sensor for artificial skin applications. To achieve economic macroscale devices, these sensors are fabricated and integrated using only printing methods. Strain engineering enables the strain distribution to be detected upon applying a slip/friction force. By reading the strain difference at four integrated force sensors for a pixel, both the tactile and slip/friction forces can be analyzed simultaneously. As a proof of concept, the high sensitivity and selectivity for both force and temperature are demonstrated using a 3×3 array artificial skin that senses tactile, slip/friction, and temperature. Multifunctional sensing components for a flexible device are important advances for both practical applications and basic research in flexible electronics.

  19. Highly Conductive Nano-Silver Circuits by Inkjet Printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Dongbin; Wu, Minqiang

    2018-06-01

    Inkjet technology has become popular in the field of printed electronics due to its superior properties such as simple processes and printable complex patterns. Electrical conductivity of the circuits is one of the key factors in measuring the performance of printed electronics, which requires great material properties and a manufactured process. With excellent conductivity and ductility, silver is an ideal material as the wire connecting components. This review summarizes the progress of conductivity studies on inkjet printed nano-silver lines, including ink composition and nanoparticle morphology, deposition of nano-silver lines with uniform and high aspect ratios, sintering mechanisms and alternative methods of thermal sintering. Finally, the research direction on inkjet printed electronics is proposed.

  20. Three-Dimensionally Printed Micro-electromechanical Switches.

    PubMed

    Lee, Yongwoo; Han, Jungmin; Choi, Bongsik; Yoon, Jinsu; Park, Jinhee; Kim, Yeamin; Lee, Jieun; Kim, Dae Hwan; Kim, Dong Myong; Lim, Meehyun; Kang, Min-Ho; Kim, Sungho; Choi, Sung-Jin

    2018-05-09

    Three-dimensional (3D) printers have attracted considerable attention from both industry and academia and especially in recent years because of their ability to overcome the limitations of two-dimensional (2D) processes and to enable large-scale facile integration techniques. With 3D printing technologies, complex structures can be created using only a computer-aided design file as a reference; consequently, complex shapes can be manufactured in a single step with little dependence on manufacturer technologies. In this work, we provide a first demonstration of the facile and time-saving 3D printing of two-terminal micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches. Two widely used thermoplastic materials were used to form 3D-printed MEM switches; freely suspended and fixed electrodes were printed from conductive polylactic acid, and a water-soluble sacrificial layer for air-gap formation was printed from poly(vinyl alcohol). Our 3D-printed MEM switches exhibit excellent electromechanical properties, with abrupt switching characteristics and an excellent on/off current ratio value exceeding 10 6 . Therefore, we believe that our study makes an innovative contribution with implications for the development of a broader range of 3D printer applications (e.g., the manufacturing of various MEM devices and sensors), and the work highlights a uniquely attractive path toward the realization of 3D-printed electronics.

  1. Carbon Based Transistors and Nanoelectronic Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rouhi, Nima

    Carbon based materials (carbon nanotube and graphene) has been extensively researched during the past decade as one of the promising materials to be used in high performance device technology. In long term it is thought that they may replace digital and/or analog electronic devices, due to their size, near-ballistic transport, and high stability. However, a more realistic point of insertion into market may be the printed nanoelectronic circuits and sensors. These applications include printed circuits for flexible electronics and displays, large-scale bendable electrical contacts, bio-membranes and bio sensors, RFID tags, etc. In order to obtain high performance thin film transistors (as the basic building block of electronic circuits) one should be able to manufacture dense arrays of all semiconducting nanotubes. Besides, graphene synthesize and transfer technology is in its infancy and there is plenty of room to improve the current techniques. To realize the performance of nanotube and graphene films in such systems, we need to economically fabricate large-scale devices based on these materials. Following that the performance control over such devices should also be considered for future design variations for broad range of applications. Here we have first investigated carbon nanotube ink as the base material for our devices. The primary ink used consisted of both metallic and semiconducting nanotubes which resulted in networks suitable for moderate-resistivity electrical connections (such as interconnects) and rfmatching circuits. Next, purified all-semiconducting nanotube ink was used to fabricate waferscale, high performance (high mobility, and high on/off ratio) thin film transistors for printed electronic applications. The parameters affecting device performance were studied in detail to establish a roadmap for the future of purified nanotube ink printed thin film transistors. The trade of between mobility and on/off ratio of such devices was studied and the effect of nanotube network density was explained in detail. On the other hand, graphene transfer technology was explored here as well. Annealing techniques were utilized to deposit clean graphene on arbitrary substrates. Raman spectroscopy and Raman data analysis was used to confirm the clean process. Furthermore, suspended graphene membrane was fabricated using single and multi-layer graphene films. This can make a major impact on graphene based transistors and bio-nano sensors technology.

  2. LTCC Thick Film Process Characterization

    DOE PAGES

    Girardi, M. A.; Peterson, K. A.; Vianco, P. T.

    2016-05-01

    Low temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) technology has proven itself in military/space electronics, wireless communication, microsystems, medical and automotive electronics, and sensors. The use of LTCC for high frequency applications is appealing due to its low losses, design flexibility and packaging and integration capability. Moreover, we summarize the LTCC thick film process including some unconventional process steps such as feature machining in the unfired state and thin film definition of outer layer conductors. The LTCC thick film process was characterized to optimize process yields by focusing on these factors: 1) Print location, 2) Print thickness, 3) Drying of tapes and panels,more » 4) Shrinkage upon firing, and 5) Via topography. Statistical methods were used to analyze critical process and product characteristics in the determination towards that optimization goal.« less

  3. The influence of printed electronics on the recyclability of paper: a case study for smart envelopes in courier and postal services.

    PubMed

    Aliaga, C; Zhang, H; Dobon, A; Hortal, M; Beneventi, D

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of the presence of printed electronics on the paper waste streams and specifically on paper recyclability. The analysis is based on a case study focussed on envelopes for postal and courier services provided with these intelligent systems. The smart printed envelope of the study includes a combination of both conventional (thin flexible batteries and resistors) and printed electronic components (conductive track layout based on nanosilver ink). For this purpose, a comparison between envelopes with and without these components (batteries, resistors and conductive track layouts) was carried out through pilot scale paper recycling tests. The generation of rejects during the recycling process as well as the final quality of the recycled paper (mechanical and optical properties) were tested and quantitatively evaluated. The results show that resistors are retained during the screening process in the sieves and consequently they cannot end up in the final screened pulp. Therefore, mechanical and optical properties of the recycled paper are not affected. Nevertheless, inks from the conductive track layouts and batteries were partially dissolved in the process water. These substances were not totally retained in the sieving systems resulting in slight changes in the optical properties of the final recycled paper (variations are 7.2-7.5% in brightness, 8.5-10.7% in whiteness, 1.2-2.2% in L(∗) values, 3.3-3.5% in opacity and 16.1-27% in yellowness). These variations are not in ranges able to cause problems in current paper recycling processes and restrict the use of recycled paper in current applications. Moreover, real impacts on industrial recycling are expected to be even significantly lower since the proportion of paper product with printed circuits in the current paper waste streams are much lower than the ones tested in this work. However, it should be underlined the fact that this situation may change over the next years due to the future developments in printed electronics and the gradual penetration of these types of devices in the market. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A Value-Added Framework for Analyzing Electronic and Print Publishing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perritt, Henry H., Jr.

    1991-01-01

    Discusses changes in the publishing industry resulting from digital electronic networks and optical storage technologies, and explains attributes of information products as types of value for both print and electronic contexts. Electronic products necessary for a shift from paper to electronic formats are identified, and legal issues are…

  5. Flexible integrated diode-transistor logic (DTL) driving circuits based on printed carbon nanotube thin film transistors with low operation voltage.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tingting; Zhao, Jianwen; Xu, Weiwei; Dou, Junyan; Zhao, Xinluo; Deng, Wei; Wei, Changting; Xu, Wenya; Guo, Wenrui; Su, Wenming; Jie, Jiansheng; Cui, Zheng

    2018-01-03

    Fabrication and application of hybrid functional circuits have become a hot research topic in the field of printed electronics. In this study, a novel flexible diode-transistor logic (DTL) driving circuit is proposed, which was fabricated based on a light emitting diode (LED) integrated with printed high-performance single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The LED, which is made of AlGaInP on GaAs, is commercial off-the-shelf, which could generate free electrical charges upon white light illumination. Printed top-gate TFTs were made on a PET substrate by inkjet printing high purity semiconducting SWCNTs (sc-SWCNTs) ink as the semiconductor channel materials, together with printed silver ink as the top-gate electrode and printed poly(pyromellitic dianhydride-co-4,4'-oxydianiline) (PMDA/ODA) as gate dielectric layer. The LED, which is connected to the gate electrode of the TFT, generated electrical charge when illuminated, resulting in biased gate voltage to control the TFT from "ON" status to "OFF" status. The TFTs with a PMDA/ODA gate dielectric exhibited low operating voltages of ±1 V, a small subthreshold swing of 62-105 mV dec -1 and ON/OFF ratio of 10 6 , which enabled DTL driving circuits to have high ON currents, high dark-to-bright current ratios (up to 10 5 ) and good stability under repeated white light illumination. As an application, the flexible DTL driving circuit was connected to external quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs), demonstrating its ability to drive and to control the QLED.

  6. Synthesis of oxidized guar gum by dry method and its application in reactive dye printing.

    PubMed

    Gong, Honghong; Liu, Mingzhu; Zhang, Bing; Cui, Dapeng; Gao, Chunmei; Ni, Boli; Chen, Jiucun

    2011-12-01

    The aim of this study was to prepare oxidized guar gum with a simple dry method, basing on guar gum, hydrogen peroxide and a small amount of solvent. To obtain a product with suitable viscosity for reactive dye printing, the effects of various factors such as the amount of oxidant and solvent, reaction temperature and time were studied with respect to the viscosity of reaction products. The product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The hydrated rate of guar gum and oxidized guar gum was estimated through measuring the required time when their solutions (1%, w/v) reached the maximum viscosity. The effects of the salt concentration and pH on viscosity of the resultant product were studied. The mixed paste containing oxidized guar gum and carboxymethyl starch was prepared and its viscosity was determined by the viscometer. The rheological property of the mixed paste was appraised by the printing viscosity index. In addition, the applied effect of mixed paste in reactive dye printing was examined by assessing the fabric stiffness, color yield and sharp edge to the printed image in comparison with sodium alginate. And the results indicated that the mixed paste could partially replace sodium alginate as thickener in reactive dye printing. The study also showed that the method was low cost and eco-friendly and the product would have an extensive application in reactive dye printing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Electronic Document Delivery: OCLC's Prototype System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hickey, Thomas B.; Calabrese, Andrew M.

    1986-01-01

    Describes development of system for retrieval of documents from magnetic storage that uses stored font definition codes to control an inexpensive laser printer in the production of copies that closely resemble original document. Trends in information equipment and printing industries that will govern future application of this technology are…

  8. Clinical applications of 3-dimensional printing in radiation therapy.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Yizhou; Moran, Kathryn; Yewondwossen, Mammo; Allan, James; Clarke, Scott; Rajaraman, Murali; Wilke, Derek; Joseph, Paul; Robar, James L

    2017-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is suitable for the fabrication of complex radiotherapy bolus. Although investigated from dosimetric and feasibility standpoints, there are few reports to date of its use for actual patient treatment. This study illustrates the versatile applications of 3D printing in clinical radiation oncology through a selection of patient cases, namely, to create bolus for photon and modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT), as well as applicators for surface high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Photon boluses were 3D-printed to treat a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal septum and a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the posterior pinna. For a patient with a mycosis fungoides involving the upper face, a 3D-printed MERT bolus was used. To treat an SCC of the nose, a 3D-printed applicator for surface brachytherapy was made. The structures' fit to the anatomy and the radiotherapy treatment plans were assessed. Based on the treatment planning computed tomography (CT), the size of the largest air gap at the interface of the 3D-printed structure was 3 mm for the SCC of the nasal septum, 3 mm for the BCC of the pinna, 2 mm for the mycosis fungoides of the face, and 2 mm for the SCC of the nose. Acceptable treatment plans were obtained for the SCC of the nasal septum (95% isodose to 99.8% of planning target volume [PTV]), the BCC of the pinna (95% isodose to 97.7% of PTV), and the mycosis fungoides of the face (90% isodose to 92.5% of PTV). For the latter, compared with a plan with a uniform thickness bolus, the one featuring the MERT bolus achieved relative sparing of all the organs at risk (OARs) distal to the target volume, while maintaining similar target volume coverage. The surface brachytherapy plan for the SCC of the nose had adequate coverage (95% isodose to 95.6% of clinical target volume [CTV]), but a relatively high dose to the left eye, owing to its proximity to the tumor. 3D printing can be implemented effectively in the clinical setting to create highly conformal bolus for photon and MERT, as well as applicators for surface brachytherapy. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Medical Dosimetrists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Marked Object Recognition Multitouch Screen Printed Touchpad for Interactive Applications.

    PubMed

    Nunes, Jivago Serrado; Castro, Nelson; Gonçalves, Sergio; Pereira, Nélson; Correia, Vitor; Lanceros-Mendez, Senentxu

    2017-12-01

    The market for interactive platforms is rapidly growing, and touchscreens have been incorporated in an increasing number of devices. Thus, the area of smart objects and devices is strongly increasing by adding interactive touch and multimedia content, leading to new uses and capabilities. In this work, a flexible screen printed sensor matrix is fabricated based on silver ink in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Diamond shaped capacitive electrodes coupled with conventional capacitive reading electronics enables fabrication of a highly functional capacitive touchpad, and also allows for the identification of marked objects. For the latter, the capacitive signatures are identified by intersecting points and distances between them. Thus, this work demonstrates the applicability of a low cost method using royalty-free geometries and technologies for the development of flexible multitouch touchpads for the implementation of interactive and object recognition applications.

  10. Marked Object Recognition Multitouch Screen Printed Touchpad for Interactive Applications

    PubMed Central

    Nunes, Jivago Serrado; Castro, Nelson; Pereira, Nélson; Correia, Vitor; Lanceros-Mendez, Senentxu

    2017-01-01

    The market for interactive platforms is rapidly growing, and touchscreens have been incorporated in an increasing number of devices. Thus, the area of smart objects and devices is strongly increasing by adding interactive touch and multimedia content, leading to new uses and capabilities. In this work, a flexible screen printed sensor matrix is fabricated based on silver ink in a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Diamond shaped capacitive electrodes coupled with conventional capacitive reading electronics enables fabrication of a highly functional capacitive touchpad, and also allows for the identification of marked objects. For the latter, the capacitive signatures are identified by intersecting points and distances between them. Thus, this work demonstrates the applicability of a low cost method using royalty-free geometries and technologies for the development of flexible multitouch touchpads for the implementation of interactive and object recognition applications. PMID:29194414

  11. Electrostatic Assist of Liquid Transfer in Printing Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chung-Hsuan; Kumar, Satish

    2016-11-01

    Transfer of liquid from one surface to another plays an important role in many printing processes. Incomplete liquid transfer can produce defects that are detrimental to the operation of printed electronic devices, and one strategy for minimizing these defects is to apply an electric field, a technique known as electrostatic assist (ESA). However, the underlying physical mechanisms of ESA remain a mystery. To better understand these mechanisms, slender-jet models for both perfect dielectric and leaky dielectric Newtonian liquid bridges with moving contact lines are developed. Nonlinear partial differential equations describing the time- and axial-evolution of the bridge radius and interfacial charge are derived, and then solved using finite-element methods. For perfect dielectrics, it is found that application of an electric field enhances transfer of liquid to the more wettable surface. For leaky dielectrics, application of an electric field can augment or oppose the influence of wettability differences, depending on the direction of the electric field and the sign of the interfacial charge. The physical mechanisms underlying these observations will be discussed.

  12. Design for low-power and reliable flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Tsung-Ching (Jim)

    Flexible electronics are emerging as an alternative to conventional Si electronics for large-area low-cost applications such as e-paper, smart sensors, and disposable RFID tags. By utilizing inexpensive manufacturing methods such as ink-jet printing and roll-to-roll imprinting, flexible electronics can be made on low-cost plastics just like printing a newspaper. However, the key elements of exible electronics, thin-film transistors (TFTs), have slower operating speeds and less reliability than their Si electronics counterparts. Furthermore, depending on the material property, TFTs are usually mono-type -- either p- or n-type -- devices. Making air-stable complementary TFT circuits is very challenging and not applicable to most TFT technologies. Existing design methodologies for Si electronics, therefore, cannot be directly applied to exible electronics. Other inhibiting factors such as high supply voltage, large process variation, and lack of trustworthy device modeling also make designing larger-scale and robust TFT circuits a significant challenge. The major goal of this dissertation is to provide a viable solution for robust circuit design in exible electronics. I will first introduce a reliability simulation framework that can predict the degraded TFT circuits' performance under bias-stress. This framework has been validated using the amorphous-silicon (a-Si) TFT scan driver for TFT-LCD displays. To reuse the existing CMOS design ow for exible electronics, I propose a Pseudo-CMOS cell library that can make TFT circuits operable under low supply voltage and which has post-fabrication tunability for reliability and performance enhancement. This cell library has been validated using 2V self-assembly-monolayer (SAM) organic TFTs with a low-cost shadow-mask deposition process. I will also demonstrate a 3-bit 1.25KS/s Flash ADC in a-Si TFTs, which is based on the proposed Pseudo-CMOS cell library, and explore more possibilities in display, energy, and sensing applications.

  13. A Simple, Low-Cost Conductive Composite Material for 3D Printing of Electronic Sensors

    PubMed Central

    Leigh, Simon J.; Bradley, Robert J.; Purssell, Christopher P.; Billson, Duncan R.; Hutchins, David A.

    2012-01-01

    3D printing technology can produce complex objects directly from computer aided digital designs. The technology has traditionally been used by large companies to produce fit and form concept prototypes (‘rapid prototyping’) before production. In recent years however there has been a move to adopt the technology as full-scale manufacturing solution. The advent of low-cost, desktop 3D printers such as the RepRap and Fab@Home has meant a wider user base are now able to have access to desktop manufacturing platforms enabling them to produce highly customised products for personal use and sale. This uptake in usage has been coupled with a demand for printing technology and materials able to print functional elements such as electronic sensors. Here we present formulation of a simple conductive thermoplastic composite we term ‘carbomorph’ and demonstrate how it can be used in an unmodified low-cost 3D printer to print electronic sensors able to sense mechanical flexing and capacitance changes. We show how this capability can be used to produce custom sensing devices and user interface devices along with printed objects with embedded sensing capability. This advance in low-cost 3D printing with offer a new paradigm in the 3D printing field with printed sensors and electronics embedded inside 3D printed objects in a single build process without requiring complex or expensive materials incorporating additives such as carbon nanotubes. PMID:23185319

  14. All-Printed Flexible and Stretchable Electronics.

    PubMed

    Mohammed, Mohammed G; Kramer, Rebecca

    2017-05-01

    A fully automated additive manufacturing process that produces all-printed flexible and stretchable electronics is demonstrated. The printing process combines soft silicone elastomer printing and liquid metal processing on a single high-precision 3D stage. The platform is capable of fabricating extremely complex conductive circuits, strain and pressure sensors, stretchable wires, and wearable circuits with high yield and repeatability. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Conductive Carbon Nanotube Inks for Use with Desktop Inkjet Printing Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberson, Luke; Williams, Martha; Tate, LaNetra; Fortier, Craig; Smith, David; Davia, Kyle; Gibson, Tracy; Snyder, Sarah

    2013-01-01

    Inkjet printing is a common commercial process. In addition to the familiar use in printing documents from computers, it is also used in some industrial applications. For example, wire manufacturers are required by law to print the wire type, gauge, and safety information on the exterior of each foot of manufactured wire, and this is typically done with inkjet or laser printers. The goal of this work was the creation of conductive inks that can be applied to a wire or flexible substrates via inkjet printing methods. The use of inkjet printing technology to print conductive inks has been in testing for several years. While researchers have been able to get the printing system to mechanically work, the application of conductive inks on substrates has not consistently produced adequate low resistances in the kilohm range. Conductive materials can be applied using a printer in single or multiple passes onto a substrate including textiles, polymer films, and paper. The conductive materials are composed of electrical conductors such as carbon nanotubes (including functionalized carbon nanotubes and metal-coated carbon nanotubes); graphene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (e.g., pentacene and bisperipentacene); metal nanoparticles; inherently conductive polymers (ICP); and combinations thereof. Once the conductive materials are applied, the materials are dried and sintered to form adherent conductive materials on the substrate. For certain formulations, increased conductivity can be achieved by printing on substrates supported by low levels of magnetic field alignment. The adherent conductive materials can be used in applications such as damage detection, dust particle removal, smart coating systems, and flexible electronic circuitry. By applying alternating layers of different electrical conductors to form a layered composite material, a single homogeneous layer can be produced with improved electrical properties. It is believed that patterning alternate layers of different conductors may improve electrical pathways through alignment of the conductors and band gap optimization. One feature of this innovation is that flexible conductive traces could be accomplished with a conductive ink having a surface resistivity of less than 10 ohms/square. Another result was that a composite material comprising a mixture of carbon nanotubes and metallic nanoparticles could be applied by inkjet printing to flexible substrates, and the resulting applied material was one to two orders of magnitude more conductive than a material made by printing inks containing carbon nanotubes alone.

  16. Laser printed interconnects for flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pique, Alberto; Beniam, Iyoel; Mathews, Scott; Charipar, Nicholas

    Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) can be used to generate microscale 3D structures for interconnect applications non-lithographically. The laser printing of these interconnects takes place through aggregation of voxels of either molten metal or dispersed metallic nanoparticles. However, the resulting 3D structures do not achieve the bulk conductivity of metal interconnects of the same cross-section and length as those formed by wire bonding or tab welding. It is possible, however, to laser transfer entire structures using a LIFT technique known as lase-and-place. Lase-and-place allows whole components and parts to be transferred from a donor substrate onto a desired location with one single laser pulse. This talk will present the use of LIFT to laser print freestanding solid metal interconnects to connect individual devices into functional circuits. Furthermore, the same laser can bend or fold the thin metal foils prior to transfer, thus forming compliant 3D structures able to provide strain relief due to flexing or thermal mismatch. Examples of these laser printed 3D metallic bridges and their role in the development of next generation flexible electronics by additive manufacturing will be presented. This work was funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Naval Research Laboratory Basic Research Program.

  17. Direct Laser Writing-Based Programmable Transfer Printing via Bioinspired Shape Memory Reversible Adhesive.

    PubMed

    Huang, Yin; Zheng, Ning; Cheng, Zhiqiang; Chen, Ying; Lu, Bingwei; Xie, Tao; Feng, Xue

    2016-12-28

    Flexible and stretchable electronics offer a wide range of unprecedented opportunities beyond conventional rigid electronics. Despite their vast promise, a significant bottleneck lies in the availability of a transfer printing technique to manufacture such devices in a highly controllable and scalable manner. Current technologies usually rely on manual stick-and-place and do not offer feasible mechanisms for precise and quantitative process control, especially when scalability is taken into account. Here, we demonstrate a spatioselective and programmable transfer strategy to print electronic microelements onto a soft substrate. The method takes advantage of automated direct laser writing to trigger localized heating of a micropatterned shape memory polymer adhesive stamp, allowing highly controlled and spatioselective switching of the interfacial adhesion. This, coupled to the proper tuning of the stamp properties, enables printing with perfect yield. The wide range adhesion switchability further allows printing of hybrid electronic elements, which is otherwise challenging given the complex interfacial manipulation involved. Our temperature-controlled transfer printing technique shows its critical importance and obvious advantages in the potential scale-up of device manufacturing. Our strategy opens a route to manufacturing flexible electronics with exceptional versatility and potential scalability.

  18. Biomedical Diagnostics Enabled by Integrated Organic and Printed Electronics.

    PubMed

    Ahmadraji, Termeh; Gonzalez-Macia, Laura; Ritvonen, Tapio; Willert, Andreas; Ylimaula, Satu; Donaghy, David; Tuurala, Saara; Suhonen, Mika; Smart, Dave; Morrin, Aoife; Efremov, Vitaly; Baumann, Reinhard R; Raja, Munira; Kemppainen, Antti; Killard, Anthony J

    2017-07-18

    Organic and printed electronics integration has the potential to revolutionize many technologies, including biomedical diagnostics. This work demonstrates the successful integration of multiple printed electronic functionalities into a single device capable of the measurement of hydrogen peroxide and total cholesterol. The single-use device employed printed electrochemical sensors for hydrogen peroxide electroreduction integrated with printed electrochromic display and battery. The system was driven by a conventional electronic circuit designed to illustrate the complete integration of silicon integrated circuits via pick and place or using organic electronic circuits. The device was capable of measuring 8 μL samples of both hydrogen peroxide (0-5 mM, 2.72 × 10 -6 A·mM -1 ) and total cholesterol in serum from 0 to 9 mM (1.34 × 10 -8 A·mM -1 , r 2 = 0.99, RSD < 10%, n = 3), and the result was output on a semiquantitative linear bar display. The device could operate for 10 min via a printed battery, and display the result for many hours or days. A mobile phone "app" was also capable of reading the test result and transmitting this to a remote health care provider. Such a technology could allow improved management of conditions such as hypercholesterolemia.

  19. Organic materials for printed electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berggren, M.; Nilsson, D.; Robinson, N. D.

    2007-01-01

    Organic materials can offer a low-cost alternative for printed electronics and flexible displays. However, research in these systems must exploit the differences - via molecular-level control of functionality - compared with inorganic electronics if they are to become commercially viable.

  20. Vibration analysis of printed circuit boards: Effect of boundary condition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prashanth, M. D.

    2018-04-01

    A spacecraft consists of a number of electronic packages to meet the functional requirements. An electronic package is generally an assembly of printed circuit boards placed in a mechanical housing. A number of electronic components are mounted on the printed circuit board (PCB). A spacecraft experiences various types of loads during its launch such as vibration, acoustic and shock loads. Prediction of response for printed circuit boards due to vibration loads is important for mechanical design and reliability of electronic packages. The modeling and analysis of printed circuit boards is required for accurate prediction of response due to vibration loads. The response of PCB is highly dependent on the mounting configuration of PCB. In addition, anti-vibration mounts or stiffeners are used to reduce the PCB response. Vibration analysis of printed circuit boards is carried out using finite element method. The objective of this paper is to determine the dynamic characteristics of a printed circuit board. Modeling and analysis of PCB shall be carried out to study the effect of boundary conditions on the vibration response. The modeling of stiffeners or ribs shall also be considered in detail. The analysis results shall be validated using vibration tests of PCB.

  1. How Big Is Too Big?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cibes, Margaret; Greenwood, James

    2016-01-01

    Media Clips appears in every issue of Mathematics Teacher, offering readers contemporary, authentic applications of quantitative reasoning based on print or electronic media. This issue features "How Big is Too Big?" (Margaret Cibes and James Greenwood) in which students are asked to analyze the data and tables provided and answer a…

  2. Surface biofunctionalization and production of miniaturized sensor structures using aerosol printing technologies.

    PubMed

    Grunwald, Ingo; Groth, Esther; Wirth, Ingo; Schumacher, Julian; Maiwald, Marcus; Zoellmer, Volker; Busse, Matthias

    2010-03-01

    The work described in this paper demonstrates that very small protein and DNA structures can be applied to various substrates without denaturation using aerosol printing technology. This technology allows high-resolution deposition of various nanoscaled metal and biological suspensions. Before printing, metal and biological suspensions were formulated and then nebulized to form an aerosol which is aerodynamically focused on the printing module of the system in order to achieve precise structuring of the nanoscale material on a substrate. In this way, it is possible to focus the aerosol stream at a distance of about 5 mm from the printhead to the surface. This technology is useful for printing fluorescence-marked proteins and printing enzymes without affecting their biological activity. Furthermore, higher molecular weight DNA can be printed without shearing. The advantages, such as printing on complex, non-planar 3D structured surfaces, and disadvantages of the aerosol printing technology are also discussed and are compared with other printing technologies. In addition, miniaturized sensor structures with line thicknesses in the range of a few micrometers are fabricated by applying a silver sensor structure to glass. After sintering using an integrated laser or in an oven process, electrical conductivity is achieved within the sensor structure. Finally, we printed BSA in small micrometre-sized areas within the sensor structure using the same deposition system. The aerosol printing technology combined with material development offers great advantages for future-oriented applications involving biological surface functionalization on small areas. This is important for innovative biomedical micro-device development and for production solutions which bridge the disciplines of biology and electronics.

  3. A video processing method for convenient mobile reading of printed barcodes with camera phones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bäckström, Christer; Södergård, Caj; Udd, Sture

    2006-01-01

    Efficient communication requires an appropriate choice and combination of media. The print media has succeeded to attract audiences also in our electronic age because of its high usability. However, the limitations of print are self evident. By finding ways of combining printed and electronic information into so called hybrid media, the strengths of both media can be obtained. In hybrid media, paper functions as an interface to the web, integrating printed products into the connected digital world. This is a "reinvention" of printed matter making it into a more communicative technology. Hybrid media means that printed products can be updated in real time. Multimedia clips, personalization and e-shopping can be added as a part of the interactive medium. The concept of enhancing print with interactive features has been around for years. However, the technology has been so far too restricting - people don't want to be tied in front of their PC's reading newspapers. Our solution is communicative and totally mobile. A code on paper or electronic media constitutes the link to mobility.

  4. Design and Fabrication of an Experimental Microheater Array Powder Sintering Printer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holt, Nicholas; Zhou, Wenchao

    2018-03-01

    Microheater array powder sintering (MAPS) is a novel additive manufacturing process that uses an array of microheaters to selectively sinter powder particles. MAPS shows great promise as a new method of printing flexible electronics by enabling digital curing of conductive inks on a variety of substrates. For MAPS to work effectively, a microscale air gap needs to be maintained between the heater array and the conductive ink. In this article, we present an experimental MAPS printer with air gap control for printing conductive circuits. First, we discuss design aspects necessary to implement MAPS. An analysis is performed to validate that the design can maintain the desired air gap between the microheaters and the sintering layer, which consists of a silver nanoparticle ink. The printer is tested by printing conductive lines on a flexible plastic substrate with silver nanoparticle ink. Results show MAPS performs on par with or better than the existing fabrication methods for printed electronics in terms of both the print quality (conductivity of the printed line) and print speed, which shows MAPS' great promise as a competitive new method for digital production of printed electronics.

  5. A Consecutive Spray Printing Strategy to Construct and Integrate Diverse Supercapacitors on Various Substrates.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xinyu; Lu, Qiongqiong; Chen, Chen; Han, Mo; Wang, Qingrong; Li, Haixia; Niu, Zhiqiang; Chen, Jun

    2017-08-30

    The rapid development of printable electronic devices with flexible and wearable characteristics requires supercapacitor devices to be printable, light, thin, integrated macro- and micro-devices with flexibility. Herein, we developed a consecutive spray printing strategy to controllably construct and integrate diverse supercapacitors on various substrates. In such a strategy, all supercapacitor components are fully printable, and their thicknesses and shapes are well controlled. As a result, supercapacitors obtained by this strategy achieve diverse structures and shapes. In addition, different nanocarbon and pseudocapacitive materials are applicable for the fabrication of these diverse supercapacitors. Furthermore, the diverse supercapacitors can be readily constructed on various objects with planar, curved, or even rough surfaces (e.g., plastic film, glass, cloth, and paper). More importantly, the consecutive spray printing process can integrate several supercapacitors together in the perpendicular and parallel directions of one substrate by designing the structure of electrodes and separators. This enlightens the construction and integration of fully printable supercapacitors with diverse configurations to be compatible with fully printable electronics on various substrates.

  6. Fully Printed Stretchable Thin-Film Transistors and Integrated Logic Circuits.

    PubMed

    Cai, Le; Zhang, Suoming; Miao, Jinshui; Yu, Zhibin; Wang, Chuan

    2016-12-27

    This paper reports intrinsically stretchable thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated logic circuits directly printed on elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The printed devices utilize carbon nanotubes and a type of hybrid gate dielectric comprising PDMS and barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) nanoparticles. The BaTiO 3 /PDMS composite simultaneously provides high dielectric constant, superior stretchability, low leakage, as well as good printability and compatibility with the elastomeric substrate. Both TFTs and logic circuits can be stretched beyond 50% strain along either channel length or channel width directions for thousands of cycles while showing no significant degradation in electrical performance. This work may offer an entry into more sophisticated stretchable electronic systems with monolithically integrated sensors, actuators, and displays, fabricated by scalable and low-cost methods for real life applications.

  7. Emerging Carbon and Post-Carbon Nanomaterial Inks for Printed Electronics.

    PubMed

    Secor, Ethan B; Hersam, Mark C

    2015-02-19

    Carbon and post-carbon nanomaterials present desirable electrical, optical, chemical, and mechanical attributes for printed electronics, offering low-cost, large-area functionality on flexible substrates. In this Perspective, recent developments in carbon nanomaterial inks are highlighted. Monodisperse semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes compatible with inkjet and aerosol jet printing are ideal channels for thin-film transistors, while inkjet, gravure, and screen-printable graphene-based inks are better-suited for electrodes and interconnects. Despite the high performance achieved in prototype devices, additional effort is required to address materials integration issues encountered in more complex systems. In this regard, post-carbon nanomaterial inks (e.g., electrically insulating boron nitride and optically active transition-metal dichalcogenides) present promising opportunities. Finally, emerging work to extend these nanomaterial inks to three-dimensional printing provides a path toward nonplanar devices. Overall, the superlative properties of these materials, coupled with versatile assembly by printing techniques, offer a powerful platform for next-generation printed electronics.

  8. Evaluating print performance of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder pastes used in electronics assembly process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallik, S.; Bauer, R.; Hübner, F.; Ekere, N. N.

    2011-01-01

    Solder paste is the most widely used interconnection material in the electronic assembly process for attaching electronic components/devices directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards, using stencil printing process. This paper evaluates the performance of three different commercially available Sn-Ag-Cu solder pastes formulated with different particle size distributions (PSD), metal content and alloy composition. A series of stencil printing tests were carried out using a specially designed stencil of 75 μm thickness and apertures of 300×300 μm2 dimension and 500 μm pitch sizes. Solder paste printing behaviors were found related to attributes such as slumping and surface tension and printing performance was correlated with metal content and PSD. The results of the study should benefit paste manufacturers and SMT assemblers to improve their products and practices.

  9. Robust Design of a Particle-Free Silver-Organo-Complex Ink with High Conductivity and Inkjet Stability for Flexible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Vaseem, Mohammad; McKerricher, Garret; Shamim, Atif

    2016-01-13

    Currently, silver-nanoparticle-based inkjet ink is commercially available. This type of ink has several serious problems such as a complex synthesis protocol, high cost, high sintering temperatures (∼200 °C), particle aggregation, nozzle clogging, poor shelf life, and jetting instability. For the emerging field of printed electronics, these shortcomings in conductive inks are barriers for their widespread use in practical applications. Formulating particle-free silver inks has potential to solve these issues and requires careful design of the silver complexation. The ink complex must meet various requirements, such as in situ reduction, optimum viscosity, storage and jetting stability, smooth uniform sintered films, excellent adhesion, and high conductivity. This study presents a robust formulation of silver-organo-complex (SOC) ink, where complexing molecules act as reducing agents. The 17 wt % silver loaded ink was printed and sintered on a wide range of substrates with uniform surface morphology and excellent adhesion. The jetting stability was monitored for 5 months to confirm that the ink was robust and highly stable with consistent jetting performance. Radio frequency inductors, which are highly sensitive to metal quality, were demonstrated as a proof of concept on flexible PEN substrate. This is a major step toward producing high-quality electronic components with a robust inkjet printing process.

  10. In situ electrical and thermal monitoring of printed electronics by two-photon mapping.

    PubMed

    Pastorelli, Francesco; Accanto, Nicolò; Jørgensen, Mikkel; van Hulst, Niek F; Krebs, Frederik C

    2017-06-19

    Printed electronics is emerging as a new, large scale and cost effective technology that will be disruptive in fields such as energy harvesting, consumer electronics and medical sensors. The performance of printed electronic devices relies principally on the carrier mobility and molecular packing of the polymer semiconductor material. Unfortunately, the analysis of such materials is generally performed with destructive techniques, which are hard to make compatible with in situ measurements, and pose a great obstacle for the mass production of printed electronics devices. A rapid, in situ, non-destructive and low-cost testing method is needed. In this study, we demonstrate that nonlinear optical microscopy is a promising technique to achieve this goal. Using ultrashort laser pulses we stimulate two-photon absorption in a roll coated polymer semiconductor and map the resulting two-photon induced photoluminescence and second harmonic response. We show that, in our experimental conditions, it is possible to relate the total amount of photoluminescence detected to important material properties such as the charge carrier density and the molecular packing of the printed polymer material, all with a spatial resolution of 400 nm. Importantly, this technique can be extended to the real time mapping of the polymer semiconductor film, even during the printing process, in which the high printing speed poses the need for equally high acquisition rates.

  11. Three-dimensional printing in surgery: a review of current surgical applications.

    PubMed

    Malik, Hammad H; Darwood, Alastair R J; Shaunak, Shalin; Kulatilake, Priyantha; El-Hilly, Abdulrahman A; Mulki, Omar; Baskaradas, Aroon

    2015-12-01

    Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is gaining increasing recognition as a technique that will transform the landscape of surgical practice. It allows for the rapid conversion of anatomic images into physical objects, which are being used across a variety of surgical specialties. It has been unclear which groups are leading the way in coming up with novel ways of using the technology and what specifically the technology is being used for. The aim of this article was to review the current applications of 3DP in modern surgical practice. An electronic search was carried out in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO for terms related to 3DP. These were then screened for relevance and practical applications of the technology in surgery. Four hundred eighty-eight articles were initially found, and these were eventually narrowed down to 93 full-text articles. It was determined that there were three main areas in which the technology is being used to print: (1) anatomic models, (2) surgical instruments, and (3) implants and prostheses. Different specialties are at different stages in the use of the technology. The costs involved with implementing the technology and time taken for printing are important factors to consider before widespread use. For the foreseeable future, this is an exciting and interesting technology with the capacity to radically change health care and revolutionize modern surgery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Interconnect patterns for printed organic thermoelectric devices with large fill factors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gordiz, Kiarash; Menon, Akanksha K.; Yee, Shannon K.

    2017-09-01

    Organic materials can be printed into thermoelectric (TE) devices for low temperature energy harvesting applications. The output voltage of printed devices is often limited by (i) small temperature differences across the active materials attributed to small leg lengths and (ii) the lower Seebeck coefficient of organic materials compared to their inorganic counterparts. To increase the voltage, a large number of p- and n-type leg pairs is required for organic TEs; this, however, results in an increased interconnect resistance, which then limits the device output power. In this work, we discuss practical concepts to address this problem by positioning TE legs in a hexagonal closed-packed layout. This helps achieve higher fill factors (˜91%) than conventional inorganic devices (˜25%), which ultimately results in higher voltages and power densities due to lower interconnect resistances. In addition, wiring the legs following a Hilbert spacing-filling pattern allows for facile load matching to each application. This is made possible by leveraging the fractal nature of the Hilbert interconnect pattern, which results in identical sub-modules. Using the Hilbert design, sub-modules can better accommodate non-uniform temperature distributions because they naturally self-localize. These device design concepts open new avenues for roll-to-roll printing and custom TE module shapes, thereby enabling organic TE modules for self-powered sensors and wearable electronic applications.

  13. Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl potato starch and its application in reactive dye printing.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Bing; Gong, Honghong; Lü, Shaoyu; Ni, Boli; Liu, Mingzhu; Gao, Chunmei; Huang, Yinjuan; Han, Fei

    2012-11-01

    Carboxymethyl potato starch (CMPS) was synthesized with a simple dry and multi-step method as a product of the reaction of native potato starch and monochloroacetic acid in the presence of sodium hydroxide. The influence of the molar ratio of sodium hydroxide to anhydroglucose unit, the volume of 95% (v/v) ethanol, the rotation rate of motor driven stirrer and the reaction time for degree of substitution (DS) were evaluated. The product was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). FTIR spectrometry showed new bonds at 1618 and 1424 cm⁻¹ when native starch underwent carboxymethylation. SEM pictures showed that the smooth surface of native starch particles was mostly ruptured. XRD revealed that starch crystallinity was reduced after carboxymethylation. The viscosity of the mixture paste of carboxymethyl starch and sodium alginate (SA) was measured using a rotational viscometer. In addition, the applied effect of mixed paste in reactive dye printing was examined by assessing the fabric stiffness, color yield and sharp edge to the printed image in comparison with SA. And the results indicated that the mixed paste could partially replace SA as thickener in reactive dye printing. The study also showed that the method was low cost and eco-friendly and the product would have an extensive application in reactive dye printing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Towards Practical Application of Paper based Printed Circuits: Capillarity Effectively Enhances Conductivity of the Thermoplastic Electrically Conductive Adhesives

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Haoyi; Chiang, Sum Wai; Lin, Wei; Yang, Cheng; Li, Zhuo; Liu, Jingping; Cui, Xiaoya; Kang, Feiyu; Wong, Ching Ping

    2014-01-01

    Direct printing nanoparticle-based conductive inks onto paper substrates has encountered difficulties e.g. the nanoparticles are prone to penetrate into the pores of the paper and become partially segmented, and the necessary low-temperature-sintering process is harmful to the dimension-stability of paper. Here we prototyped the paper-based circuit substrate in combination with printed thermoplastic electrically conductive adhesives (ECA), which takes the advantage of the capillarity of paper and thus both the conductivity and mechanical robustness of the printed circuitsweredrastically improved without sintering process. For instance, the electrical resistivity of the ECA specimen on a pulp paper (6 × 10−5Ω·cm, with 50 wt% loading of Ag) was only 14% of that on PET film than that on PET film. This improvement has been found directly related to the sizing degree of paper, in agreement with the effective medium approximation simulation results in this work. The thermoplastic nature also enables excellent mechanical strength of the printed ECA to resist repeated folding. Considering the generality of the process and the wide acceptance of ECA technique in the modern electronic packages, this method may find vast applications in e.g. circuit boards, capacitive touch pads, and radio frequency identification antennas, which have been prototyped in the manuscript. PMID:25182052

  15. One Step Assembly of Thin Films of Carbon Nanotubes on Screen Printed Interface for Electrochemical Aptasensing of Breast Cancer Biomarker.

    PubMed

    Nawaz, Muhammad Azhar Hayat; Rauf, Sajid; Catanante, Gaelle; Nawaz, Mian Hasnain; Nunes, Gilvanda; Marty, Jean Louis; Hayat, Akhtar

    2016-10-06

    Thin films of organic moiety functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from a very well-dispersed aqueous solution were designed on a screen printed transducer surface through a single step directed assembly methodology. Very high density of CNTs was obtained on the screen printed electrode surface, with the formation of a thin and uniform layer on transducer substrate. Functionalized CNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Brunauer-Emmett- Teller (BET) surface area analyzer methodologies, while CNT coated screen printed transducer platform was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed methodology makes use of a minimum amount of CNTs and toxic solvents, and is successfully demonstrated to form thin films over macroscopic areas of screen printed carbon transducer surface. The CNT coated screen printed transducer surface was integrated in the fabrication of electrochemical aptasensors for breast cancer biomarker analysis. This CNT coated platform can be applied to immobilize enzymes, antibodies and DNA in the construction of biosensor for a broad spectrum of applications.

  16. One Step Assembly of Thin Films of Carbon Nanotubes on Screen Printed Interface for Electrochemical Aptasensing of Breast Cancer Biomarker

    PubMed Central

    Nawaz, Muhammad Azhar Hayat; Rauf, Sajid; Catanante, Gaelle; Nawaz, Mian Hasnain; Nunes, Gilvanda; Louis Marty, Jean; Hayat, Akhtar

    2016-01-01

    Thin films of organic moiety functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from a very well-dispersed aqueous solution were designed on a screen printed transducer surface through a single step directed assembly methodology. Very high density of CNTs was obtained on the screen printed electrode surface, with the formation of a thin and uniform layer on transducer substrate. Functionalized CNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area analyzer methodologies, while CNT coated screen printed transducer platform was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The proposed methodology makes use of a minimum amount of CNTs and toxic solvents, and is successfully demonstrated to form thin films over macroscopic areas of screen printed carbon transducer surface. The CNT coated screen printed transducer surface was integrated in the fabrication of electrochemical aptasensors for breast cancer biomarker analysis. This CNT coated platform can be applied to immobilize enzymes, antibodies and DNA in the construction of biosensor for a broad spectrum of applications. PMID:27782067

  17. Student Reading Practices in Print and Electronic Media

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foasberg, Nancy M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports a diary-based qualitative study on college students' reading habits with regard to print and electronic media. Students used a form to record information about their reading practices for twelve days, including length of reading event, location, format used, and the purpose of reading. Students tended to use print for academic…

  18. International Space Station (ISS) 3D Printer Performance and Material Characterization Methodology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bean, Q. A.; Cooper, K. G.; Edmunson, J. E.; Johnston, M. M.; Werkheiser, M. J.

    2015-01-01

    In order for human exploration of the Solar System to be sustainable, manufacturing of necessary items on-demand in space or on planetary surfaces will be a requirement. As a first step towards this goal, the 3D Printing In Zero-G (3D Print) technology demonstration made the first items fabricated in space on the International Space Station. From those items, and comparable prints made on the ground, information about the microgravity effects on the printing process can be determined. Lessons learned from this technology demonstration will be applicable to other in-space manufacturing technologies, and may affect the terrestrial manufacturing industry as well. The flight samples were received at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center on 6 April 2015. These samples will undergo a series of tests designed to not only thoroughly characterize the samples, but to identify microgravity effects manifested during printing by comparing their results to those of samples printed on the ground. Samples will be visually inspected, photographed, scanned with structured light, and analyzed with scanning electron microscopy. Selected samples will be analyzed with computed tomography; some will be assessed using ASTM standard tests. These tests will provide the information required to determine the effects of microgravity on 3D printing in microgravity.

  19. Electrohydrodynamic printing of silver nanowires for flexible and stretchable electronics.

    PubMed

    Cui, Zheng; Han, Yiwei; Huang, Qijin; Dong, Jingyan; Zhu, Yong

    2018-04-19

    A silver nanowire (AgNW) based conductor is a promising component for flexible and stretchable electronics. A wide range of flexible/stretchable devices using AgNW conductors has been demonstrated recently. High-resolution, high-throughput printing of AgNWs remains a critical challenge. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing has been developed as a promising technique to print different materials on a variety of substrates with high resolution. Here, AgNW ink was developed for EHD printing. The printed features can be controlled by several parameters including AgNW concentration, ink viscosity, printing speed, stand-off distance, etc. With this method, AgNW patterns can be printed on a range of substrates, e.g. paper, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glass, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), etc. First, AgNW samples on PDMS were characterized under bending and stretching. Then AgNW heaters and electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes were fabricated to demonstrate the potential of this printing technique for AgNW-based flexible and stretchable devices.

  20. Recent Advances in 3D Printing of Aliphatic Polyesters

    PubMed Central

    Frone, Adriana Nicoleta; Brandabur, Călin

    2017-01-01

    3D printing represents a valuable alternative to traditional processing methods, clearly demonstrated by the promising results obtained in the manufacture of various products, such as scaffolds for regenerative medicine, artificial tissues and organs, electronics, components for the automotive industry, art objects and so on. This revolutionary technique showed unique capabilities for fabricating complex structures, with precisely controlled physical characteristics, facile tunable mechanical properties, biological functionality and easily customizable architecture. In this paper, we provide an overview of the main 3D-printing technologies currently employed in the case of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), two of the most important classes of thermoplastic aliphatic polyesters. Moreover, a short presentation of the main 3D-printing methods is briefly discussed. Both PLA and PHA, in the form of filaments or powder, proved to be suitable for the fabrication of artificial tissue or scaffolds for bone regeneration. The processability of PLA and PHB blends and composites fabricated through different 3D-printing techniques, their final characteristics and targeted applications in bioengineering are thoroughly reviewed. PMID:29295559

  1. Inkjet printing of Chitlac-nanosilver--a method to create functional coatings for non-metallic bone implants.

    PubMed

    Nganga, Sara; Moritz, Niko; Kolakovic, Ruzica; Jakobsson, Kristina; Nyman, Johan O; Borgogna, Massimiliano; Travan, Andrea; Crosera, Matteo; Donati, Ivan; Vallittu, Pekka K; Sandler, Niklas

    2014-10-22

    Biostable fiber-reinforced composites, based on bisphenol-A-dimethacrylate and triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate thermoset polymer matrix reinforced with E-glass fibers have been successfully used in cranial reconstructions and the material has been approved for clinical use. As a further refinement of these implants, antimicrobial, non-cytotoxic coatings on the composites were created by an immersion procedure driven by strong electrostatic interactions. Silver nanoparticles (nAg) were immobilized in lactose-modified chitosan (Chitlac) to prepare the bacteriostatic coatings. Herein, we report the use of inkjet technology (a drop-on-demand inkjet printer) to deposit functional Chitlac-nAg coatings on the thermoset substrates. Characterization methods included scanning electron microscopy, scanning white light interferometry and electro-thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy. Inkjet printing enabled the fast and flexible functionalization of the thermoset surfaces with controlled coating patterns. The coatings were not impaired by the printing process: the kinetics of silver release from the coatings created by inkjet printing and conventional immersion technique was similar. Further research is foreseen to optimize printing parameters and to tailor the characteristics of the coatings for specific clinical applications.

  2. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhao, Yizhou, E-mail: yizhou.zhao@dal.ca; Moran, Kathryn; Yewondwossen, Mammo

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is suitable for the fabrication of complex radiotherapy bolus. Although investigated from dosimetric and feasibility standpoints, there are few reports to date of its use for actual patient treatment. This study illustrates the versatile applications of 3D printing in clinical radiation oncology through a selection of patient cases, namely, to create bolus for photon and modulated electron radiotherapy (MERT), as well as applicators for surface high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. Photon boluses were 3D-printed to treat a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal septum and a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the posterior pinna. For amore » patient with a mycosis fungoides involving the upper face, a 3D-printed MERT bolus was used. To treat an SCC of the nose, a 3D-printed applicator for surface brachytherapy was made. The structures' fit to the anatomy and the radiotherapy treatment plans were assessed. Based on the treatment planning computed tomography (CT), the size of the largest air gap at the interface of the 3D-printed structure was 3 mm for the SCC of the nasal septum, 3 mm for the BCC of the pinna, 2 mm for the mycosis fungoides of the face, and 2 mm for the SCC of the nose. Acceptable treatment plans were obtained for the SCC of the nasal septum (95% isodose to 99.8% of planning target volume [PTV]), the BCC of the pinna (95% isodose to 97.7% of PTV), and the mycosis fungoides of the face (90% isodose to 92.5% of PTV). For the latter, compared with a plan with a uniform thickness bolus, the one featuring the MERT bolus achieved relative sparing of all the organs at risk (OARs) distal to the target volume, while maintaining similar target volume coverage. The surface brachytherapy plan for the SCC of the nose had adequate coverage (95% isodose to 95.6% of clinical target volume [CTV]), but a relatively high dose to the left eye, owing to its proximity to the tumor. 3D printing can be implemented effectively in the clinical setting to create highly conformal bolus for photon and MERT, as well as applicators for surface brachytherapy.« less

  3. Inkjet printed fluorescent nanorod layers exhibit superior optical performance over quantum dots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halivni, Shira; Shemesh, Shay; Waiskopf, Nir; Vinetsky, Yelena; Magdassi, Shlomo; Banin, Uri

    2015-11-01

    Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit unique fluorescence properties which are tunable in size, shape and composition. The high quantum yield and enhanced stability have led to their use in biomedical imaging and flat panel displays. Here, semiconductor nanorod based inkjet inks are presented, overcoming limitations of the commonly reported quantum dots in printing applications. Fluorescent seeded nanorods were found to be outstanding candidates for fluorescent inks, due to their low particle-particle interactions and negligible self-absorption. This is manifested by insignificant emission shifts upon printing, even in highly concentrated printed layers and by maintenance of a high fluorescence quantum yield, unlike quantum dots which exhibit fluorescence wavelength shifts and quenching effects. This behavior results from the reduced absorption/emission overlap, accompanied by low energy transfer efficiencies between the nanorods as supported by steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. The new seeded nanorod inks enable patterning of thin fluorescent layers, for demanding light emission applications such as signage and displays.Semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit unique fluorescence properties which are tunable in size, shape and composition. The high quantum yield and enhanced stability have led to their use in biomedical imaging and flat panel displays. Here, semiconductor nanorod based inkjet inks are presented, overcoming limitations of the commonly reported quantum dots in printing applications. Fluorescent seeded nanorods were found to be outstanding candidates for fluorescent inks, due to their low particle-particle interactions and negligible self-absorption. This is manifested by insignificant emission shifts upon printing, even in highly concentrated printed layers and by maintenance of a high fluorescence quantum yield, unlike quantum dots which exhibit fluorescence wavelength shifts and quenching effects. This behavior results from the reduced absorption/emission overlap, accompanied by low energy transfer efficiencies between the nanorods as supported by steady state and time resolved fluorescence measurements. The new seeded nanorod inks enable patterning of thin fluorescent layers, for demanding light emission applications such as signage and displays. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr06248a

  4. Microcontact Printing via a Polymer-Induced Liquid-Precursor (PILP) Process

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-04-01

    applications that require high performance mechanical, electrical and/or optical properties resulting from controlled nano- and microstructural design...salts. The cover-slips were examined by optical microscopy, and then gold coated for scanning electron microscopy on a SEM JEOL JSM 6400 instrument [5...applications in the realm of biomimicry . Controlled growth of crystals with specific orientation can be achieved via the functional groups on the substrate

  5. Nanotechnology in paper electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demming, Anna; Österbacka, Professor Ronald; Han, Jin-Woo, Dr

    2014-03-01

    The ability to put cutting edge technology on paper—not in words but in a working physical form—has been attracting an increasing number of researchers over the past decade. Paper has many advantages that make it attractive for flexible electronics: it is relatively environmentally benign; it is renewable; it can be recycled; it is light weight; production processes for paper are well advanced; and it is inexpensive. This special issue, with guest editors Ronald Österbacka from Åbo Akademi University in Finland and Jin-Woo Han from the NASA AMES Research Center, features some of the latest in paper electronics research, including developments towards applications in displays, sensing and alternative energy sources, as well as fundamental studies to further our understanding of how paper can be most effectively used in electronics. As Andrew Steckl and colleagues in the US point out, 'Cellulose-based paper substrates were implemented as an electronic substrate as early as 1969, with most advancement occurring in the past decade largely due to technology improvements in thin film deposition and organic materials' [1, 2]. They report a detailed comparison between paper, standard liquid crystal display rigid glass and flexible glass for hosting pentacene organic thin film transistors, and obtain promising results for future paper-based devices. As most meaningful electronic devices rely on transistors to function, transistors feature quite prominently in this special issue. Rodrigo Martins and colleagues in France and Portugal study the effect of fibre type, structure and dimension on paper-based transistors and reveal further insights into how paper properties affect device performance [3]. Qing Wan and colleagues in China bring the state of the art in transistor technology to paper substrates [4], fabricating indium-zinc-oxide (IZO)-based protonic/electronic hybrid thin film transistors on paper and showing that they can be used as artificial synapses. Like the connections in the nervous system, these synaptic transistors can mimic synaptic stimulation response and short-term synaptic plasticity. The idea of harnessing paper electronics for display applications seems a natural update on the familiar traditional uses of paper to host text and images. Jong-Man Kim and Bora Yoon at Hanyang University in Korea screen print a flexible paper-based display for representing the digits 0-9 [5]. The device exploits the electrochromothermic properties of five different polydiacetylenes to allow a range of activation temperatures and operational voltages for the display. A number of other applications also feature in the special issue, including two different supramolecular recognition architectures for DNA hybridization in sensing applications [6] and all-solid flexible micro-supercapacitors with excellent cycling stability [7]. The demonstrated potential in the alternative energy industry seems particularly fitting given the environmental recommendations of paper electronics. Despite the promising outlook demonstrated for fabricating on paper by screen or ink-jet printing, as Henrik A Andersson and colleagues point out, it may be some time before devices can be printed with the functionality of even the most inexpensive microcontroller or other integrated circuit [8]. In their report they consider different methods to mount and contact standard surface mount device components to ink-jet printed conductive tracks on paper substrates. 'If paper is used as a substrate for printed hybrid electronics, it opens the possibility of integrating low-cost electronic functions directly on packages, even possibly directly in the production line', they add. A blank sheet of paper can be considered useful for making notes, convenient for slipping in a purse or pocket and enormously inspiring for the infinity of ideas not yet written on it. As this special issue demonstrates [2-14] all three attributes are at least as valid when using paper for electronics devices. If 'writing is thinking on paper' [15], it seems researchers are finding yet more powerful means of putting their ideas on paper. References [1] Barquinha P, Martins R, Pereira L and Fortunato E 2012 Transparent Oxide Electronics: From Materials to Devices (Chichester: Wiley) [2] Zocco A T, You H, Hagen J A and Steckl A J 2014 Pentacene organic thin film transistors on flexible paper and glass substrates Nanotechnology 25 094005 [3] Pereira L, Gaspar D, Guerin D, Delattre A, Fortunato E and Martins R 2014 The influence of fibril composition and dimension on the performance of paper gated oxide transistors Nanotechnology 25 094007 [4] Wu G, Wan C, Zhou J, Zhu L and Wan Q 2014 Low-voltage protonic/electronic hybrid indium-zinc-oxide synaptic transistors on paper substrates Nanotechnology 25 094001 [5] Shin H, Yoon B, Park I S and Kim J-M 2014 An electrothermochromic paper display based on colorimetrically reversible polydiacetylenes Nanotechnology 25 094011 [6] Ihalainen P, Pettersson F, Pesonen M, Viitala T, Määttänen A, Österbacka R and Peltonen J 2014 An impedimetric study of DNA hybridization on paper supported inkjet-printed gold electrodes Nanotechnology 25 094009 [7] Wang Y, Shi Y, Zhao C X, Wong J I, Sun X W and Yang H Y 2014 Printed all-solid flexible microsupercapacitors: towards the general route for high energy storage device Nanotechnology 25 094010 [8] Andersson H A, Manuilskiy A, Haller S, Hummelgård M, Sidén J, Hummelgård C, Olin H and Nilsson H-E 2014 Assembling surface mounted components on ink-jet printed double sided paper circuit board Nanotechnology 25 094002 [9] Gaspar D, Fernandes S N, de Oliveira A G, Fernandes J G, Grey P, Pontes R V, Pereira L, Martins R, Godinho M H and Fortunato E 2014 Nanocrystalline cellulose applied simultaneously as gate dielectric and substrate on flexible field effect transistors Nanotechnology 25 094008 [10] Männl U, van den Berg C, Magunje B, Härting M, Britton D T, Jones S, Mvan Staden M J and Scriba M R 2014 Nanoparticle composites for printed electronics Nanotechnology 25 094004 [11] Costa M N, Veigas B, Jacob J M, Santos D S, Gomes J, Baptista P V, Martins R, Inácio J and Fortunato E 2014 Low cost, safe, disposable, rapid and self-sustainable paper based platform for diagnostic testing: lab-on-paper Nanotechnology 25 094006 [12] Bollström R, Pettersson F, Dolietis P, Preston J, Österbacka R and Toivakka M 2014 Impact of humidity on functionality of on-paper printed electronics Nanotechnology 25 094003 [13] Purandare S, Gomez E F and Steckl A J 2014 High brightness phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes on transparent and flexible cellulose films Nanotechnology 25 094012 [14] Kim J-H, Mun S, Ko H-U, Yun G-Y and Kim J 2014 Disposable chemical and biosensors made on cellulose paper Nanotechnology 25 092001 [15] Zinsser W 1976 Introduction On Writing Well 5th edn, p vii

  6. Paper electronics.

    PubMed

    Tobjörk, Daniel; Österbacka, Ronald

    2011-05-03

    Paper is ubiquitous in everyday life and a truly low-cost substrate. The use of paper substrates could be extended even further, if electronic applications would be applied next to or below the printed graphics. However, applying electronics on paper is challenging. The paper surface is not only very rough compared to plastics, but is also porous. While this is detrimental for most electronic devices manufactured directly onto paper substrates, there are also approaches that are compatible with the rough and absorptive paper surface. In this review, recent advances and possibilities of these approaches are evaluated and the limitations of paper electronics are discussed. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. [SciELO: method for electronic publishing].

    PubMed

    Laerte Packer, A; Rocha Biojone, M; Antonio, I; Mayumi Takemaka, R; Pedroso García, A; Costa da Silva, A; Toshiyuki Murasaki, R; Mylek, C; Carvalho Reisl, O; Rocha F Delbucio, H C

    2001-01-01

    It describes the SciELO Methodology Scientific Electronic Library Online for electronic publishing of scientific periodicals, examining issues such as the transition from traditional printed publication to electronic publishing, the scientific communication process, the principles which founded the methodology development, its application in the building of the SciELO site, its modules and components, the tools use for its construction etc. The article also discusses the potentialities and trends for the area in Brazil and Latin America, pointing out questions and proposals which should be investigated and solved by the methodology. It concludes that the SciELO Methodology is an efficient, flexible and wide solution for the scientific electronic publishing.

  8. Low-Cost Inkjet Printing Technology for the Rapid Prototyping of Transducers

    PubMed Central

    Andò, Bruno; Baglio, Salvatore; Bulsara, Adi R.; Emery, Teresa; Marletta, Vincenzo; Pistorio, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    Recently, there has been an upsurge in efforts dedicated to developing low-cost flexible electronics by exploiting innovative materials and direct printing technologies. This interest is motivated by the need for low-cost mass-production, shapeable, and disposable devices, and the rapid prototyping of electronics and sensors. This review, following a short overview of main printing processes, reports examples of the development of flexible transducers through low-cost inkjet printing technology. PMID:28368318

  9. Gravure printing of graphene for large-area flexible electronics.

    PubMed

    Secor, Ethan B; Lim, Sooman; Zhang, Heng; Frisbie, C Daniel; Francis, Lorraine F; Hersam, Mark C

    2014-07-09

    Gravure printing of graphene is demonstrated for the rapid production of conductive patterns on flexible substrates. Development of suitable inks and printing parameters enables the fabrication of patterns with a resolution down to 30 μm. A mild annealing step yields conductive lines with high reliability and uniformity, providing an efficient method for the integration of graphene into large-area printed and flexible electronics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Growth and modelling of spherical crystalline morphologies of molecular materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shalev, O.; Biswas, S.; Yang, Y.; Eddir, T.; Lu, W.; Clarke, R.; Shtein, M.

    2014-10-01

    Crystalline, yet smooth, sphere-like morphologies of small molecular compounds are desirable in a wide range of applications but are very challenging to obtain using common growth techniques, where either amorphous films or faceted crystallites are the norm. Here we show solvent-free, guard flow-assisted organic vapour jet printing of non-faceted, crystalline microspheroids of archetypal small molecular materials used in organic electronic applications. We demonstrate how process parameters control the size distribution of the spheroids and propose an analytical model and a phase diagram predicting the surface morphology evolution of different molecules based on processing conditions, coupled with the thermophysical and mechanical properties of the molecules. This experimental approach opens a path for exciting applications of small molecular organic compounds in optical coatings, textured surfaces with controlled wettability, pharmaceutical and food substance printing and others, where thick organic films and particles with high surface area are needed.

  11. Thermal Peak Management Using Organic Phase Change Materials for Latent Heat Storage in Electronic Applications

    PubMed Central

    Maxa, Jacob; Novikov, Andrej; Nowottnick, Mathias

    2017-01-01

    Modern high power electronics devices consists of a large amount of integrated circuits for switching and supply applications. Beside the benefits, the technology exhibits the problem of an ever increasing power density. Nowadays, heat sinks that are directly mounted on a device, are used to reduce the on-chip temperature and dissipate the thermal energy to the environment. This paper presents a concept of a composite coating for electronic components on printed circuit boards or electronic assemblies that is able to buffer a certain amount of thermal energy, dissipated from a device. The idea is to suppress temperature peaks in electronic components during load peaks or electronic shorts, which otherwise could damage or destroy the device, by using a phase change material to buffer the thermal energy. The phase change material coating could be directly applied on the chip package or the PCB using different mechanical retaining jigs.

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, T.; Hu, M.; Guo, Q.

    Here we report a study of printing of electronics using an office use laser printer. The proposed method eliminates those critical disadvantages of solvent-based printing techniques by taking the advantages of electroless deposition and laser printing. The synthesized toner acts as a catalyst for the electroless copper deposition as well as an adhesion-promoting buffer layer between the substrate and deposited copper. The easy metallization of printed patterns and strong metal-substrate adhesion make it an especially effective method for massive production of flexible printed circuits. The proposed process is a high throughput, low cost, efficient, and environmentally benign method for flexiblemore » electronics manufacturing.« less

  13. Nanoimprint Lithography on curved surfaces prepared by fused deposition modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köpplmayr, Thomas; Häusler, Lukas; Bergmair, Iris; Mühlberger, Michael

    2015-06-01

    Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modelling, prototyping and production applications. The achievable surface roughness is one of its most limiting aspects. It is however of great interest to create well-defined (nanosized) patterns on the surface for functional applications such as optical effects, electronics or bio-medical devices. We used UV-curable polymers of different viscosities and flexible stamps made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to perform Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) on FDM-printed curved parts. Substrates with different roughness and curvature were prepared using a commercially available 3D printer. The nanoimprint results were characterized by optical light microscopy, profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our experiments show promising results in creating well-defined microstructures on the 3D-printed parts.

  14. Inkjet-/3D-/4D-printed autonomous wearable RF modules for biomonitoring, positioning and sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bito, Jo; Bahr, Ryan; Hester, Jimmy; Kimionis, John; Nauroze, Abdullah; Su, Wenjing; Tehrani, Bijan; Tentzeris, Manos M.

    2017-05-01

    In this paper, numerous inkjet-/3D-/4D-printed wearable flexible antennas, RF electronics, modules and sensors fabricated on paper and other polymer (e.g. LCP) substrates are introduced as a system-level solution for ultra-low-cost mass production of autonomous Biomonitoring, Positioning and Sensing applications. This paper briefly discusses the state-of-the-art area of fully-integrated wearable wireless sensor modules on paper or flexible LCP and show the first ever 4D sensor module integration on paper, as well as numerous 3D and 4D multilayer paper-based and LCP-based RF/microwave, flexible and wearable structures, that could potentially set the foundation for the truly convergent wireless sensor ad-hoc "on-body networks of the future with enhanced cognitive intelligence and "rugged" packaging. Also, some challenges concerning the power sources of "nearperpetual" wearable RF modules, including flexible miniaturized batteries as well as power-scavenging approaches involving electromagnetic and solar energy forms are discuessed. The final step of the paper will involve examples from mmW wearable (e.g. biomonitoring) antennas and RF modules, as well as the first examples of the integration of inkjet-printed nanotechnology-based (e.g.CNT) sensors on paper and organic substrates for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It has to be noted that the paper will review and present challenges for inkjetprinted organic active and nonlinear devices as well as future directions in the area of environmentally-friendly "green") wearable RF electronics and "smart-skin conformal sensors.

  15. Aerosol jet printed p- and n-type electrolyte-gated transistors with a variety of electrode materials: exploring practical routes to printed electronics.

    PubMed

    Hong, Kihyon; Kim, Se Hyun; Mahajan, Ankit; Frisbie, C Daniel

    2014-11-12

    Printing electrically functional liquid inks is a promising approach for achieving low-cost, large-area, additive manufacturing of flexible electronic circuits. To print thin-film transistors, a basic building block of thin-film electronics, it is important to have several options for printable electrode materials that exhibit high conductivity, high stability, and low-cost. Here we report completely aerosol jet printed (AJP) p- and n-type electrolyte-gated transistors (EGTs) using a variety of different electrode materials including highly conductive metal nanoparticles (Ag), conducting polymers (polystyrenesulfonate doped poly(3,4-ethylendedioxythiophene, PEDOT:PSS), transparent conducting oxides (indium tin oxide), and carbon-based materials (reduced graphene oxide). Using these source-drain electrode materials and a PEDOT:PSS/ion gel gate stack, we demonstrated all-printed p- and n-type EGTs in combination with poly(3-hexythiophene) and ZnO semiconductors. All transistor components (including electrodes, semiconductors, and gate insulators) were printed by AJP. Both kinds of devices showed typical p- and n-type transistor characteristics, and exhibited both low-threshold voltages (<2 V) and high hole and electron mobilities. Our assessment suggests Ag electrodes may be the best option in terms of overall performance for both types of EGTs.

  16. Selective Conversion from p-Type to n-Type of Printed Bottom-Gate Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors and Application in Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Inverters.

    PubMed

    Xu, Qiqi; Zhao, Jianwen; Pecunia, Vincenzo; Xu, Wenya; Zhou, Chunshan; Dou, Junyan; Gu, Weibing; Lin, Jian; Mo, Lixin; Zhao, Yanfei; Cui, Zheng

    2017-04-12

    The fabrication of printed high-performance and environmentally stable n-type single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transistors and their integration into complementary (i.e., complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, CMOS) circuits are widely recognized as key to achieving the full potential of carbon nanotube electronics. Here, we report a simple, efficient, and robust method to convert the polarity of SWCNT thin-film transistors (TFTs) using cheap and readily available ethanolamine as an electron doping agent. Printed p-type bottom-gate SWCNT TFTs can be selectively converted into n-type by deposition of ethanolamine inks on the transistor active region via aerosol jet printing. Resulted n-type TFTs show excellent electrical properties with an on/off ratio of 10 6 , effective mobility up to 30 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , small hysteresis, and small subthreshold swing (90-140 mV dec -1 ), which are superior compared to the original p-type SWCNT devices. The n-type SWCNT TFTs also show good stability in air, and any deterioration of performance due to shelf storage can be fully recovered by a short low-temperature annealing. The easy polarity conversion process allows construction of CMOS circuitry. As an example, CMOS inverters were fabricated using printed p-type and n-type TFTs and exhibited a large noise margin (50 and 103% of 1/2 V dd = 1 V) and a voltage gain as high as 30 (at V dd = 1 V). Additionally, the CMOS inverters show full rail-to-rail output voltage swing and low power dissipation (0.1 μW at V dd = 1 V). The new method paves the way to construct fully functional complex CMOS circuitry by printed TFTs.

  17. Inkjet printed large-area flexible circuits: a simple methodology for optimizing the printing quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Tao; Wu, Youwei; Shen, Xiaoqin; Lai, Wenyong; Huang, Wei

    2018-01-01

    In this work, a simple methodology was developed to enhance the patterning resolution of inkjet printing, involving process optimization as well as substrate modification and treatment. The line width of the inkjet-printed silver lines was successfully reduced to 1/3 of the original value using this methodology. Large-area flexible circuits with delicate patterns and good morphology were thus fabricated. The resultant flexible circuits showed excellent electrical conductivity as low as 4.5 Ω/□ and strong tolerance to mechanical bending. The simple methodology is also applicable to substrates with various wettability, which suggests a general strategy to enhance the printing quality of inkjet printing for manufacturing high-performance large-area flexible electronics. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Nos. 2014CB648300, 2017YFB0404501), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21422402, 21674050), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BK20140060, BK20130037, BK20140865, BM2012010), the Program for Jiangsu Specially-Appointed Professors (No. RK030STP15001), the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (No. NCET-13-0872), the NUPT "1311 Project" and Scientific Foundation (Nos. NY213119, NY213169), the Synergetic Innovation Center for Organic Electronics and Information Displays, the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD), the Leading Talent of Technological Innovation of National Ten-Thousands Talents Program of China, the Excellent Scientific and Technological Innovative Teams of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (No. TJ217038), the Program for Graduate Students Research and Innovation of Jiangsu Province (No. KYZZ16-0253), and the 333 Project of Jiangsu Province (Nos. BRA2017402, BRA2015374).

  18. Localized Pulsed Electrodeposition Process for Three-Dimensional Printing of Nanotwinned Metallic Nanostructures.

    PubMed

    Daryadel, Soheil; Behroozfar, Ali; Morsali, S Reza; Moreno, Salvador; Baniasadi, Mahmoud; Bykova, Julia; Bernal, Rodrigo A; Minary-Jolandan, Majid

    2018-01-10

    Nanotwinned-metals (nt-metals) offer superior mechanical (high ductility and strength) and electrical (low electromigration) properties compared to their nanocrystalline (nc) counterparts. These properties are advantageous in particular for applications in nanoscale devices. However, fabrication of nt-metals has been limited to films (two-dimensional) or template-based (one-dimensional) geometries, using various chemical and physical processes. In this Letter, we demonstrate the ambient environment localized pulsed electrodeposition process for direct printing of three-dimensional (3D) freestanding nanotwinned-Copper (nt-Cu) nanostructures. 3D nt-Cu structures were additively manufactured using pulsed electrodeposition at the tip of an electrolyte-containing nozzle. Focused ion beam (FIB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the printed metal was fully dense, and was mostly devoid of impurities and microstructural defects. FIB and TEM images also revealed nanocrystalline-nanotwinned-microstructure (nc-nt-microstructure), and confirmed the formation of coherent twin boundaries in the 3D-printed Cu. Mechanical properties of the 3D-printed nc-nt-Cu were characterized by direct printing (FIB-less) of micropillars for in situ SEM microcompression experiments. The 3D-printed nc-nt-Cu exhibited a flow stress of over 960 MPa, among the highest ever reported, which is remarkable for a 3D-printed material. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the nc-nt-Cu were compared to those of nc-Cu printed using the same process under direct current (DC) voltage.

  19. Microstructural control over soluble pentacene deposited by capillary pen printing for organic electronics.

    PubMed

    Lee, Wi Hyoung; Min, Honggi; Park, Namwoo; Lee, Junghwi; Seo, Eunsuk; Kang, Boseok; Cho, Kilwon; Lee, Hwa Sung

    2013-08-28

    Research into printing techniques has received special attention for the commercialization of cost-efficient organic electronics. Here, we have developed a capillary pen printing technique to realize a large-area pattern array of organic transistors and systematically investigated self-organization behavior of printed soluble organic semiconductor ink. The capillary pen-printed deposits of organic semiconductor, 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS_PEN), was well-optimized in terms of morphological and microstructural properties by using ink with mixed solvents of chlorobenzene (CB) and 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB). Especially, a 1:1 solvent ratio results in the best transistor performances. This result is attributed to the unique evaporation characteristics of the TIPS_PEN deposits where fast evaporation of CB induces a morphological evolution at the initial printed position, and the remaining DCB with slow evaporation rate offers a favorable crystal evolution at the pinned position. Finally, a large-area transistor array was facilely fabricated by drawing organic electrodes and active layers with a versatile capillary pen. Our approach provides an efficient printing technique for fabricating large-area arrays of organic electronics and further suggests a methodology to enhance their performances by microstructural control of the printed organic semiconducting deposits.

  20. 37 CFR 1.19 - Document supply fees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... unless the original document is in color, a color copy is requested and the fee for a color copy is paid... portion of a patent application publication or patent, including a design patent, statutory invention....g., facsimile, electronic mail)—$3.00 (2) Printed copy of a plant patent in color: $15.00. (3) Color...

  1. Pigment-cellulose nanofibril composite and its application as a separator-substrate in printed supercapacitors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torvinen, Katariina; Lehtimäki, Suvi; Keränen, Janne T.; Sievänen, Jenni; Vartiainen, Jari; Hellén, Erkki; Lupo, Donald; Tuukkanen, Sampo

    2015-11-01

    Pigment-cellulose nanofibril (PCN) composites were manufactured in a pilot line and used as a separator-substrate in printed graphene and carbon nanotube supercapacitors. The composites consisted typically of 80% pigment and 20% cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). This composition makes them a cost-effective alternative as a substrate for printed electronics at high temperatures that only very special plastic films can nowadays stand. The properties of these substrates can be varied within a relatively large range by the selection of raw materials and their relative proportions. A semi-industrial scale pilot line was successfully used to produce smooth, flexible, and nanoporous composites, and their performance was tested in a double functional separator-substrate element in supercapacitors. The nanostructural carbon films printed on the composite worked simultaneously as high surface area active electrodes and current collectors. Low-cost supercapacitors made from environmentally friendly materials have significant potential for use in flexible, wearable, and disposable low-end products. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  2. Thermal and Electrical Investigation of Conductive Polylactic Acid Based Filaments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobre, R. A.; Marcu, A. E.; Drumea, A.; Vlădescu, M.

    2018-06-01

    Printed electronics gain momentum as the involved technologies become affordable. The ability to shape electrostatic dissipative materials in almost any form is useful. The idea to use a general-purpose 3D printer to manufacture the electrical interconnections for a circuit is very attractive. The advantage of using a 3D printed structure over other technologies are mainly the lower price, less requirements concerning storage and use conditions, and the capability to build thicker traces while maintaining flexibility. The main element allowing this to happen is a printing filament with conductive properties. The paper shows the experiments that were performed to determine the thermal and electrical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) based ESD dissipative filament. Quantitative results regarding the thermal behavior of the DC resistance and the variation of the equivalent parallel impedance model parameters (losses resistance, capacitance, impedance magnitude and phase angle) with frequency are shown.. Using these results, new applications like printed temperature sensors can be imagined.

  3. Bead-on-string structure printed by electrohydrodynamic jet under alternating current electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Juan; Lin, Yihuang; Jiang, Jiaxin; Liu, Haiyan; Zhao, Yang; Zheng, Gaofeng

    2016-09-01

    Electrohydrodynamic printing (EHDP) under alternating current (AC) electric field provides a novel way for the precise micro-/nano-droplet printing. The AC electric field induces the free charge to reciprocate along the EHDP jet and changes the electric field force on the jet periodically. The stability of jet can be enhanced by increasing the voltage frequency, and the regular bead-on-string structure is direct-written along the trajectory of collector. The deposition frequency of bead structure increases with the increasing of voltage frequency, due to the short period of AC electric field. As the voltage frequency is increased from 10 to 60 Hz, the diameter of bead structure decreases from 200 to 110 µm. As the duty ration increased from 10 to 60 %, the diameter of bead structure increased from 100 to 140 µm. This work would accelerate the development and the application of micro-/nano-printing technology in the fields of flexible electronic and micro-/nano-system.

  4. Rapid wasted-free microfluidic fabrication based on ink-jet approach for microfluidic sensing applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jarujareet, Ungkarn; Amarit, Rattasart; Sumriddetchkajorn, Sarun

    2016-11-01

    Realizing that current microfluidic chip fabrication techniques are time consuming and labor intensive as well as always have material leftover after chip fabrication, this research work proposes an innovative approach for rapid microfluidic chip production. The key idea relies on a combination of a widely-used inkjet printing method and a heat-based polymer curing technique with an electronic-mechanical control, thus eliminating the need of masking and molds compared to typical microfluidic fabrication processes. In addition, as the appropriate amount of polymer is utilized during printing, there is much less amount of material wasted. Our inkjet-based microfluidic printer can print out the desired microfluidic chip pattern directly onto a heated glass surface, where the printed polymer is suddenly cured. Our proof-of-concept demonstration for widely-used single-flow channel, Y-junction, and T-junction microfluidic chips shows that the whole microfluidic chip fabrication process requires only 3 steps with a fabrication time of 6 minutes.

  5. Going Online With Ocean Drilling Publications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klaus, A. D.; Petronotis, K. E.

    2003-12-01

    In 1999, the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) transitioned from a print publication format to a hybrid print/electronic format of its Initial Reports (IR) series. A year later, the Scientific Results (SR) series joined the electronic era. Our mandate was to produce a fully functional electronic publication in HTML and PDF formats that would also function as a professionally typeset printed publication. The IR series disseminates the preliminary scientific knowledge gained during each ODP cruise, whereas the SR series is a venue for publishing independent research conducted after each cruise and often includes extensive data sets and many color images. Although both series are published as a print/CD-ROM hybrid and on the Web, the IR online version follows publication of the CD, whereas the SR online version precedes it. This unique format--neither all print, all electronic, or print with electronic replica of print--led to interesting challenges that few other publishers had to grapple with when going electronic. ODP's formal transition from print to electronic publication was concentrated in a 2-year period, but fortunately, staff members had honed many valuable online editing and production skills prior to that time as a cost-saving means of publishing hardcover books. This made the transition rather seamless for the staff; however, issues pertaining to multiplatform publications still had to be addressed. These included word choices that made sense regardless of whether the material was being viewed on paper, on CD, or on the Web; the creation of alternative citation formats; policies on revising already published electronic material; etc. In our experience, the advantages for publishers and readers have outweighed the growing pains of moving to electronic publishing. For example, SR authors typically see their manuscripts published 4-5 months after acceptance, whereas it used to take 7-9 months. The accessibility of the online publications has significantly widened distribution. And the CD-ROM product allows ODP to enhance the electronic resources available to researchers by including an index of all published IR/SR volume pairs on each CD, detailed site maps, movies, unlimited color images, and other supplementary data sets provided by authors. Our next venture is to digitize the older printed ODP volumes and the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) series and make these publications available online in HTML and PDF formats as well. This will provide the scientific community with more than 30 years of marine earth science research at the click of a mouse, a legacy that will be built upon by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) in the near future.

  6. The application of digital medical 3D printing technology on tumor operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Jimin; Jiang, Yijian; Li, Yangsheng

    2016-04-01

    Digital medical 3D printing technology is a new hi-tech which combines traditional medical and digital design, computer science, bio technology and 3D print technology. At the present time there are four levels application: The printed 3D model is the first and simple application. The surgery makes use of the model to plan the processing before operation. The second is customized operation tools such as implant guide. It helps doctor to operate with special tools rather than the normal medical tools. The third level application of 3D printing in medical area is to print artificial bones or teeth to implant into human body. The big challenge is the fourth level which is to print organs with 3D printing technology. In this paper we introduced an application of 3D printing technology in tumor operation. We use 3D printing to print guide for invasion operation. Puncture needles were guided by printed guide in face tumors operation. It is concluded that this new type guide is dominantly advantageous.

  7. Improved electron injection in all-solution-processed n-type organic field-effect transistors with an inkjet-printed ZnO electron injection layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roh, Jeongkyun; Kim, Hyeok; Park, Myeongjin; Kwak, Jeonghun; Lee, Changhee

    2017-10-01

    Interface engineering for the improved injection properties of all-solution-processed n-type organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) arising from the use of an inkjet-printed ZnO electron injection layer were demonstrated. The characteristics of ZnO in terms of electron injection and transport were investigated, and then we employed ZnO as the electron injection layer via inkjet-printing during the fabrication of all-solution-processed, n-type OFETs. With the inkjet-printed ZnO electron injection layer, the devices exhibited approximately five-fold increased mobility (0.0058 cm2/V s to 0.030 cm2/V s), more than two-fold increased charge concentration (2.76 × 1011 cm-2 to 6.86 × 1011 cm-2), and two orders of magnitude reduced device resistance (120 MΩ cm to 3 MΩ cm). Moreover, n-type polymer form smoother film with ZnO implying denser packing of polymer, which results in higher mobility.

  8. MO-H-19A-03: Patient Specific Bolus with 3D Printing Technology for Electron Radiotherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zou, W; Swann, B; Siderits, R

    2014-06-15

    Purpose: Bolus is widely used in electron radiotherapy to achieve desired dose distribution. 3D printing technologies provide clinicians with easy access to fabricate patient specific bolus accommodating patient body surface irregularities and tissue inhomogeneity. This study presents the design and the clinical workflow of 3D printed bolus for patient electron therapy in our clinic. Methods: Patient simulation CT images free of bolus were exported from treatment planning system (TPS) to an in-house developed software package. Bolus with known material properties was designed in the software package and then exported back to the TPS as a structure. Dose calculation was carriedmore » out to examine the coverage of the target. After satisfying dose distribution was achieved, the bolus structure was transferred in Standard Tessellation Language (STL) file format for the 3D printer to generate the machine codes for printing. Upon receiving printed bolus, a quick quality assurance was performed with patient resimulated with bolus in place to verify the bolus dosimetric property before treatment started. Results: A patient specific bolus for electron radiotherapy was designed and fabricated in Form 1 3D printer with methacrylate photopolymer resin. Satisfying dose distribution was achieved in patient with bolus setup. Treatment was successfully finished for one patient with the 3D printed bolus. Conclusion: The electron bolus fabrication with 3D printing technology was successfully implemented in clinic practice.« less

  9. Noble Logic for Preventing Scratch on Roll-to-Roll Printed Layers in Noncontacting Transportation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Changwoo; Kang, Hyunkyoo; Kim, Hojoon; Shin, Keehyun

    2010-05-01

    The use of roll-to-roll (R2R) printed electronics is a relatively new method of mass producing flexible electronic devices while keeping production costs down. The geometrical qualities of a printed pattern, such as surface roughness and uniformity, could deteriorate. Moreover, the geometric qualities of a printed layer affect the functional qualities of a printed electronic device directly. Therefore, the functional qualities (conductivity and mobility) of a multilayer electronic device could deteriorate in the presence of a scratch defect on the printed layer. In general, a scratch on a printed pattern on a flexible substrate is induced by contact between the rolls and printed pattern in R2R printing systems. To prevent such contact, one of the best solutions is to use an air flotation unit. However, a scratch defect could be induced even though an air flotation process is used to minimize contact, because the flotation height of a moving web is affected by web tension. In this paper, we discuss an analytical model of an air-floated moving substrate. For the noncontacting transfer of a moving web without a scratch defect, a mathematical tension model has been developed by considering an induced strain due to aerodynamic forces and verified by numerical and experimental studies. Additionally, the correlation between the flotation height of an air-floated moving web and speed compensation used to control the tension are investigated. The analysis shows that tension fluctuations can cause the substrate to touch the air-flotation subsystem, which is installed to prevent contact, resulting in defects such as scratches on the printed layer. On the basis of the proposed model, a logic is developed to minimize scratch defects on R2R printed layers in noncontacting transportation. Through a guideline based on this logic, the scratched area density on R2R printed layers can be reduced by approximately 70%.

  10. Syringe Injectable Electronics: Precise Targeted Delivery with Quantitative Input/Output Connectivity.

    PubMed

    Hong, Guosong; Fu, Tian-Ming; Zhou, Tao; Schuhmann, Thomas G; Huang, Jinlin; Lieber, Charles M

    2015-10-14

    Syringe-injectable mesh electronics with tissue-like mechanical properties and open macroporous structures is an emerging powerful paradigm for mapping and modulating brain activity. Indeed, the ultraflexible macroporous structure has exhibited unprecedented minimal/noninvasiveness and the promotion of attractive interactions with neurons in chronic studies. These same structural features also pose new challenges and opportunities for precise targeted delivery in specific brain regions and quantitative input/output (I/O) connectivity needed for reliable electrical measurements. Here, we describe new results that address in a flexible manner both of these points. First, we have developed a controlled injection approach that maintains the extended mesh structure during the "blind" injection process, while also achieving targeted delivery with ca. 20 μm spatial precision. Optical and microcomputed tomography results from injections into tissue-like hydrogel, ex vivo brain tissue, and in vivo brains validate our basic approach and demonstrate its generality. Second, we present a general strategy to achieve up to 100% multichannel I/O connectivity using an automated conductive ink printing methodology to connect the mesh electronics and a flexible flat cable, which serves as the standard "plug-in" interface to measurement electronics. Studies of resistance versus printed line width were used to identify optimal conditions, and moreover, frequency-dependent noise measurements show that the flexible printing process yields values comparable to commercial flip-chip bonding technology. Our results address two key challenges faced by syringe-injectable electronics and thereby pave the way for facile in vivo applications of injectable mesh electronics as a general and powerful tool for long-term mapping and modulation of brain activity in fundamental neuroscience through therapeutic biomedical studies.

  11. Geckoprinting: assembly of microelectronic devices on unconventional surfaces by transfer printing with isolated gecko setal arrays

    PubMed Central

    Jeong, Jaeyoung; Kim, Juho; Song, Kwangsun; Autumn, Kellar; Lee, Jongho

    2014-01-01

    Developing electronics in unconventional forms provides opportunities to expand the use of electronics in diverse applications including bio-integrated or implanted electronics. One of the key challenges lies in integrating semiconductor microdevices onto unconventional substrates without glue, high pressure or temperature that may cause damage to microdevices, substrates or interfaces. This paper describes a solution based on natural gecko setal arrays that switch adhesion mechanically on and off, enabling pick and place manipulation of thin microscale semiconductor materials onto diverse surfaces including plants and insects whose surfaces are usually rough and irregular. A demonstration of functional ‘geckoprinted’ microelectronic devices provides a proof of concept of our results in practical applications. PMID:25056216

  12. Position Sensor with Integrated Signal-Conditioning Electronics on a Printed Wiring Board

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alhorn, Dean C. (Inventor); Howard, David E. (Inventor); Smith, Dennis A. (Inventor)

    2001-01-01

    A position sensor, such as a rotary position sensor, includes the signal-conditioning electronics in the housing. The signal-conditioning electronics are disposed on a printed wiring board, which is assembled with another printed wiring board including the sensor windings to provide a sub-assembly. A mu-metal shield is interposed between the printed wiring boards to prevent magnetic interference. The sub-assembly is disposed in the sensor housing adjacent to an inductor board which turns on a shaft. The inductor board emanates an internally or externally generated excitation signal that induces a signal in the sensor windings. The induced signal represents the rotary position of the inductor board relative to the sensor winding board.

  13. A computational model for doctoring fluid films in gravure printing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hariprasad, Daniel S., E-mail: dshari@unm.edu; Grau, Gerd; Schunk, P. Randall

    2016-04-07

    The wiping, or doctoring, process in gravure printing presents a fundamental barrier to resolving the micron-sized features desired in printed electronics applications. This barrier starts with the residual fluid film left behind after wiping, and its importance grows as feature sizes are reduced, especially as the feature size approaches the thickness of the residual fluid film. In this work, various mechanical complexities are considered in a computational model developed to predict the residual fluid film thickness. Lubrication models alone are inadequate, and deformation of the doctor blade body together with elastohydrodynamic lubrication must be considered to make the model predictivemore » of experimental trends. Moreover, model results demonstrate that the particular form of the wetted region of the blade has a significant impact on the model's ability to reproduce experimental measurements.« less

  14. Dynamic plasmonic colour display

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-02-01

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.

  15. Fast optoelectric printing of plasmonic nanoparticles into tailored circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodrigo, José A.

    2017-04-01

    Plasmonic nanoparticles are able to control light at nanometre-scale by coupling electromagnetic fields to the oscillations of free electrons in metals. Deposition of such nanoparticles onto substrates with tailored patterns is essential, for example, in fabricating plasmonic structures for enhanced sensing. This work presents an innovative micro-patterning technique, based on optoelectic printing, for fast and straightforward fabrication of curve-shaped circuits of plasmonic nanoparticles deposited onto a transparent electrode often used in optoelectronics, liquid crystal displays, touch screens, etc. We experimentally demonstrate that this kind of plasmonic structure, printed by using silver nanoparticles of 40 nm, works as a plasmonic enhanced optical device allowing for polarized-color-tunable light scattering in the visible. These findings have potential applications in biosensing and fabrication of future optoelectronic devices combining the benefits of plasmonic sensing and the functionality of transparent electrodes.

  16. Direct Printing of Stretchable Elastomers for Highly Sensitive Capillary Pressure Sensors.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wenguang; Yan, Chaoyi

    2018-03-28

    We demonstrate the successful fabrication of highly sensitive capillary pressure sensors using an innovative 3D printing method. Unlike conventional capacitive pressure sensors where the capacitance changes were due to the pressure-induced interspace variations between the parallel plate electrodes, in our capillary sensors the capacitance was determined by the extrusion and extraction of liquid medium and consequent changes of dielectric constants. Significant pressure sensitivity advances up to 547.9 KPa -1 were achieved. Moreover, we suggest that our innovative capillary pressure sensors can adopt a wide range of liquid mediums, such as ethanol, deionized water, and their mixtures. The devices also showed stable performances upon repeated pressing cycles. The direct and versatile printing method combined with the significant performance advances are expected to find important applications in future stretchable and wearable electronics.

  17. Dynamic plasmonic colour display.

    PubMed

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-02-24

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.

  18. Dynamic plasmonic colour display

    PubMed Central

    Duan, Xiaoyang; Kamin, Simon; Liu, Na

    2017-01-01

    Plasmonic colour printing based on engineered metasurfaces has revolutionized colour display science due to its unprecedented subwavelength resolution and high-density optical data storage. However, advanced plasmonic displays with novel functionalities including dynamic multicolour printing, animations, and highly secure encryption have remained in their infancy. Here we demonstrate a dynamic plasmonic colour display technique that enables all the aforementioned functionalities using catalytic magnesium metasurfaces. Controlled hydrogenation and dehydrogenation of the constituent magnesium nanoparticles, which serve as dynamic pixels, allow for plasmonic colour printing, tuning, erasing and restoration of colour. Different dynamic pixels feature distinct colour transformation kinetics, enabling plasmonic animations. Through smart material processing, information encoded on selected pixels, which are indiscernible to both optical and scanning electron microscopies, can only be read out using hydrogen as a decoding key, suggesting a new generation of information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications. PMID:28232722

  19. Factors Affecting the Use of Print and Electronic Books: A Use Study and Discussion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fry, Amy

    2018-01-01

    This article outlines a study assessing and comparing the rate of use of nonreference print and electronic book collections acquired during the same time period at one academic library. Rate of use was examined for both collections by discipline and method of acquisition. The author found that 74 percent of print titles acquired in 2008-2009 had…

  20. Inkjet deposited circuit components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bidoki, S. M.; Nouri, J.; Heidari, A. A.

    2010-05-01

    All-printed electronics as a means of achieving ultra-low-cost electronic circuits has attracted great interest in recent years. Inkjet printing is one of the most promising techniques by which the circuit components can be ultimately drawn (i.e. printed) onto the substrate in one step. Here, the inkjet printing technique was used to chemically deposit silver nanoparticles (10-200 nm) simply by ejection of silver nitrate and reducing solutions onto different substrates such as paper, PET plastic film and textile fabrics. The silver patterns were tested for their functionality to work as circuit components like conductor, resistor, capacitor and inductor. Different levels of conductivity were achieved simply by changing the printing sequence, inks ratio and concentration. The highest level of conductivity achieved by an office thermal inkjet printer (300 dpi) was 5.54 × 105 S m-1 on paper. Inkjet deposited capacitors could exhibit a capacitance of more than 1.5 nF (parallel plate 45 × 45 mm2) and induction coils displayed an inductance of around 400 µH (planar coil 10 cm in diameter). Comparison of electronic performance of inkjet deposited components to the performance of conventionally etched items makes the technique highly promising for fabricating different printed electronic devices.

  1. Collocated Dataglyphs for large-message storage and retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Motwani, Rakhi C.; Breidenbach, Jeff A.; Black, John R.

    2004-06-01

    In contrast to the security and integrity of electronic files, printed documents are vulnerable to damage and forgery due to their physical nature. Researchers at Palo Alto Research Center utilize DataGlyph technology to render digital characteristics to printed documents, which provides them with the facility of tamper-proof authentication and damage resistance. This DataGlyph document is known as GlyphSeal. Limited DataGlyph carrying capacity per printed page restricted the application of this technology to a domain of graphically simple and small-sized single-paged documents. In this paper the authors design a protocol motivated by techniques from the networking domain and back-up strategies, which extends the GlyphSeal technology to larger-sized, graphically complex, multi-page documents. This protocol provides fragmentation, sequencing and data loss recovery. The Collocated DataGlyph Protocol renders large glyph messages onto multiple printed pages and recovers the glyph data from rescanned versions of the multi-page documents, even when pages are missing, reordered or damaged. The novelty of this protocol is the application of ideas from RAID to the domain of DataGlyphs. The current revision of this protocol is capable of generating at most 255 pages, if page recovery is desired and does not provide enough data density to store highly detailed images in a reasonable amount of page space.

  2. Performance, stability and operation voltage optimization of screen-printed aqueous supercapacitors

    PubMed Central

    Lehtimäki, Suvi; Railanmaa, Anna; Keskinen, Jari; Kujala, Manu; Tuukkanen, Sampo; Lupo, Donald

    2017-01-01

    Harvesting micropower energy from the ambient environment requires an intermediate energy storage, for which printed aqueous supercapacitors are well suited due to their low cost and environmental friendliness. In this work, a systematic study of a large set of devices is used to investigate the effect of process variability and operating voltage on the performance and stability of screen printed aqueous supercapacitors. The current collectors and active layers are printed with graphite and activated carbon inks, respectively, and aqueous NaCl used as the electrolyte. The devices are characterized through galvanostatic discharge measurements for quantitative determination of capacitance and equivalent series resistance (ESR), as well as impedance spectroscopy for a detailed study of the factors contributing to ESR. The capacitances are 200–360 mF and the ESRs 7.9–12.7 Ω, depending on the layer thicknesses. The ESR is found to be dominated by the resistance of the graphite current collectors and is compatible with applications in low-power distributed electronics. The effects of different operating voltages on the capacitance, leakage and aging rate of the supercapacitors are tested, and 1.0 V found to be the optimal choice for using the devices in energy harvesting applications. PMID:28382962

  3. An innovative approach to predict technology evolution for the desoldering of printed circuit boards: A perspective from China and America.

    PubMed

    Wang, Chen; Zhao, Wu; Wang, Jie; Chen, Ling; Luo, Chun-Jing

    2016-06-01

    The printed circuit boards basis of electronic equipment have seen a rapid growth in recent years and played a significant role in modern life. Nowadays, the fact that electronic devices upgrade quickly necessitates a proper management of waste printed circuit boards. Non-destructive desoldering of waste printed circuit boards becomes the first and the most crucial step towards recycling electronic components. Owing to the diversity of materials and components, the separation process is difficult, which results in complex and expensive recovery of precious materials and electronic components from waste printed circuit boards. To cope with this problem, we proposed an innovative approach integrating Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) evolution theory and technology maturity mapping system to forecast the evolution trends of desoldering technology of waste printed circuit boards. This approach can be applied to analyse the technology evolution, as well as desoldering technology evolution, then research and development strategy and evolution laws can be recommended. As an example, the maturity of desoldering technology is analysed with a technology maturity mapping system model. What is more, desoldering methods in different stages are analysed and compared. According to the analysis, the technological evolution trends are predicted to be 'the law of energy conductivity' and 'increasing the degree of idealisation'. And the potential technology and evolutionary state of waste printed circuit boards are predicted, offering reference for future waste printed circuit boards recycling. © The Author(s) 2016.

  4. A Survey of Electronic Color Printer Technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starkweather, Gary K.

    1989-08-01

    Electronic printing in black and white has now come of age. Both high and low speed laser printers now heavily populate the electronic printing marketplace. On the high end of the market, the Xerox 9700 printer is the market dominator while the Canon LBP-SX and CX engines dominate the low end of the market. Clearly, laser printers are the predominant monochrome electronic printing technology. Ink jet is now beginning to engage the low end printer market but still fails to attain laser printer image quality. As yet, ink jet is not a serious contender for the substantial low end laser printer marketplace served by Apple Computer's LaserWriter II and Hewlett-Packard's LaserJet printers. Laser printing generally dominates because of its cost/performance as well as the reliability of the cartridge serviced low end printers.

  5. A comparison of the surface contaminants of handwritten recycled and printed electronic parenteral nutrition prescriptions and their transfer to bag surfaces during delivery to hospital wards.

    PubMed

    Austin, Peter David; Hand, Kieran Sean; Elia, Marinos

    2014-02-01

    Handwritten recycled paper prescription for parenteral nutrition (PN) may become a concentrated source of viable contaminants, including pathogens. This study examined the effect of using fresh printouts of electronic prescriptions on these contaminants. Cellulose sponge stick swabs with neutralizing buffer were used to sample the surfaces of PN prescriptions (n = 32 handwritten recycled; n = 32 printed electronic) on arrival to the pharmacy or following printing and PN prescriptions and bags packaged together during delivery (n = 38 handwritten recycled; n = 34 printed electronic) on arrival to hospital wards. Different media plates and standard microbiological procedures identified the type and number of contaminants. Staphylococcus aureus, fungi, and mold were infrequent contaminants. nonspecific aerobes more frequently contaminated handwritten recycled than printed electronic prescriptions (into pharmacy, 94% vs 44%, fisher exact test P .001; onto wards, 76% vs 50%, p = .028), with greater numbers of colony-forming units (CFU) (into pharmacy, median 130 [interquartile range (IQR), 65260] VS 0 [075], Mann-Whitney U test, P .001; onto wards, median 120 [15320] vs 10 [040], P = .001). packaging with handwritten recycled prescriptions led to more frequent nonspecific aerobic bag surface contamination (63% vs 41%, fisher exact test P = .097), with greater numbers of CFU (median 40 [IQR, 080] VS 0 [040], Mann-Whitney U test, P = .036). The use of printed electronic PN prescriptions can reduce microbial loads for contamination of surfaces that compromises aseptic techniques.

  6. Additive manufacturing of borosilicate glass (Conference Presentation)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Junjie; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Kinzel, Edward C.

    2017-02-01

    Glasses including have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of borosilicate glasses. Compared to soda-lime glasses, borosilicate glasses have improved coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and are widely used because of thermal shock resistance. In this work, borosilicate glass filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the workpiece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed glass as well as the residual stress trapped in the glass. The transparency of glass allows residual stress to be measured using a polariscope. The effect of the substrate as well and substrate temperature are analyzed. We show that if fracture due to thermal shock can be avoided during deposition, then the residual stress can be relieved with an annealing step, removing birefringence. When combined with progress toward avoiding bubble entrapment in printed glass, we show the AM approach has the potential to produce high quality optically transparent glass for optical applications.

  7. Printing and Folding: A Solution for High-Throughput Processing of Organic Thin-Film Thermoelectric Devices

    PubMed Central

    Mortazavinatanzi, Seyedmohammad; Rosendahl, Lasse

    2018-01-01

    Wearable electronics are rapidly expanding, especially in applications like health monitoring through medical sensors and body area networks (BANs). Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have been the main candidate among the different types of energy harvesting methods for body-mounted or even implantable sensors. Introducing new semiconductor materials like organic thermoelectric materials and advancing manufacturing techniques are paving the way to overcome the barriers associated with the bulky and inflexible nature of the common TEGs and are making it possible to fabricate flexible and biocompatible modules. Yet, the lower efficiency of these materials in comparison with bulk-inorganic counterparts as well as applying them mostly in the form of thin layers on flexible substrates limits their applications. This research aims to improve the functionality of thin and flexible organic thermoelectric generators (OTEs) by utilizing a novel design concept inspired by origami. The effects of critical geometric parameters are investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics to further prove the concept of printing and folding as an approach for the system level optimization of printed thin film TEGs. PMID:29584634

  8. Challenges and the state of the technology for printed sensor arrays for structural monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Shiv; Bland, Scott; DeMott, Robert; Anderson, Nickolas; Jursich, Gregory

    2017-04-01

    Printed sensor arrays are attractive for reliable, low-cost, and large-area mapping of structural systems. These sensor arrays can be printed on flexible substrates or directly on monitored structural parts. This technology is sought for continuous or on-demand real-time diagnosis and prognosis of complex structural components. In the past decade, many innovative technologies and functional materials have been explored to develop printed electronics and sensors. For example, an all-printed strain sensor array is a recent example of a low-cost, flexible and light-weight system that provides a reliable method for monitoring the state of aircraft structural parts. Among all-printing techniques, screen and inkjet printing methods are well suited for smaller-scale prototyping and have drawn much interest due to maturity of printing procedures and availability of compatible inks and substrates. Screen printing relies on a mask (screen) to transfer a pattern onto a substrate. Screen printing is widely used because of the high printing speed, large selection of ink/substrate materials, and capability of making complex multilayer devices. The complexity of collecting signals from a large number of sensors over a large area necessitates signal multiplexing electronics that need to be printed on flexible substrate or structure. As a result, these components are subjected to same deformation, temperature and other parameters for which sensor arrays are designed. The characteristics of these electronic components, such as transistors, are affected by deformation and other environmental parameters which can lead to erroneous sensed parameters. The manufacturing and functional challenges of the technology of printed sensor array systems for structural state monitoring are the focus of this presentation. Specific examples of strain sensor arrays will be presented to highlight the technical challenges.

  9. Recent Developments in Halogen Free Flame Retardants for Epoxy Resins for Electrical and Electronic Applications

    PubMed Central

    Rakotomalala, Muriel; Wagner, Sebastian; Döring, Manfred

    2010-01-01

    The recent implementation of new environmental legislations led to a change in the manufacturing of composites that has repercussions on printed wiring boards (PWB). This in turn led to alternate processing methods (e.g., lead-free soldering), which affected the required physical and chemical properties of the additives used to impart flame retardancy. This review will discuss the latest advancements in phosphorus containing flame retardants for electrical and electronic (EE) applications and compare them with commercially available ones. The mechanism of degradation and flame retardancy of phosphorus flame retardants in epoxy resins will also be discussed. PMID:28883331

  10. Healable supramolecular polymers as organic metals.

    PubMed

    Armao, Joseph J; Maaloum, Mounir; Ellis, Thomas; Fuks, Gad; Rawiso, Michel; Moulin, Emilie; Giuseppone, Nicolas

    2014-08-13

    Organic materials exhibiting metallic behavior are promising for numerous applications ranging from printed nanocircuits to large area electronics. However, the optimization of electronic conduction in organic metals such as charge-transfer salts or doped conjugated polymers requires high crystallinity, which is detrimental to their processability. To overcome this problem, the combination of the electronic properties of metal-like materials with the mechanical properties of soft self-assembled systems is attractive but necessitates the absence of structural defects in a regular lattice. Here we describe a one-dimensional supramolecular polymer in which photoinduced through-space charge-transfer complexes lead to highly coherent domains with delocalized electronic states displaying metallic behavior. We also reveal that diffusion of supramolecular polarons in the nanowires repairs structural defects thereby improving their conduction. The ability to access metallic properties from mendable self-assemblies extends the current understanding of both fields and opens a wide range of processing techniques for applications in organic electronics.

  11. Metal oxides for optoelectronic applications.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xinge; Marks, Tobin J; Facchetti, Antonio

    2016-04-01

    Metal oxides (MOs) are the most abundant materials in the Earth's crust and are ingredients in traditional ceramics. MO semiconductors are strikingly different from conventional inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and III-V compounds with respect to materials design concepts, electronic structure, charge transport mechanisms, defect states, thin-film processing and optoelectronic properties, thereby enabling both conventional and completely new functions. Recently, remarkable advances in MO semiconductors for electronics have been achieved, including the discovery and characterization of new transparent conducting oxides, realization of p-type along with traditional n-type MO semiconductors for transistors, p-n junctions and complementary circuits, formulations for printing MO electronics and, most importantly, commercialization of amorphous oxide semiconductors for flat panel displays. This Review surveys the uniqueness and universality of MOs versus other unconventional electronic materials in terms of materials chemistry and physics, electronic characteristics, thin-film fabrication strategies and selected applications in thin-film transistors, solar cells, diodes and memories.

  12. Metal oxides for optoelectronic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Xinge; Marks, Tobin J.; Facchetti, Antonio

    2016-04-01

    Metal oxides (MOs) are the most abundant materials in the Earth's crust and are ingredients in traditional ceramics. MO semiconductors are strikingly different from conventional inorganic semiconductors such as silicon and III-V compounds with respect to materials design concepts, electronic structure, charge transport mechanisms, defect states, thin-film processing and optoelectronic properties, thereby enabling both conventional and completely new functions. Recently, remarkable advances in MO semiconductors for electronics have been achieved, including the discovery and characterization of new transparent conducting oxides, realization of p-type along with traditional n-type MO semiconductors for transistors, p-n junctions and complementary circuits, formulations for printing MO electronics and, most importantly, commercialization of amorphous oxide semiconductors for flat panel displays. This Review surveys the uniqueness and universality of MOs versus other unconventional electronic materials in terms of materials chemistry and physics, electronic characteristics, thin-film fabrication strategies and selected applications in thin-film transistors, solar cells, diodes and memories.

  13. Fabrication of 2D and 3D photonic structures using laser lithography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaso, P.; Jandura, D.; Pudis, D.

    2016-12-01

    In this paper we demonstrate possibilities of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology based on two photon polymerization. We used three-dimensional dip-in direct-laser-writing (DLW) optical lithography to fabricate 2D and 3D optical structures for optoelectronics and for optical sensing applications. DLW lithography allows us use a non conventional way how to couple light into the waveguide structure. We prepared ring resonator and we investigated its transmission spectral characteristic. We present 3D inverse opal structure from its design to printing and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging. Finally, SEM images of some prepared photonic crystal structures were performed.

  14. Layered memristive and memcapacitive switches for printable electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bessonov, Alexander A.; Kirikova, Marina N.; Petukhov, Dmitrii I.; Allen, Mark; Ryhänen, Tapani; Bailey, Marc J. A.

    2015-02-01

    Novel computing technologies that imitate the principles of biological neural systems may offer low power consumption along with distinct cognitive and learning advantages. The development of reliable memristive devices capable of storing multiple states of information has opened up new applications such as neuromorphic circuits and adaptive systems. At the same time, the explosive growth of the printed electronics industry has expedited the search for advanced memory materials suitable for manufacturing flexible devices. Here, we demonstrate that solution-processed MoOx/MoS2 and WOx/WS2 heterostructures sandwiched between two printed silver electrodes exhibit an unprecedentedly large and tunable electrical resistance range from 102 to 108 Ω combined with low programming voltages of 0.1-0.2 V. The bipolar resistive switching, with a concurrent capacitive contribution, is governed by an ultrathin (<3 nm) oxide layer. With strong nonlinearity in switching dynamics, different mechanisms of synaptic plasticity are implemented by applying a sequence of electrical pulses.

  15. Inflammatory Asthma Phenotype Discrimination Using an Electronic Nose Breath Analyzer.

    PubMed

    Plaza, V; Crespo, A; Giner, J; Merino, J L; Ramos-Barbón, D; Mateus, E F; Torrego, A; Cosio, B G; Agustí, A; Sibila, O

    2015-01-01

    Patients with persistent asthma have different inflammatory phenotypes. The electronic nose is a new technology capable of distinguishing volatile organic compound (VOC) breath-prints in exhaled breath. The aim of the study was to investigate the capacity of electronic nose breath-print analysis to discriminate between different inflammatory asthma phenotypes (eosinophilic, neutrophilic, paucigranulocytic) determined by induced sputum in patients with persistent asthma. Fifty-two patients with persistent asthma were consecutively included in a cross-sectional proof-of-concept study. Inflammatory asthma phenotypes (eosinophilic, neutrophilic and paucigranulocytic) were recognized by inflammatory cell counts in induced sputum. VOC breath-prints were analyzed using the electronic nose Cyranose 320 and assessed by discriminant analysis on principal component reduction, resulting in cross-validated accuracy values. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were calculated. VOC breath-prints were different in eosinophilic asthmatics compared with both neutrophilic asthmatics (accuracy 73%; P=.008; area under ROC, 0.92) and paucigranulocytic asthmatics (accuracy 74%; P=.004; area under ROC, 0.79). Likewise, neutrophilic and paucigranulocytic breath-prints were also different (accuracy 89%; P=.001; area under ROC, 0.88). An electronic nose can discriminate inflammatory phenotypes in patients with persistent asthma in a regular clinical setting. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02026336.

  16. Directed assembly-based printing of homogeneous and hybrid nanorods using dielectrophoresis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chai, Zhimin; Yilmaz, Cihan; Busnaina, Ahmed A.; Lissandrello, Charles A.; Carter, David J. D.

    2017-11-01

    Printing nano and microscale three-dimensional (3D) structures using directed assembly of nanoparticles has many potential applications in electronics, photonics and biotechnology. This paper presents a reproducible and scalable 3D dielectrophoresis assembly process for printing homogeneous silica and hybrid silica/gold nanorods from silica and gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are assembled into patterned vias under a dielectrophoretic force generated by an alternating current (AC) field, and then completely fused in situ to form nanorods. The assembly process is governed by the applied AC voltage amplitude and frequency, pattern geometry, and assembly time. Here, we find out that complete assembly of nanorods is not possible without applying both dielectrophoresis and electrophoresis. Therefore, a direct current offset voltage is used to add an additional electrophoretic force to the assembly process. The assembly can be precisely controlled to print silica nanorods with diameters from 20-200 nm and spacing from 500 nm to 2 μm. The assembled nanorods have good uniformity in diameter and height over a millimeter scale. Besides homogeneous silica nanorods, hybrid silica/gold nanorods are also assembled by sequentially assembling silica and gold nanoparticles. The precision of the assembly process is further demonstrated by assembling a single particle on top of each nanorod to demonstrate an additional level of functionalization. The assembled hybrid silica/gold nanorods have potential to be used for metamaterial applications that require nanoscale structures as well as for plasmonic sensors for biosensing applications.

  17. Preservation of Chinese Print Astronomical Literature in the Digital and Network Age

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, J.; Shi, W.

    2015-04-01

    Over the last few decades, more and more journals and books have been published in both electronic and print formats. Some journals have been digitized retrospectively going back to the first volume of more than a hundred years ago, which benefits researchers and librarians tremendously. As a result, many librarians subscribe to books and journals in both electronic and print versions when possible. In many cases, because of budget shortfalls and the low usage of print materials, many libraries have started to order electronic only. This trend heralds a potential demise of print literature as major library resources and has implications for the library services associated with them. This paper proposes some opinions on this issue. We believe that the librarians should pay attention to and conserve the published astronomical literature, a precious historical and cultural heritage, so that we could hand it down to future generations, just like our predecessors did for us.

  18. Practical 3D Printing of Antennas and RF Electronics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-01

    Passive RF; Combiners Introduction Additive manufacturing can reduce the time and material costs in a design cycle and enable the on-demand printing of...performance, and create Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAM) files. By intelligently leveraging this process, the design can be readily updated or...advances in 3D printing technology now enable antennas and RF electronics to be designed and prototyped significantly faster than conventional

  19. Top-Contact Self-Aligned Printing for High-Performance Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors with Sub-Micron Channel Length.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xuan; Wu, Fanqi; Lau, Christian; Liu, Yihang; Liu, Qingzhou; Zhou, Chongwu

    2017-02-28

    Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes are ideal semiconductors for printed thin-film transistors due to their excellent electrical performance and intrinsic printability with solution-based deposition. However, limited by resolution and registration accuracy of current printing techniques, previously reported fully printed nanotube transistors had rather long channel lengths (>20 μm) and consequently low current-drive capabilities (<0.2 μA/μm). Here we report fully inkjet printed nanotube transistors with dramatically enhanced on-state current density of ∼4.5 μA/μm by downscaling the devices to a sub-micron channel length with top-contact self-aligned printing and employing high-capacitance ion gel as the gate dielectric. Also, the printed transistors exhibited a high on/off ratio of ∼10 5 , low-voltage operation, and good mobility of ∼15.03 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . These advantageous features of our printed transistors are very promising for future high-definition printed displays and sensing systems, low-power consumer electronics, and large-scale integration of printed electronics.

  20. Synthesis of a Nano-Silver Metal Ink for Use in Thick Conductive Film Fabrication Applied on a Semiconductor Package

    PubMed Central

    Yung, Lai Chin; Fei, Cheong Choke; Mandeep, JS; Binti Abdullah, Huda; Wee, Lai Khin

    2014-01-01

    The success of printing technology in the electronics industry primarily depends on the availability of metal printing ink. Various types of commercially available metal ink are widely used in different industries such as the solar cell, radio frequency identification (RFID) and light emitting diode (LED) industries, with limited usage in semiconductor packaging. The use of printed ink in semiconductor IC packaging is limited by several factors such as poor electrical performance and mechanical strength. Poor adhesion of the printed metal track to the epoxy molding compound is another critical factor that has caused a decline in interest in the application of printing technology to the semiconductor industry. In this study, two different groups of adhesion promoters, based on metal and polymer groups, were used to promote adhesion between the printed ink and the epoxy molding substrate. The experimental data show that silver ink with a metal oxide adhesion promoter adheres better than silver ink with a polymer adhesion promoter. This result can be explained by the hydroxyl bonding between the metal oxide promoter and the silane grouping agent on the epoxy substrate, which contributes a greater adhesion strength compared to the polymer adhesion promoter. Hypotheses of the physical and chemical functions of both adhesion promoters are described in detail. PMID:24830317

  1. Printed silver nanowire antennas with low signal loss at high-frequency radio.

    PubMed

    Komoda, Natsuki; Nogi, Masaya; Suganuma, Katsuaki; Kohno, Kazuo; Akiyama, Yutaka; Otsuka, Kanji

    2012-05-21

    Silver nanowires are printable and conductive, and are believed to be promising materials in the field of printed electronics. However, the resistivity of silver nanowire printed lines is higher than that of metallic particles or flakes even when sintered at high temperatures of 100-400 °C. Therefore, their applications have been limited to the replacement of transparent electrodes made from high-resistivity materials, such as doped metallic oxides, conductive polymers, carbon nanotubes, or graphenes. Here we report that using printed silver nanowire lines, signal losses obtained in the high-frequency radio were lower than those obtained using etched copper foil antennas, because their surfaces were much smoother than those of etched copper foil antennas. This was the case even though the resistivity of silver nanowire lines was 43-71 μΩ cm, which is much higher than that of etched copper foil (2 μΩ cm). When printed silver nanowire antennas were heated at 100 °C, they achieved signal losses that were much lower than those of silver paste antennas comprising microparticles, nanoparticles, and flakes. Furthermore, using a low temperature process, we succeeded in remotely controlling a commercialized radio-controlled car by transmitting a 2.45 GHz signal via a silver nanowire antenna printed on a polyethylene terephthalate film.

  2. Synthesis of a nano-silver metal ink for use in thick conductive film fabrication applied on a semiconductor package.

    PubMed

    Yung, Lai Chin; Fei, Cheong Choke; Mandeep, Js; Binti Abdullah, Huda; Wee, Lai Khin

    2014-01-01

    The success of printing technology in the electronics industry primarily depends on the availability of metal printing ink. Various types of commercially available metal ink are widely used in different industries such as the solar cell, radio frequency identification (RFID) and light emitting diode (LED) industries, with limited usage in semiconductor packaging. The use of printed ink in semiconductor IC packaging is limited by several factors such as poor electrical performance and mechanical strength. Poor adhesion of the printed metal track to the epoxy molding compound is another critical factor that has caused a decline in interest in the application of printing technology to the semiconductor industry. In this study, two different groups of adhesion promoters, based on metal and polymer groups, were used to promote adhesion between the printed ink and the epoxy molding substrate. The experimental data show that silver ink with a metal oxide adhesion promoter adheres better than silver ink with a polymer adhesion promoter. This result can be explained by the hydroxyl bonding between the metal oxide promoter and the silane grouping agent on the epoxy substrate, which contributes a greater adhesion strength compared to the polymer adhesion promoter. Hypotheses of the physical and chemical functions of both adhesion promoters are described in detail.

  3. Toward environmentally-benign utilization of nonmetallic fraction of waste printed circuit boards as modifier and precursor.

    PubMed

    Hadi, Pejman; Ning, Chao; Ouyang, Weiyi; Xu, Meng; Lin, Carol S K; McKay, Gordon

    2015-01-01

    Electronic waste, including printed circuit boards, is growing at an alarming rate due to the accelerated technological progress and the shorter lifespan of the electronic equipment. In the past decades, due to the lack of proper economic and environmentally-benign recycling technologies, a major fraction of e-waste generated was either destined to landfills or incinerated with the sole intention of its disposal disregarding the toxic nature of this waste. Recently, with the increasing public awareness over their environment and health issues and with the enaction of more stringent regulations, environmentally-benign recycling has been driven to be an alternative option partially replacing the traditional eco-unfriendly disposal methods. One of the most favorable green technologies has been the mechanical separation of the metallic and nonmetallic fraction of the waste printed circuit boards. Although metallic fraction, as the most profitable component, is used to generate the revenue of the separation process, the nonmetallic fraction (NMF) has been left isolated. Herein, the recent developments in the application of NMF have been comprehensively reviewed and an eco-friendly emerging usage of NMF as a value-added material for sustainable remediation has been introduced. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Optical fabrication of lightweighted 3D printed mirrors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herzog, Harrison; Segal, Jacob; Smith, Jeremy; Bates, Richard; Calis, Jacob; De La Torre, Alyssa; Kim, Dae Wook; Mici, Joni; Mireles, Jorge; Stubbs, David M.; Wicker, Ryan

    2015-09-01

    Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 3D printing technologies were utilized to create lightweight, optical grade mirrors out of AlSi10Mg aluminum and Ti6Al4V titanium alloys at the University of Arizona in Tucson. The mirror prototypes were polished to meet the λ/20 RMS and λ/4 P-V surface figure requirements. The intent of this project was to design topologically optimized mirrors that had a high specific stiffness and low surface displacement. Two models were designed using Altair Inspire software, and the mirrors had to endure the polishing process with the necessary stiffness to eliminate print-through. Mitigating porosity of the 3D printed mirror blanks was a challenge in the face of reconciling new printing technologies with traditional optical polishing methods. The prototypes underwent Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) and heat treatment to improve density, eliminate porosity, and relieve internal stresses. Metal 3D printing allows for nearly unlimited topological constraints on design and virtually eliminates the need for a machine shop when creating an optical quality mirror. This research can lead to an increase in mirror mounting support complexity in the manufacturing of lightweight mirrors and improve overall process efficiency. The project aspired to have many future applications of light weighted 3D printed mirrors, such as spaceflight. This paper covers the design/fab/polish/test of 3D printed mirrors, thermal/structural finite element analysis, and results.

  5. Electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response of 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hohimer, Cameron J.; Petrossian, Gayaneh; Ameli, Amir; Mo, Changki; Pötschke, Petra

    2018-03-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging field experiencing rapid growth. This paper presents a feasibility study of using fused-deposition modeling (FDM) techniques with smart materials to fabricate objects with sensing and actuating capabilities. The fabrication of objects with sensing typically requires the integration and assembly of multiple components. Incorporating sensing elements into a single FDM process has the potential to significantly simplify manufacturing. The integration of multiple materials, especially smart materials and those with multi-functional properties, into the FDM process is challenging and still requires further development. Previous works by the authors have demonstrated a good printability of thermoplastic polyurethane/multiwall carbon nanotubes (TPU/MWCNT) while maintaining conductivity and piezoresistive response. This research explores the effects of layer height, nozzle temperature, and bed temperature on the electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response of printed TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites. An impedance analyzer was used to determine the conductivity of printed samples under different printing conditions from 5Hz-13MHz. The samples were then tested under compression loads to measure the piezoresistive response. Results show the conductivity and piezoresistive response are only slightly affected by the print parameters and they can be largely considered independent of the print conditions within the examined ranges of print parameters. This behavior simplifies the printing process design for TPU/MWCNT complex structures. This work demonstrates the possibility of manufacturing embedded and multidirectional flexible strain sensors using an inexpensive and versatile method, with potential applications in soft robotics, flexible electronics, and health monitoring.

  6. Optical Scanning Architectures For Electronic Printing Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Richard V.

    1987-06-01

    The explosive growth of computer technology in recent years has precipitated an equally dramatic growth in the market for nonimpact electronic printers. One of the most popular methods for implementing a high quality nonimpact electronic printer is to integrate a laser scanner with a xerographic copier/duplicator. The subject of this article is a discussion of alternative optical scanner architectures, including both traditional designs which are well represented in the marketplace, and also more exotic designs configured with spatial light modulators, designs which to date have had scant penetration into the marketplace but which can offer superior image quality.

  7. Surface Flashover on Epoxy-Resin Printed Circuit Boards in Vacuum under Electron Irradiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujii, Haruhisa; Hasegawa, Taketoshi; Osuga, Hiroyuki; Matsui, Katsuaki

    This paper deals with the surface flashover characteristics of dielectric material in vacuum during electron beam irradiation in order to design adequately the conductive patterns on printed circuit boards used inside a spacecraft. The dielectric material, glass-fiber reinforced epoxy resin, and the electrodes printed on it were irradiated with electrons of the energy of 3-10 keV. DC high voltage was applied between the two electrodes during electron irradiation. The voltage was increased stepwise until the surface flashover occurred on the dielectric material. We obtained the results that the surface flashover voltage increased with the insulation distance between the electrodes but electron irradiation made the flashover voltage lower. The flashover voltage characteristics were obtained as parameters of the electrode distance and the energy of the electron beam.

  8. Clinical application of three-dimensional printing technology in craniofacial plastic surgery.

    PubMed

    Choi, Jong Woo; Kim, Namkug

    2015-05-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been particularly widely adopted in medical fields. Application of the 3D printing technique has even been extended to bio-cell printing for 3D tissue/organ development, the creation of scaffolds for tissue engineering, and actual clinical application for various medical parts. Of various medical fields, craniofacial plastic surgery is one of areas that pioneered the use of the 3D printing concept. Rapid prototype technology was introduced in the 1990s to medicine via computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing. To investigate the current status of 3D printing technology and its clinical application, a systematic review of the literature was conducted. In addition, the benefits and possibilities of the clinical application of 3D printing in craniofacial surgery are reviewed, based on personal experiences with more than 500 craniofacial cases conducted using 3D printing tactile prototype models.

  9. Clinical Application of Three-Dimensional Printing Technology in Craniofacial Plastic Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Namkug

    2015-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing has been particularly widely adopted in medical fields. Application of the 3D printing technique has even been extended to bio-cell printing for 3D tissue/organ development, the creation of scaffolds for tissue engineering, and actual clinical application for various medical parts. Of various medical fields, craniofacial plastic surgery is one of areas that pioneered the use of the 3D printing concept. Rapid prototype technology was introduced in the 1990s to medicine via computer-aided design, computer-aided manufacturing. To investigate the current status of 3D printing technology and its clinical application, a systematic review of the literature was conducted. In addition, the benefits and possibilities of the clinical application of 3D printing in craniofacial surgery are reviewed, based on personal experiences with more than 500 craniofacial cases conducted using 3D printing tactile prototype models. PMID:26015880

  10. Electron beams in research and technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mehnert, R.

    1995-11-01

    Fast electrons lose their energy by inelastic collisions with electrons of target molecules forming secondary electrons and excited molecules. Coulomb interaction of secondary electrons with valence electrons of neighboring molecules leads to the formation of radical cations, thermalized electrons, excited molecular states and radicals. The primary reactive species initiate chemical reactions in the materials irradiated. Polymer modifications using accelerated electrons such as cross-linking of cable insulation, tubes, pipes and moldings, vulcanization of elastomers, grafting of polymer surfaces, processing of foamed plastics and heat shrinkable materials have gained wide industrial acceptance. A steadily growing electron beam technology is curing of paints, lacquers, printing inks and functional coatings. Electron beam processing offers high productivity, the possibility to treat the materials at normal temperature and pressure, excellent process control and clean production conditions. On an industrial scale the most important application of fast electrons is curing of 100% reactive monomer/prepolymer systems. Mainly acrylates and epoxides are used to formulate functional coatings on substrates such as paper, foil, wood, fibre board and high pressure laminates. A survey is given about the reaction mechanism of curing, the characterization of cured coatings, and of some industrial application.

  11. Surgical applications of three-dimensional printing: a review of the current literature & how to get started

    PubMed Central

    Hoang, Don; Perrault, David; Stevanovic, Milan

    2016-01-01

    Three dimensional (3D) printing involves a number of additive manufacturing techniques that are used to build structures from the ground up. This technology has been adapted to a wide range of surgical applications at an impressive rate. It has been used to print patient-specific anatomic models, implants, prosthetics, external fixators, splints, surgical instrumentation, and surgical cutting guides. The profound utility of this technology in surgery explains the exponential growth. It is important to learn how 3D printing has been used in surgery and how to potentially apply this technology. PubMed was searched for studies that addressed the clinical application of 3D printing in all surgical fields, yielding 442 results. Data was manually extracted from the 168 included studies. We found an exponential increase in studies addressing surgical applications for 3D printing since 2011, with the largest growth in craniofacial, oromaxillofacial, and cardiothoracic specialties. The pertinent considerations for getting started with 3D printing were identified and are discussed, including, software, printing techniques, printing materials, sterilization of printing materials, and cost and time requirements. Also, the diverse and increasing applications of 3D printing were recorded and are discussed. There is large array of potential applications for 3D printing. Decreasing cost and increasing ease of use are making this technology more available. Incorporating 3D printing into a surgical practice can be a rewarding process that yields impressive results. PMID:28090512

  12. Surgical applications of three-dimensional printing: a review of the current literature & how to get started.

    PubMed

    Hoang, Don; Perrault, David; Stevanovic, Milan; Ghiassi, Alidad

    2016-12-01

    Three dimensional (3D) printing involves a number of additive manufacturing techniques that are used to build structures from the ground up. This technology has been adapted to a wide range of surgical applications at an impressive rate. It has been used to print patient-specific anatomic models, implants, prosthetics, external fixators, splints, surgical instrumentation, and surgical cutting guides. The profound utility of this technology in surgery explains the exponential growth. It is important to learn how 3D printing has been used in surgery and how to potentially apply this technology. PubMed was searched for studies that addressed the clinical application of 3D printing in all surgical fields, yielding 442 results. Data was manually extracted from the 168 included studies. We found an exponential increase in studies addressing surgical applications for 3D printing since 2011, with the largest growth in craniofacial, oromaxillofacial, and cardiothoracic specialties. The pertinent considerations for getting started with 3D printing were identified and are discussed, including, software, printing techniques, printing materials, sterilization of printing materials, and cost and time requirements. Also, the diverse and increasing applications of 3D printing were recorded and are discussed. There is large array of potential applications for 3D printing. Decreasing cost and increasing ease of use are making this technology more available. Incorporating 3D printing into a surgical practice can be a rewarding process that yields impressive results.

  13. Rayleigh Instability-Assisted Satellite Droplets Elimination in Inkjet Printing.

    PubMed

    Yang, Qiang; Li, Huizeng; Li, Mingzhu; Li, Yanan; Chen, Shuoran; Bao, Bin; Song, Yanlin

    2017-11-29

    Elimination of satellite droplets in inkjet printing has long been desired for high-resolution and precision printing of functional materials and tissues. Generally, the strategy to suppress satellite droplets is to control ink properties, such as viscosity or surface tension, to assist ink filaments in retracting into one drop. However, this strategy brings new restrictions to the ink, such as ink viscosity, surface tension, and concentration. Here, we report an alternative strategy that the satellite droplets are eliminated by enhancing Rayleigh instability of filament at the break point to accelerate pinch-off of the droplet from the nozzle. A superhydrophobic and ultralow adhesive nozzle with cone morphology exhibits the capability to eliminate satellite droplets by cutting the ink filament at breakup point effectively. As a result, the nozzles with different sizes (10-80 μm) are able to print more inks (1 < Z < 38), for which the nozzles are super-ink-phobic and ultralow adhesive, without satellite droplets. The finding presents a new way to remove satellite droplets via designing nozzles with super-ink-phobicity and ultralow adhesion rather than restricting the ink, which has promising applications in printing electronics and biotechnologies.

  14. Did the Sans-Coulottes Wear Nikes? The Impact of Electronic Media on the Understanding and Teaching of History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trask, David

    2002-01-01

    Historians are living in a challenging era. As products of the age of print, teachers must find effective ways to introduce the study of history, an academic discipline embedded in the conventions and understandings of print media, to students whose facility with the print world is limited. It is electronic media with which they are most familiar.…

  15. Printing low-melting-point alloy ink to directly make a solidified circuit or functional device with a heating pen

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Lei; Liu, Jing

    2014-01-01

    A new method to directly print out a solidified electronic circuit through low-melting-point metal ink is proposed. A functional pen with heating capability was fabricated. Several typical thermal properties of the alloy ink Bi35In48.6Sn16Zn0.4 were measured and evaluated. Owing to the specifically selected melting point of the ink, which is slightly higher than room temperature, various electronic devices, graphics or circuits can be manufactured in a short period of time and then rapidly solidified by cooling in the surrounding air. The liquid–solid phase change mechanism of the written lines was experimentally characterized using a scanning electron microscope. In order to determine the matching substrate, wettability between the metal ink Bi35In48.6Sn16Zn0.4 and several materials, including mica plate and silicone rubber, was investigated. The resistance–temperature curve of a printed resistor indicated its potential as a temperature control switch. Furthermore, the measured reflection coefficient of a printed double-diamond antenna accords well with the simulated result. With unique merits such as no pollution, no requirement for encapsulation and easy recycling, the present printing approach is an important supplement to current printed electronics and has enormous practical value in the future. PMID:25484611

  16. Printing low-melting-point alloy ink to directly make a solidified circuit or functional device with a heating pen.

    PubMed

    Wang, Lei; Liu, Jing

    2014-12-08

    A new method to directly print out a solidified electronic circuit through low-melting-point metal ink is proposed. A functional pen with heating capability was fabricated. Several typical thermal properties of the alloy ink Bi 35 In 48.6 Sn 16 Zn 0.4 were measured and evaluated. Owing to the specifically selected melting point of the ink, which is slightly higher than room temperature, various electronic devices, graphics or circuits can be manufactured in a short period of time and then rapidly solidified by cooling in the surrounding air. The liquid-solid phase change mechanism of the written lines was experimentally characterized using a scanning electron microscope. In order to determine the matching substrate, wettability between the metal ink Bi 35 In 48.6 Sn 16 Zn 0.4 and several materials, including mica plate and silicone rubber, was investigated. The resistance-temperature curve of a printed resistor indicated its potential as a temperature control switch. Furthermore, the measured reflection coefficient of a printed double-diamond antenna accords well with the simulated result. With unique merits such as no pollution, no requirement for encapsulation and easy recycling, the present printing approach is an important supplement to current printed electronics and has enormous practical value in the future.

  17. A flexible future for paper-based electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Tongfen; Zou, Xiyue; Mazzeo, Aaron D.

    2016-05-01

    This paper will review the origins and state of the art in paper-based electronics, suggesting the stage is set for future promising applications. Current interest in paper-based electronics can trace its roots to recent developments in paper-based microfluidics. With a need to improve the reliability and sensitivity of paperbased microfluidics for certain tasks, there were natural efforts to begin embedding sensing electrodes into microfluidic devices. Recognizing the general benefits of paper as an advanced material (e.g., its environmental friendliness, bendable nature, and low cost), efforts in paper-based electronics also began to take a life of their own with demonstrations of transistors, batteries and devices for energy storage, energy harvesting, sensors to improve situational awareness, acoustics, and displays. The state-of-the-art paper-based electronic devices have benefited and will continue to profit from technologies for printing and transferring electronic functionality onto the surfaces of paper-based substrates. Nonetheless, the authors suggest that many future promising applications will go beyond using paper as a carrier/substrate for electronic components to explore tuning of the electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties of the paper itself. With these technical advances, paper-based electronics will move closer to economically viable killer applications.

  18. Comparison of inkjet-printed silver conductors on different microsystem substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kruger, Jené; Bezuidenhout, Petroné H.; Joubert, Trudi-Heleen

    2016-02-01

    Applications for diagnostic and environmental point-of-need require processes and building blocks to add smart features to disposable biosensors on low-cost substrates. A novel method for producing such biosensors is printing electronics using additive technologies. This work contributes to the toolbox of processes, materials and components for printed electronics manufacturing - as well as rapid prototyping - of circuits. Printing protocols were developed to facilitate successful inkjet printing of nanosilver ink (Harima NPS-JL) onto different microsystem substrates using a functional printer (Dimatix DMP-3281). Photo paper is a standard inkjet substrate, which were compared with glass, polycarbonate (PC), plastic projector transparency foil, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Comparison attributes include physical and electrical properties. The layout design comprised dogbone elements of 8 mm length, and widths varying between 100 μm and 2 mm. All printed features were thermally cured for 1 hour at 120 °C. The physical characteristics were measured with a laser scanning microscope (Zeiss LSM-5) to determine the width, thickness and surface roughness of the printed features. An LCR meter (GW-Instek 8110) was used to measure the printed structures' electrical characteristics (resistance, capacitance and inductance). A lumped element model and layout design rules were extracted to assist in standardized design procedures. The model incorporates prediction of the bandwidth attainable with these structures. The layer thickness on all substrates is larger than the 1 μm on photo paper, and varies between 1.6 μm (PC) and 7 μm (PDMS). The spreading for PDMS is similar to photo paper, but since for the other substrates it is between 5 (glass) and 10 (PC) times larger than for photo paper, the layout design rules require large spacing, leading to larger area networks. Electrical probing on the PDMS is not consistent and results are inconclusive. For the other substrates, the comparative dogbone resistance (100 μm width) is significantly larger than the 2 Ω standard, varying from 12.6 Ω (PC) to 19.3 Ω (glass). The bandwidth relative to photo paper is smaller by a factor of between 6 (PC) and 9.5 (glass).

  19. Building Structured Personal Health Records from Photographs of Printed Medical Records.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiang; Hu, Gang; Teng, Xiaofei; Xie, Guotong

    2015-01-01

    Personal health records (PHRs) provide patient-centric healthcare by making health records accessible to patients. In China, it is very difficult for individuals to access electronic health records. Instead, individuals can easily obtain the printed copies of their own medical records, such as prescriptions and lab test reports, from hospitals. In this paper, we propose a practical approach to extract structured data from printed medical records photographed by mobile phones. An optical character recognition (OCR) pipeline is performed to recognize text in a document photo, which addresses the problems of low image quality and content complexity by image pre-processing and multiple OCR engine synthesis. A series of annotation algorithms that support flexible layouts are then used to identify the document type, entities of interest, and entity correlations, from which a structured PHR document is built. The proposed approach was applied to real world medical records to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability.

  20. Building Structured Personal Health Records from Photographs of Printed Medical Records

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiang; Hu, Gang; Teng, Xiaofei; Xie, Guotong

    2015-01-01

    Personal health records (PHRs) provide patient-centric healthcare by making health records accessible to patients. In China, it is very difficult for individuals to access electronic health records. Instead, individuals can easily obtain the printed copies of their own medical records, such as prescriptions and lab test reports, from hospitals. In this paper, we propose a practical approach to extract structured data from printed medical records photographed by mobile phones. An optical character recognition (OCR) pipeline is performed to recognize text in a document photo, which addresses the problems of low image quality and content complexity by image pre-processing and multiple OCR engine synthesis. A series of annotation algorithms that support flexible layouts are then used to identify the document type, entities of interest, and entity correlations, from which a structured PHR document is built. The proposed approach was applied to real world medical records to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability. PMID:26958219

  1. Forensic document analysis using scanning microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaffer, Douglas K.

    2009-05-01

    The authentication and identification of the source of a printed document(s) can be important in forensic investigations involving a wide range of fraudulent materials, including counterfeit currency, travel and identity documents, business and personal checks, money orders, prescription labels, travelers checks, medical records, financial documents and threatening correspondence. The physical and chemical characterization of document materials - including paper, writing inks and printed media - is becoming increasingly relevant for law enforcement agencies, with the availability of a wide variety of sophisticated commercial printers and copiers which are capable of producing fraudulent documents of extremely high print quality, rendering these difficult to distinguish from genuine documents. This paper describes various applications and analytical methodologies using scanning electron miscoscopy/energy dispersive (x-ray) spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and related technologies for the characterization of fraudulent documents, and illustrates how their morphological and chemical profiles can be compared to (1) authenticate and (2) link forensic documents with a common source(s) in their production history.

  2. Low Cost Inkjet Printed Smart Bandage for Wireless Monitoring of Chronic Wounds

    PubMed Central

    Farooqui, Muhammad Fahad; Shamim, Atif

    2016-01-01

    Chronic wounds affect millions of patients around the world and their treatment is challenging as the early signs indicating their development are subtle. In addition, a type of chronic wound, known as pressure ulcer, develops in patients with limited mobility. Infection and frequent bleeding are indicators of chronic wound development. In this article, we present an unprecedented low cost continuous wireless monitoring system, realized through inkjet printing on a standard bandage, which can send early warnings for the parameters like irregular bleeding, variations in pH levels and external pressure at wound site. In addition to the early warnings, this smart bandage concept can provide long term wound progression data to the health care providers. The smart bandage comprises a disposable part which has the inkjet printed sensors and a reusable part constituting the wireless electronics. This work is an important step towards futuristic wearable sensors for remote health care applications. PMID:27353200

  3. Low Cost Inkjet Printed Smart Bandage for Wireless Monitoring of Chronic Wounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farooqui, Muhammad Fahad; Shamim, Atif

    2016-06-01

    Chronic wounds affect millions of patients around the world and their treatment is challenging as the early signs indicating their development are subtle. In addition, a type of chronic wound, known as pressure ulcer, develops in patients with limited mobility. Infection and frequent bleeding are indicators of chronic wound development. In this article, we present an unprecedented low cost continuous wireless monitoring system, realized through inkjet printing on a standard bandage, which can send early warnings for the parameters like irregular bleeding, variations in pH levels and external pressure at wound site. In addition to the early warnings, this smart bandage concept can provide long term wound progression data to the health care providers. The smart bandage comprises a disposable part which has the inkjet printed sensors and a reusable part constituting the wireless electronics. This work is an important step towards futuristic wearable sensors for remote health care applications.

  4. A multi-component nanocomposite screen-printed ink with non-linear touch sensitive electrical conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Webb, Alexander J.; Szablewski, Marek; Bloor, David; Atkinson, Del; Graham, Adam; Laughlin, Paul; Lussey, David

    2013-04-01

    Printable electronics is an innovative area of technology with great commercial potential. Here, a screen-printed functional ink, comprising a combination of semiconducting acicular particles, electrically insulating nanoparticles and a base polymer ink, is described that exhibits pronounced pressure sensitive electrical properties for applications in sensing and touch sensitive surfaces. The combination of these components in the as-printed ink yield a complex structure and a large and reproducible touch pressure sensitive resistance range. In contrast to the case for some composite systems, the resistance changes occur down to applied pressures of 13 Pa. Current-voltage measurements at fixed pressures show monotonic non-linear behaviour, which becomes more Ohmic at higher pressures and in all cases shows some hysteresis. The physical basis for conduction, particularly in the low pressure regime, can be described in terms of field assisted quantum mechanical tunnelling.

  5. Low Cost Inkjet Printed Smart Bandage for Wireless Monitoring of Chronic Wounds.

    PubMed

    Farooqui, Muhammad Fahad; Shamim, Atif

    2016-06-29

    Chronic wounds affect millions of patients around the world and their treatment is challenging as the early signs indicating their development are subtle. In addition, a type of chronic wound, known as pressure ulcer, develops in patients with limited mobility. Infection and frequent bleeding are indicators of chronic wound development. In this article, we present an unprecedented low cost continuous wireless monitoring system, realized through inkjet printing on a standard bandage, which can send early warnings for the parameters like irregular bleeding, variations in pH levels and external pressure at wound site. In addition to the early warnings, this smart bandage concept can provide long term wound progression data to the health care providers. The smart bandage comprises a disposable part which has the inkjet printed sensors and a reusable part constituting the wireless electronics. This work is an important step towards futuristic wearable sensors for remote health care applications.

  6. Aqueous Processing for Printed Organic Electronics: Conjugated Polymers with Multistage Cleavable Side Chains

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The ability to process conjugated polymers via aqueous solution is highly advantageous for reducing the costs and environmental hazards of large scale roll-to-roll processing of organic electronics. However, maintaining competitive electronic properties while achieving aqueous solubility is difficult for several reasons: (1) Materials with polar functional groups that provide aqueous solubility can be difficult to purify and characterize, (2) many traditional coupling and polymerization reactions cannot be performed in aqueous solution, and (3) ionic groups, though useful for obtaining aqueous solubility, can lead to a loss of solid-state order, as well as a screening of any applied bias. As an alternative, we report a multistage cleavable side chain method that combines desirable aqueous processing attributes without sacrificing semiconducting capabilities. Through the attachment of cleavable side chains, conjugated polymers have for the first time been synthesized, characterized, and purified in organic solvents, converted to a water-soluble form for aqueous processing, and brought through a final treatment to cleave the polymer side chains and leave behind the desired electronic material as a solvent-resistant film. Specifically, we demonstrate an organic soluble polythiophene that is converted to an aqueous soluble polyelectrolyte via hydrolysis. After blade coating from an aqueous solution, UV irradiation is used to cleave the polymer’s side chains, resulting in a solvent-resistant, electroactive polymer thin film. In application, this process results in aqueous printed materials with utility for solid-state charge transport in organic field effect transistors (OFETs), along with red to colorless electrochromism in ionic media for color changing displays, demonstrating its potential as a universal method for aqueous printing in organic electronics. PMID:28979937

  7. Aqueous Processing for Printed Organic Electronics: Conjugated Polymers with Multistage Cleavable Side Chains.

    PubMed

    Schmatz, Brian; Yuan, Zhibo; Lang, Augustus W; Hernandez, Jeff L; Reichmanis, Elsa; Reynolds, John R

    2017-09-27

    The ability to process conjugated polymers via aqueous solution is highly advantageous for reducing the costs and environmental hazards of large scale roll-to-roll processing of organic electronics. However, maintaining competitive electronic properties while achieving aqueous solubility is difficult for several reasons: (1) Materials with polar functional groups that provide aqueous solubility can be difficult to purify and characterize, (2) many traditional coupling and polymerization reactions cannot be performed in aqueous solution, and (3) ionic groups, though useful for obtaining aqueous solubility, can lead to a loss of solid-state order, as well as a screening of any applied bias. As an alternative, we report a multistage cleavable side chain method that combines desirable aqueous processing attributes without sacrificing semiconducting capabilities. Through the attachment of cleavable side chains, conjugated polymers have for the first time been synthesized, characterized, and purified in organic solvents, converted to a water-soluble form for aqueous processing, and brought through a final treatment to cleave the polymer side chains and leave behind the desired electronic material as a solvent-resistant film. Specifically, we demonstrate an organic soluble polythiophene that is converted to an aqueous soluble polyelectrolyte via hydrolysis. After blade coating from an aqueous solution, UV irradiation is used to cleave the polymer's side chains, resulting in a solvent-resistant, electroactive polymer thin film. In application, this process results in aqueous printed materials with utility for solid-state charge transport in organic field effect transistors (OFETs), along with red to colorless electrochromism in ionic media for color changing displays, demonstrating its potential as a universal method for aqueous printing in organic electronics.

  8. Medical faculty's use of print and electronic journals: changes over time and in comparison with scientists

    PubMed Central

    Tenopir, Carol; King, Donald W.; Bush, Amy

    2004-01-01

    Objectives: The objectives are to determine how medical faculty members use scholarly journals, whether print or electronic journals are read more, whether there is a pattern among types of users, and what similarities and differences there are between the use of journals by medical faculty and faculty in other disciplines. Methods: Medical faculty of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) multi-campus system were surveyed, and their responses estimated using critical incident technique to characterize the different aspects of their use of print and electronic journals. Results: Medical faculty read a great deal, especially compared to scientists. The most frequently reported principal purpose of reading is to support their primary research (30% of reading). The majority of reading comes from recently published articles, mostly from personal subscriptions. Medical faculty continue to rely on print journals (approximately 70% of readings) versus electronic journals. Age of faculty does not appear to influence the choice of print or electronic format. Medical faculty read more articles than others on average and need information digested and verified in a way to save them time. Convenience and currency are highly valued attributes. Conclusions: It can be asserted that librarians and publishers must find ways to provide the attributes of convenience and currency and match the portability of personal subscriptions in an electronic journal format for medical faculty. PMID:15098053

  9. Medical faculty's use of print and electronic journals: changes over time and in comparison with scientists.

    PubMed

    Tenopir, Carol; King, Donald W; Bush, Amy

    2004-04-01

    The objectives are to determine how medical faculty members use scholarly journals, whether print or electronic journals are read more, whether there is a pattern among types of users, and what similarities and differences there are between the use of journals by medical faculty and faculty in other disciplines. Medical faculty of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) multi-campus system were surveyed, and their responses estimated using critical incident technique to characterize the different aspects of their use of print and electronic journals. Medical faculty read a great deal, especially compared to scientists. The most frequently reported principal purpose of reading is to support their primary research (30% of reading). The majority of reading comes from recently published articles, mostly from personal subscriptions. Medical faculty continue to rely on print journals (approximately 70% of readings) versus electronic journals. Age of faculty does not appear to influence the choice of print or electronic format. Medical faculty read more articles than others on average and need information digested and verified in a way to save them time. Convenience and currency are highly valued attributes. It can be asserted that librarians and publishers must find ways to provide the attributes of convenience and currency and match the portability of personal subscriptions in an electronic journal format for medical faculty.

  10. Synthesis of pure colloidal silver nanoparticles with high electroconductivity for printed electronic circuits: the effect of amines on their formation in aqueous media.

    PubMed

    Natsuki, Jun; Abe, Takao

    2011-07-01

    This paper describes a practical and convenient method to prepare stable colloidal silver nanoparticles for use in printed electronic circuits. The method uses a dispersant and two kinds of reducing agents including 2-(dimethylamino) ethanol (DMAE), which play important roles in the reduction of silver ions in an aqueous medium. The effect of DMAE and dispersant, as well as the factors affecting particle size and morphology are investigated. In the formation of the silver nanoparticles, reduction occurs rapidly at room temperature and the silver particles can be separated easily from the mixture in a short time. In addition, organic solvents are not used. Pure, small and relatively uniform particles with a diameter less than 10 nm can be obtained that exhibit high electroconductivity. The silver nanoparticles are stable, and can be isolated as a dried powder that can be fully redispersed in deionized water. This method of producing colloidal silver nanoparticles will find practical use in electronics applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Quantitative analysis of peel-off degree for printed electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Janghoon; Lee, Jongsu; Sung, Ki-Hak; Shin, Kee-Hyun; Kang, Hyunkyoo

    2018-02-01

    We suggest a facile methodology of peel-off degree evaluation by image processing on printed electronics. The quantification of peeled and printed areas was performed using open source programs. To verify the accuracy of methods, we manually removed areas from the printed circuit that was measured, resulting in 96.3% accuracy. The sintered patterns showed a decreasing tendency in accordance with the increase in the energy density of an infrared lamp, and the peel-off degree increased. Thus, the comparison between both results was presented. Finally, the correlation between performance characteristics was determined by quantitative analysis.

  12. Tensile and fatigue behaviors of printed Ag thin films on flexible substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sim, Gi-Dong; Won, Sejeong; Lee, Soon-Bok

    2012-11-01

    Flexible electronics using nanoparticle (NP) printing has been highlighted as a key technology enabling eco-friendly, low-cost, and large-area fabrication. For NP-based printing to be used as a successive alternative to photolithography and vacuum deposition, stretchability and long term reliability must be considered. This paper reports the stretchability and fatigue behavior of 100 nm thick NP-based silver thin films printed on polyethylene-terephthalate substrate and compares it to films deposited by electron-beam evaporation. NP-based films show stretchability and fatigue life comparable to evaporated films with intergranular fracture as the dominant failure mechanism.

  13. Printing enzymatic reactions.

    PubMed

    Tian, Junfei; Shen, Wei

    2011-02-07

    We used relief and planographic printing methods to print the catalytic effect of an enzyme, but not the enzyme molecules, onto paper. Printing enzymatic reactions have applications in bioactive papers, low-cost diagnostics, anti-counterfeiting devices and advanced packaging materials. These methods can create novel printing effects on commodity surfaces for advanced applications.

  14. 2 CFR 200.461 - Publication and printing costs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Publication and printing costs. 200.461... Cost § 200.461 Publication and printing costs. (a) Publication costs for electronic and print media... activities of the non-Federal entity. (b) Page charges for professional journal publications are allowable...

  15. Multifunctional 3D printing of heterogeneous hydrogel structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nadernezhad, Ali; Khani, Navid; Skvortsov, Gözde Akdeniz; Toprakhisar, Burak; Bakirci, Ezgi; Menceloglu, Yusuf; Unal, Serkan; Koc, Bahattin

    2016-09-01

    Multimaterial additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogel structures provides the opportunity to engineer geometrically dependent functionalities. However, current fabrication methods are mostly limited to one type of material or only provide one type of functionality. In this paper, we report a novel method of multimaterial deposition of hydrogel structures based on an aspiration-on-demand protocol, in which the constitutive multimaterial segments of extruded filaments were first assembled in liquid state by sequential aspiration of inks into a glass capillary, followed by in situ gel formation. We printed different patterned objects with varying chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biological properties by tuning process and material related parameters, to demonstrate the abilities of this method in producing heterogeneous and multi-functional hydrogel structures. Our results show the potential of proposed method in producing heterogeneous objects with spatially controlled functionalities while preserving structural integrity at the switching interface between different segments. We anticipate that this method would introduce new opportunities in multimaterial additive manufacturing of hydrogels for diverse applications such as biosensors, flexible electronics, tissue engineering and organ printing.

  16. Multifunctional 3D printing of heterogeneous hydrogel structures

    PubMed Central

    Nadernezhad, Ali; Khani, Navid; Skvortsov, Gözde Akdeniz; Toprakhisar, Burak; Bakirci, Ezgi; Menceloglu, Yusuf; Unal, Serkan; Koc, Bahattin

    2016-01-01

    Multimaterial additive manufacturing or three-dimensional (3D) printing of hydrogel structures provides the opportunity to engineer geometrically dependent functionalities. However, current fabrication methods are mostly limited to one type of material or only provide one type of functionality. In this paper, we report a novel method of multimaterial deposition of hydrogel structures based on an aspiration-on-demand protocol, in which the constitutive multimaterial segments of extruded filaments were first assembled in liquid state by sequential aspiration of inks into a glass capillary, followed by in situ gel formation. We printed different patterned objects with varying chemical, electrical, mechanical, and biological properties by tuning process and material related parameters, to demonstrate the abilities of this method in producing heterogeneous and multi-functional hydrogel structures. Our results show the potential of proposed method in producing heterogeneous objects with spatially controlled functionalities while preserving structural integrity at the switching interface between different segments. We anticipate that this method would introduce new opportunities in multimaterial additive manufacturing of hydrogels for diverse applications such as biosensors, flexible electronics, tissue engineering and organ printing. PMID:27630079

  17. Citation patterns of online and print journals in the digital ageEC

    PubMed Central

    De Groote, Sandra L.

    2008-01-01

    Purpose: The research assesses the impact of online journals on citation patterns by examining whether researchers were more likely to limit the resources they cited to those journals available online rather than those only in print. Setting: Publications from a large urban university with a medical college at an urban location and at a smaller regional location were examined. The number of online journals available to authors on either campus was the same. The number of print journals available on the large campus was much greater than the print journals available at the small campus. Methodology: Searches by author affiliation from 1996 to 2005 were performed in the Web of Science to find all articles written by affiliated members in the college of medicine at the selected institution. Cited references from randomly selected articles were recorded, and the cited journals were coded into five categories based on their availability at the study institution: print only, print and online, online only, not owned, and dropped. Results were analyzed using SPSS. The age of articles cited for selected years as well as for 2006 and 2007 was also examined. Results: The number of journals cited each year continued to increase. On the large urban campus, researchers were not more likely to cite journals available online or less likely to cite journals only in print. At the regional location, at which the number of print-only journals was minimal, use of print-only journals significantly decreased. Conclusion/discussion: The citation of print-only journals by researchers with access to a library with a large print and electronic collection appeared to continue, despite the availability of potential alternatives in the online collection. Journals available in electronic format were cited more frequently in publications from the campus whose library had a small print collection, and the citation of journals available in both print and electronic formats generally increased over the years studied. PMID:18974814

  18. Flame Retardancy of Chemically Modified Lignin as Functional Additive to Epoxy Nanocomposites

    Treesearch

    John A. Howarter; Gamini P. Mendis; Alex N. Bruce; Jeffrey P. Youngblood; Mark A. Dietenberger; Laura Hasburgh

    2015-01-01

    Epoxy printed circuit boards are used in a variety of electronics applications as rigid, thermally stable substrates. Due to the propensity of components on the boards, such as batteries and interconnects, to fail and ignite the epoxy, flame retardant additives are required to minimize fire risk. Currently, industry uses brominated flame retardants, such as TBBPA, to...

  19. Cathode material for lithium ion accumulators prepared by screen printing for Smart Textile applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Syrový, T.; Kazda, T.; Syrová, L.; Vondrák, J.; Kubáč, L.; Sedlaříková, M.

    2016-03-01

    The presented study is focused on the development of LiFePO4 based cathode for thin and flexible screen printed secondary lithium based accumulators. An ink formulation was developed for the screen printing technique, which enabled mass production of accumulator's cathode for Smart Label and Smart Textile applications. The screen printed cathode was compared with an electrode prepared by the bar coating technique using an ink formulation based on the standard approach of ink composition. Obtained LiFePO4 cathode layers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements at different loads. The discharge capacity, capacity retention and stability at a high C rate of the LiFePO4 cathode were improved when Super P and PVDF were replaced by conductive polymers PEDOT:PSS. The achieved capacity during cycling at various C rates was approximately the same at the beginning and at the end, and it was about 151 mAh/g for cycling under 1C. The obtained results of this novelty electrode layer exceed the parameters of several electrode layers based on LiFePO4 published in literature in terms of capacity, cycling stability and overcomes them in terms of simplicity/industrial process ability of cathode layer fabrication and electrode material preparation.

  20. Dramatic Changes in Thermoelectric Power of Germanium under Pressure: Printing n–p Junctions by Applied Stress

    PubMed Central

    Korobeinikov, Igor V.; Morozova, Natalia V.; Shchennikov, Vladimir V.; Ovsyannikov, Sergey V.

    2017-01-01

    Controlled tuning the electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical and other characteristics of the leading semiconducting materials is one of the primary technological challenges. Here, we demonstrate that the electronic transport properties of conventional single-crystalline wafers of germanium may be dramatically tuned by application of moderate pressures. We investigated the thermoelectric power (Seebeck coefficient) of p– and n–type germanium under high pressure to 20 GPa. We established that an applied pressure of several GPa drastically shifts the electrical conduction to p–type. The p–type conduction is conserved across the semiconductor-metal phase transition at near 10 GPa. Upon pressure releasing, germanium transformed to a metastable st12 phase (Ge-III) with n–type semiconducting conductivity. We proposed that the unusual electronic properties of germanium in the original cubic-diamond-structured phase could result from a splitting of the “heavy” and “light” holes bands, and a related charge transfer between them. We suggested new innovative applications of germanium, e.g., in technologies of printing of n–p and n–p–n junctions by applied stress. Thus, our work has uncovered a new face of germanium as a ‘smart’ material. PMID:28290495

  1. The preparation of copper fine particle paste and its application as the inner electrode material of a multilayered ceramic capacitor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yonezawa, Tetsu; Takeoka, Shinsuke; Kishi, Hiroshi; Ida, Kiyonobu; Tomonari, Masanori

    2008-04-01

    Well size-controlled copper fine particles (diameter: 100-300 nm) were used as the inner electrode material of multilayered ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). The particles were dispersed in terpineol to form a printing paste with 50 wt% copper particles. The MLCC precursor modules prepared by the layer-by-layer printing of copper and BaTiO3 particles were cosintered. Detailed observation of the particles, paste, and MLCCs before and after sintering was carried out by electron microscopy. The sintering temperature of Cu-MLCC was as low as 960 °C. The permittivity of these MLCCs was successfully measured with the copper inner layers.

  2. Patterned Liquid Metal Contacts for Printed Carbon Nanotube Transistors.

    PubMed

    Andrews, Joseph B; Mondal, Kunal; Neumann, Taylor V; Cardenas, Jorge A; Wang, Justin; Parekh, Dishit P; Lin, Yiliang; Ballentine, Peter; Dickey, Michael D; Franklin, Aaron D

    2018-05-14

    Flexible and stretchable electronics are poised to enable many applications that cannot be realized with traditional, rigid devices. One of the most promising options for low-cost stretchable transistors are printed carbon nanotubes (CNTs). However, a major limiting factor in stretchable CNT devices is the lack of a stable and versatile contact material that forms both the interconnects and contact electrodes. In this work, we introduce the use of eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) liquid metal for electrical contacts to printed CNT channels. We analyze thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated using two different liquid metal deposition techniques-vacuum-filling polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannel structures and direct-writing liquid metals on the CNTs. The highest performing CNT-TFT was realized using vacuum-filled microchannel deposition with an in situ annealing temperature of 150 °C. This device exhibited an on/off ratio of more than 10 4 and on-currents as high as 150 μA/mm-metrics that are on par with other printed CNT-TFTs. Additionally, we observed that at room temperature the contact resistances of the vacuum-filled microchannel structures were 50% lower than those of the direct-write structures, likely due to the poor adhesion between the materials observed during the direct-writing process. The insights gained in this study show that stretchable electronics can be realized using low-cost and solely solution processing techniques. Furthermore, we demonstrate methods that can be used to electrically characterize semiconducting materials as transistors without requiring elevated temperatures or cleanroom processes.

  3. Finite element analysis of a micromechanical deformable mirror device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sheerer, T. J.; Nelson, W. E.; Hornbeck, L. J.

    1989-01-01

    A monolithic spatial light modulator chip was developed consisting of a large number of micrometer-scale mirror cells which can be rotated through an angle by application of an electrostatic field. The field is generated by electronics integral to the chip. The chip has application in photoreceptor based non-impact printing technologies. Chips containing over 16000 cells were fabricated, and were tested to several billions of cycles. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the device was used to model both the electrical and mechanical characteristics.

  4. Recent advances of conductive nanocomposites in printed and flexible electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Saleem; Lorenzelli, Leandro

    2017-08-01

    Conductive nanocomposites have emerged as significant smart engineered materials for realizing flexible electronics on diverse substrates in recent years. Conductive nanocomposites are comprised of conductive fillers mixed with polymeric elastomer (e.g. polydimethylsiloxane). The possibility to tune electrical as well as mechanical properties of nanocomposites makes them suitable for a wide spectrum of applications including sensors and electronics on non-planar and stretchable surfaces. A number of conductive nanofillers and manufacturing technologies have been developed to meet the diverse requirements of various applications. Considering the substantial contribution of conductive nanocomposites, it is opportune time to review the potentials of various nanofillers, their synthesis, processing methodologies and challenges associated to them. This paper reviews conductive nanocomposites, especially in context with their use in the development of electronic components and the sensors exploiting the piezoresistive behavior. The paper is structured around the nanocomposites related studies aiming to develop various building blocks of flexible electronic skin systems such as pressure, touch, strain and temperature sensors as well as stretchable interconnects. Besides this, the use of nanocomposites in other stimulating industrial and biomedical applications has also been explored briefly.

  5. 45 CFR 1226.8 - Prohibited activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ..., pamphlets, brochures and material designed for the print or electronic media; (5) Organizing political... assistance to individuals in the process of registering to vote, including determinations of eligibility; (3... material designed for either the print or electronic media, which urges recipients to contact their...

  6. Tailoring metal oxide nanoparticle dispersions for inkjet printing.

    PubMed

    Gebauer, J S; Mackert, V; Ognjanović, S; Winterer, M

    2018-05-04

    There is a growing interest in science and industry for printed electronics. Printed electronics enable the production of large quantities of electronic components at low cost. Even though organic semiconductors are already widely used for printed components, inorganic materials may be advantageous due to their higher durability and superior device performance. Nevertheless, inorganic materials still remain difficult to print making the development of printable and functional inks a necessity. In this work we present the formulation, inkjet printing and processing of newly developed inks based on ethylene glycol as dispersion medium. Different metal oxide nanoparticles (ZnO, TiO 2 , CuO, SnO 2 and In 2 O 3 ) with high crystallinity and narrow size distribution were produced by chemical vapor synthesis. The particles were stabilized and the colloidal stability was evaluated by a combination of DLVO simulations and dynamic light scattering measurements. Measurements of rheological and interfacial properties, like viscosity and surface tension, are used to determine the printability on the basis of the inverse Ohnesorge number. Inks, developed in this work, have adjustable rheological properties as well as long-term stabilities without particle sedimentation over a period of several months. They are suitable for printing on different substrate materials like silicon and flexible polymeric substrates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Towards roll-to-roll fabrication of electronics, optics, and optoelectronics for smart and intelligent packaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kololuoma, Terho K.; Tuomikoski, Markus; Makela, Tapio; Heilmann, Jali; Haring, Tomi; Kallioinen, Jani; Hagberg, Juha; Kettunen, Ilkka; Kopola, Harri K.

    2004-06-01

    Embedding of optoelectrical, optical, and electrical functionalities into low-cost products like packages and printed matter can be used to increase their information content. These functionalities make also possible the realization of new type of entertaining, impressive or guiding effects on the product packages and printed matter. For these purposes, components like displays, photodetectors, light sources, solar cells, battery elements, diffractive optical elements, lightguides, electrical conductors, resistors, transistors, switching elements etc. and their integration to functional modules are required. Additionally, the price of the components for low-end products has to be in cent scale or preferably below that. Therefore, new, cost-effective, and volume scale capable manufacturing techniques are required. Recent developments of liquid-phase processable electrical and optical polymeric, inorganic, and hybrid materials - inks - have made it possible to fabricate functional electrical, optical and optoelectrical components by conventional roll-to-roll techniques such as gravure printing, embossing, digital printing, offset, and screen printing on flexible paper and plastic like substrates. In this paper, we show our current achievements in the field of roll-to-roll fabricated, optics, electronics and optoelectronics. With few examples, we also demonstrate the printing and hot-embossing capabilities of table scale printing machines and VTT Electronic's 'PICO' roll-to-roll pilot production facility.

  8. Trends for Electron Beam Accelerator Applications in Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Machi, Sueo

    2011-02-01

    Electron beam (EB) accelerators are major pieces of industrial equipment used for many commercial radiation processing applications. The industrial use of EB accelerators has a history of more than 50 years and is still growing in terms of both its economic scale and new applications. Major applications involve the modification of polymeric materials to create value-added products, such as heat-resistant wires, heat-shrinkable sheets, automobile tires, foamed plastics, battery separators and hydrogel wound dressing. The surface curing of coatings and printing inks is a growing application for low energy electron accelerators, resulting in an environmentally friendly and an energy-saving process. Recently there has been the acceptance of the use of EB accelerators in lieu of the radioactive isotope cobalt-60 as a source for sterilizing disposable medical products. Environmental protection by the use of EB accelerators is a new and important field of application. A commercial plant for the cleaning flue gases from a coal-burning power plant is in operation in Poland, employing high power EB accelerators. In Korea, a commercial plant uses EB to clean waste water from a dye factory.

  9. Study of inkjet printing as an ultra-low-cost antenna prototyping method and its application to conformal wraparound antennas for sounding rocket sub-payload

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maimaiti, Maimaitirebike

    Inkjet printing is an attractive patterning technology that has received tremendous interest as a mass fabrication method for a variety of electronic devices due to its manufacturing exibility and low-cost feature. However, the printing facilities that are being used, especially the inkjet printer, are very expensive. This thesis introduces an extremely cost-friendly inkjet printing method using a printer that costs less than $100. In order to verify its reliability, linearly and circularly polarized (CPd) planar and conformal microstrip antennas were fabricated using this printing method, and their measurement results were compared with copper microstrip antennas. The result shows that the printed microstrip antennas have similar performances to those of the copper antennas except for lower efficiency. The effects of the conductivity and thickness of the ink layer on the antenna properties were studied, and it is found that the conductivity is the main factor affecting the radiation efficiency, though thicker ink yields more effective antennas. This thesis also presents the detailed antenna design for a sub-payload. The sub-payload is a cylindrical structure with a diameter of six inches and a height of four inches. It has four booms coming out from the surface, which are used to measure the variations of the energy flow into the upper atmosphere in and around the aurora. The sub-payload has two types of antennas: linearly polarized (LPd) S-band antennas and right-hand circularly polarized (RHCPd) GPS antennas. Each type of antenna has various requirements to be fully functional for specific research tasks. The thesis includes the design methods of each type of antenna, challenges that were confronted, and the possible solutions that were proposed. As a practical application, the inkjet printing method was conveniently applied in validating some of the antenna designs.

  10. Solution Processed Metal Oxide High-κ Dielectrics for Emerging Transistors and Circuits.

    PubMed

    Liu, Ao; Zhu, Huihui; Sun, Huabin; Xu, Yong; Noh, Yong-Young

    2018-06-14

    The electronic functionalities of metal oxides comprise conductors, semiconductors, and insulators. Metal oxides have attracted great interest for construction of large-area electronics, particularly thin-film transistors (TFTs), for their high optical transparency, excellent chemical and thermal stability, and mechanical tolerance. High-permittivity (κ) oxide dielectrics are a key component for achieving low-voltage and high-performance TFTs. With the expanding integration of complementary metal oxide semiconductor transistors, the replacement of SiO 2 with high-κ oxide dielectrics has become urgently required, because their provided thicker layers suppress quantum mechanical tunneling. Toward low-cost devices, tremendous efforts have been devoted to vacuum-free, solution processable fabrication, such as spin coating, spray pyrolysis, and printing techniques. This review focuses on recent progress in solution processed high-κ oxide dielectrics and their applications to emerging TFTs. First, the history, basics, theories, and leakage current mechanisms of high-κ oxide dielectrics are presented, and the underlying mechanism for mobility enhancement over conventional SiO 2 is outlined. Recent achievements of solution-processed high-κ oxide materials and their applications in TFTs are summarized and traditional coating methods and emerging printing techniques are introduced. Finally, low temperature approaches, e.g., ecofriendly water-induced, self-combustion reaction, and energy-assisted post treatments, for the realization of flexible electronics and circuits are discussed. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Tailored benzoxazines as novel resin systems for printed circuit boards in high temperature e-mobility applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Troeger, K.; Darka, R. Khanpour; Neumeyer, T.; Altstaedt, V.

    2014-05-01

    This study focuses on the development of Bisphenol-F-benzoxazine resins blended with different ratios of a trifunctional epoxy resin suitable as matrix for substrates for high temperature printed circuit board (HT-PCB) applications. With the benzoxazine blends glass transition temperatures of more than 190 °C could be achieved in combination with a coefficient of thermal expansion in thickness direction (z-CTE) of less than 60 ppm/K without adding any fillers. This shows the high potential of the benzoxazine-epoxy blend systems as substrate materials for HT-PCBs. To understand the thermal behavior of the different formulations, the apparent crosslink density was calculated based on data from Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. Laminates in laboratory scale were prepared and characterized to demonstrate the transformation of the neat resin properties into real electronic substrate properties. The produced laminates exhibit a z-CTE below 40 ppm/K.

  12. Tailored benzoxazines as novel resin systems for printed circuit boards in high temperature e-mobility applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Troeger, K., E-mail: altstaedt@uni-bayreuth.de; Darka, R. Khanpour, E-mail: altstaedt@uni-bayreuth.de; Neumeyer, T., E-mail: altstaedt@uni-bayreuth.de

    2014-05-15

    This study focuses on the development of Bisphenol-F-benzoxazine resins blended with different ratios of a trifunctional epoxy resin suitable as matrix for substrates for high temperature printed circuit board (HT-PCB) applications. With the benzoxazine blends glass transition temperatures of more than 190 °C could be achieved in combination with a coefficient of thermal expansion in thickness direction (z-CTE) of less than 60 ppm/K without adding any fillers. This shows the high potential of the benzoxazine-epoxy blend systems as substrate materials for HT-PCBs. To understand the thermal behavior of the different formulations, the apparent crosslink density was calculated based on datamore » from Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. Laminates in laboratory scale were prepared and characterized to demonstrate the transformation of the neat resin properties into real electronic substrate properties. The produced laminates exhibit a z-CTE below 40 ppm/K.« less

  13. Clinical application of 3D-printed-step-bolus in post-total-mastectomy electron conformal therapy.

    PubMed

    Park, Kwangwoo; Park, Sungjin; Jeon, Mi-Jin; Choi, Jinhyun; Kim, Jun Won; Cho, Yoon Jin; Jang, Won-Seok; Keum, Yo Sup; Lee, Ik Jae

    2017-04-11

    The 3D-printed boluses were used during the radiation therapy of the chest wall in six patients with breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy (MRM). We measured the in-vivo skin doses while both conventional and 3D-printed boluses were placed on the chest wall and compared the mean doses delivered to the ipsilateral lung and the heart. The homogeneity and conformity of the dose distribution in the chest wall for both types of boluses were also evaluated. The uniformity index on the chest skin was improved when the 3D-printed boluses were used, with the overall average skin dose being closer to the prescribed one in the former case (-0.47% versus -4.43%). On comparing the dose-volume histogram (DVH), it was found that the 3D-printed boluses resulted in a reduction in the mean dose to the ipsilateral lung by up to 20%. The precision of dose delivery was improved by 3% with the 3D-printed boluses; in contrast, the conventional step bolus resulted in a precision level of 5%. In conclusion, the use of the 3D-printed boluses resulted in better dose homogeneity and conformity to the chest wall as well as the sparing of the normal organs, especially the lung. This suggested that their routine use on the chest wall as a therapeutic approach during post-mastectomy radiation therapy offers numerous advantages over conventional step boluses.

  14. Clinical application of 3D-printed-step-bolus in post-total-mastectomy electron conformal therapy

    PubMed Central

    Park, Kwangwoo; Park, Sungjin; Jeon, Mi-Jin; Choi, Jinhyun; Kim, Jun Won; Cho, Yoon Jin; Jang, Won-Seok; Keum, Yo Sup; Lee, Ik Jae

    2017-01-01

    The 3D-printed boluses were used during the radiation therapy of the chest wall in six patients with breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy (MRM). We measured the in-vivo skin doses while both conventional and 3D-printed boluses were placed on the chest wall and compared the mean doses delivered to the ipsilateral lung and the heart. The homogeneity and conformity of the dose distribution in the chest wall for both types of boluses were also evaluated. The uniformity index on the chest skin was improved when the 3D-printed boluses were used, with the overall average skin dose being closer to the prescribed one in the former case (-0.47% versus -4.43%). On comparing the dose-volume histogram (DVH), it was found that the 3D-printed boluses resulted in a reduction in the mean dose to the ipsilateral lung by up to 20%. The precision of dose delivery was improved by 3% with the 3D-printed boluses; in contrast, the conventional step bolus resulted in a precision level of 5%. In conclusion, the use of the 3D-printed boluses resulted in better dose homogeneity and conformity to the chest wall as well as the sparing of the normal organs, especially the lung. This suggested that their routine use on the chest wall as a therapeutic approach during post-mastectomy radiation therapy offers numerous advantages over conventional step boluses. PMID:27784001

  15. 3D-printing techniques in a medical setting: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Tack, Philip; Victor, Jan; Gemmel, Paul; Annemans, Lieven

    2016-10-21

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing has numerous applications and has gained much interest in the medical world. The constantly improving quality of 3D-printing applications has contributed to their increased use on patients. This paper summarizes the literature on surgical 3D-printing applications used on patients, with a focus on reported clinical and economic outcomes. Three major literature databases were screened for case series (more than three cases described in the same study) and trials of surgical applications of 3D printing in humans. 227 surgical papers were analyzed and summarized using an evidence table. The papers described the use of 3D printing for surgical guides, anatomical models, and custom implants. 3D printing is used in multiple surgical domains, such as orthopedics, maxillofacial surgery, cranial surgery, and spinal surgery. In general, the advantages of 3D-printed parts are said to include reduced surgical time, improved medical outcome, and decreased radiation exposure. The costs of printing and additional scans generally increase the overall cost of the procedure. 3D printing is well integrated in surgical practice and research. Applications vary from anatomical models mainly intended for surgical planning to surgical guides and implants. Our research suggests that there are several advantages to 3D-printed applications, but that further research is needed to determine whether the increased intervention costs can be balanced with the observable advantages of this new technology. There is a need for a formal cost-effectiveness analysis.

  16. Print and Electronic Resources: Usage Statistics at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kapoor, Kanta

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to quantify the use of electronic journals in comparison with the print collections in the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Library. Design/methodology/approach: A detailed analysis was made of the use of lending services, the Xerox facility and usage of electronic journals such as Science Direct,…

  17. [Application of three-dimensional printing technique in orthopaedics].

    PubMed

    Luo, Qiang; Lau, Tak Wing; Fang, Xinshuo; Leung, Frankie

    2014-03-01

    To review the current progress of three-dimensional (3-D) printing technique in the clinical practice, its limitations and prospects. The recent publications associated with the clinical application of 3-D printing technique in the field of surgery, especially in orthopaedics were extensively reviewed. Currently, 3-D printing technique has been applied in orthopaedic surgery to aid diagnosis, make operative plans, and produce personalized prosthesis or implants. 3-D printing technique is a promising technique in clinical application.

  18. 3D Printing Multi-Functionality: Embedded RF Antennas and Components

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shemelya, C. M.; Zemba, M.; Liang, M.; Espalin, D.; Kief, C.; Xin, H.; Wicker, R. B.; MacDonald, E. W.

    2015-01-01

    Significant research and press has recently focused on the fabrication freedom of Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create both conceptual models and final end-use products. This flexibility allows design modifications to be immediately reflected in 3D printed structures, creating new paradigms within the manufacturing process. 3D printed products will inevitably be fabricated locally, with unit-level customization, optimized to unique mission requirements. However, for the technology to be universally adopted, the processes must be enhanced to incorporate additional technologies; such as electronics, actuation, and electromagnetics. Recently, a novel 3D printing platform, Multi3D manufacturing, was funded by the presidential initiative for revitalizing manufacturing in the USA using 3D printing (America Makes - also known as the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute). The Multi3D system specifically targets 3D printed electronics in arbitrary form; and building upon the potential of this system, this paper describes RF antennas and components fabricated through the integration of material extrusion 3D printing with embedded wire, mesh, and RF elements.

  19. Advances in miniature spectrometer and sensor development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malinen, Jouko; Rissanen, Anna; Saari, Heikki; Karioja, Pentti; Karppinen, Mikko; Aalto, Timo; Tukkiniemi, Kari

    2014-05-01

    Miniaturization and cost reduction of spectrometer and sensor technologies has great potential to open up new applications areas and business opportunities for analytical technology in hand held, mobile and on-line applications. Advances in microfabrication have resulted in high-performance MEMS and MOEMS devices for spectrometer applications. Many other enabling technologies are useful for miniature analytical solutions, such as silicon photonics, nanoimprint lithography (NIL), system-on-chip, system-on-package techniques for integration of electronics and photonics, 3D printing, powerful embedded computing platforms, networked solutions as well as advances in chemometrics modeling. This paper will summarize recent work on spectrometer and sensor miniaturization at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) tunable filter technology has been developed in two technical versions: Piezoactuated FPIs have been applied in miniature hyperspectral imaging needs in light weight UAV and nanosatellite applications, chemical imaging as well as medical applications. Microfabricated MOEMS FPIs have been developed as cost-effective sensor platforms for visible, NIR and IR applications. Further examples of sensor miniaturization will be discussed, including system-on-package sensor head for mid-IR gas analyzer, roll-to-roll printed Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) technology as well as UV imprinted waveguide sensor for formaldehyde detection.

  20. Thermal and mechanical properties of 3D printed boron nitride - ABS composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quill, Tyler J.; Smith, Matthew K.; Zhou, Tony; Baioumy, Mohamed Gamal Shafik; Berenguer, Joao Paulo; Cola, Baratunde A.; Kalaitzidou, Kyriaki; Bougher, Thomas L.

    2017-11-01

    The current work investigates the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of Boron Nitride (BN)-Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) composites prepared using both 3D printing and injection molding. The thermally conductive, yet electrically insulating composite material provides a unique combination of properties that make it desirable for heat dissipation and packaging applications in electronics. Materials were fabricated via melt mixing on a twin-screw compounder, then injection molded or extruded into filament for fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. Compositions of up to 35 wt.% BN in ABS were prepared, and the infill orientation of the 3D printed composites was varied to investigate the effect on properties. Injection molding produced a maximum in-plane conductivity of 1.45 W/m-K at 35 wt.% BN, whereas 3D printed samples of 35 wt.% BN showed a value of 0.93 W/m-K, over 5 times the conductivity of pure ABS. The resulting thermal conductivity is anisotropic; with the through-plane thermal conductivity lower by a factor of 3 for injection molding and 4 for 3D printing. Adding BN flakes caused a modest increase in the flexural modulus, but resulted in a large decrease in the flexural strength and impact toughness. It is shown that although injection molding produces parts with superior thermal and mechanical properties, BN shows much potential as a filler material for rapid prototyping of thermally conductive composites.

  1. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aliaga, C., E-mail: caliaga@itene.com; Zhang, H.; Dobon, A.

    Highlights: • Study of the influence of components of printed electronics in paper recycling. • Comparison between paper recycled with and without resistors, batteries and layouts. • Mechanical and optical properties are evaluated in paper handsheets obtained. • Tensile strength of recycled paper is slighted reduced by layouts. • Optical properties of recycled paper slightly varies with layouts and batteries. - Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of the presence of printed electronics on the paper waste streams and specifically on paper recyclability. The analysis is based on a case study focussed on envelopes formore » postal and courier services provided with these intelligent systems. The smart printed envelope of the study includes a combination of both conventional (thin flexible batteries and resistors) and printed electronic components (conductive track layout based on nanosilver ink). For this purpose, a comparison between envelopes with and without these components (batteries, resistors and conductive track layouts) was carried out through pilot scale paper recycling tests. The generation of rejects during the recycling process as well as the final quality of the recycled paper (mechanical and optical properties) were tested and quantitatively evaluated. The results show that resistors are retained during the screening process in the sieves and consequently they cannot end up in the final screened pulp. Therefore, mechanical and optical properties of the recycled paper are not affected. Nevertheless, inks from the conductive track layouts and batteries were partially dissolved in the process water. These substances were not totally retained in the sieving systems resulting in slight changes in the optical properties of the final recycled paper (variations are 7.2–7.5% in brightness, 8.5–10.7% in whiteness, 1.2–2.2% in L{sup ∗} values, 3.3–3.5% in opacity and 16.1–27% in yellowness). These variations are not in ranges able to cause problems in current paper recycling processes and restrict the use of recycled paper in current applications. Moreover, real impacts on industrial recycling are expected to be even significantly lower since the proportion of paper product with printed circuits in the current paper waste streams are much lower than the ones tested in this work. However, it should be underlined the fact that this situation may change over the next years due to the future developments in printed electronics and the gradual penetration of these types of devices in the market.« less

  2. Eu3+-doped Gd2O3 nanoparticles as reporters for optical detection and visualization of antibodies patterned by microcontact printing.

    PubMed

    Nichkova, Mikaela; Dosev, Dosi; Perron, Richard; Gee, Shirley J; Hammock, Bruce D; Kennedy, Ian M

    2006-02-01

    Lanthanide oxide nanoparticles are promising luminescent probes in bioanalysis, because of their unique spectral properties, photostability, and low-cost synthesis. We report for the first time the application of europium-doped gadolinium oxide (Eu:Gd2O3) nanoparticles to the optical imaging of antibody micropatterns. The nanoparticles were synthesized by spray pyrolysis and coated with antibody (IgG) molecules by physical adsorption. Our experiments showed that the Eu:Gd2O3 is a good biocompatible solid support for antibody immobilization. The antibodies (anti-rabbit IgG) immobilized on the nanoparticles had excellent biological activity in the specific recognition reaction with rabbit IgG patterned in line strips (10 micromx10 microm) on a glass substrate by use of a micro-contact printing technique. The specific immunoreaction was confirmed by two independent microscopic techniques-fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both microscopic images revealed that the nanoparticles were organized into designated structures as defined by the microcontact printing process with negligible non-specific binding. The nanoparticles can be used as fluorescent markers in a variety of immunosensing applications in a microscale format.

  3. Additive manufacturing of transparent fused quartz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Junjie; Hostetler, John M.; Gilbert, Luke; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Kinzel, Edward C.

    2018-04-01

    This paper investigates a filament-fed process for additive manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Glasses such as fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications, which include optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. AM has several attractive benefits such as increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research into glass AM has focused primarily on nonoptical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for use in high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser-generated molten region, smoothly depositing material onto the workpiece. Spectroscopy and pyrometry are used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the molten region. The effects of the laser power and scan speed are determined by measuring the morphology of single tracks. Thin walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. This information is used to deposit solid pieces including a cylindrical-convex shape capable of focusing visible light. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the printed fused quartz are measured. These results show that the filament-fed process has the potential to print transmissive optics.

  4. Flow-Directed Crystallization for Printed Electronics.

    PubMed

    Qu, Ge; Kwok, Justin J; Diao, Ying

    2016-12-20

    The solution printability of organic semiconductors (OSCs) represents a distinct advantage for materials processing, enabling low-cost, high-throughput, and energy-efficient manufacturing with new form factors that are flexible, stretchable, and transparent. While the electronic performance of OSCs is not comparable to that of crystalline silicon, the solution processability of OSCs allows them to complement silicon by tackling challenging aspects for conventional photolithography, such as large-area electronics manufacturing. Despite this, controlling the highly nonequilibrium morphology evolution during OSC printing remains a challenge, hindering the achievement of high electronic device performance and the elucidation of structure-property relationships. Many elegant morphological control methodologies have been developed in recent years including molecular design and novel processing approaches, but few have utilized fluid flow to control morphology in OSC thin films. In this Account, we discuss flow-directed crystallization as an effective strategy for controlling the crystallization kinetics during printing of small molecule and polymer semiconductors. Introducing the concept of flow-directed crystallization to the field of printed electronics is inspired by recent advances in pharmaceutical manufacturing and flow processing of flexible-chain polymers. Although flow-induced crystallization is well studied in these areas, previous findings may not apply directly to the field of printed electronics where the molecular structures (i.e., rigid π-conjugated backbone decorated with flexible side chains) and the intermolecular interactions (i.e., π-π interactions, quadrupole interactions) of OSCs differ substantially from those of pharmaceuticals or flexible-chain polymers. Another critical difference is the important role of solvent evaporation in open systems, which defines the flow characteristics and determines the crystallization kinetics and pathways. In other words, flow-induced crystallization is intimately coupled with the mass transport processes driven by solvent evaporation during printing. In this Account, we will highlight these distinctions of flow-directed crystallization for printed electronics. In the context of solution printing of OSCs, the key issue that flow-directed crystallization addresses is the kinetics mismatch between crystallization and various transport processes during printing. We show that engineering fluid flows can tune the kinetics of OSC crystallization by expediting the nucleation and crystal growth processes, significantly enhancing thin film morphology and device performance. For small molecule semiconductors, nucleation can be enhanced and patterned by directing the evaporative flux via contact line engineering, and defective crystal growth can be alleviated by enhancing mass transport to yield significantly improved coherence length and reduced grain boundaries. For conjugated polymers, extensional and shear flow can expedite nucleation through flow-induced conformation change, facilitating the control of microphase separation, degree of crystallinity, domain alignment, and percolation. Although the nascent concept of flow-directed solution printing has not yet been widely adopted in the field of printed electronics, we anticipate that it can serve as a platform technology in the near future for improving device performance and for systematically tuning thin film morphology to construct structure-property relationships. From a fundamental perspective, it is imperative to develop a better understanding of the effects of fluid flow and mass transport on OSC crystallization as these processes are ubiquitous across all solution processing techniques and can critically impact charge transport properties.

  5. Organ Printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Dong-Woo; Lee, Jung-Seob; Jang, Jinah; Jung, Jin Woo; Park, Jeong Hun; Pati, Falguni

    2015-10-01

    This book introduces various 3D printing systems, biomaterials, and cells for organ printing. In view of the latest applications of several 3D printing systems, their advantages and disadvantages are also discussed. A basic understanding of the entire spectrum of organ printing provides pragmatic insight into the mechanisms, methods, and applications of this discipline. Organ printing is being applied in the tissue engineering field with the purpose of developing tissue/organ constructs for the regeneration of both hard (bone, cartilage, osteochondral) and soft tissues (heart). There are other potential application areas including tissue/organ models, disease/cancer models, and models for physiology and pathology, where in vitro 3D multicellular structures developed by organ printing are valuable.

  6. Parent–Toddler Behavior and Language Differ When Reading Electronic and Print Picture Books

    PubMed Central

    Strouse, Gabrielle A.; Ganea, Patricia A.

    2017-01-01

    Little is known about the language and behaviors that typically occur when adults read electronic books with infants and toddlers, and which are supportive of learning. In this study, we report differences in parent and child behavior and language when reading print versus electronic versions of the same books, and investigate links between behavior and vocabulary learning. Parents of 102 toddlers aged 17–26 months were randomly assigned to read two commercially available electronic books or two print format books with identical content with their toddler. After reading, children were asked to identify an animal labeled in one of the books in both two-dimensional (pictures) and three-dimensional (replica objects) formats. Toddlers who were read the electronic books paid more attention, made themselves more available for reading, displayed more positive affect, participated in more page turns, and produced more content-related comments during reading than those who were read the print versions of the books. Toddlers also correctly identified a novel animal labeled in the book more often when they had read the electronic than the traditional print books. Availability for reading and attention to the book acted as mediators in predicting children’s animal choice at test, suggesting that electronic books supported children’s learning by way of increasing their engagement and attention. In contrast to prior studies conducted with older children, there was no difference between conditions in behavioral or off-topic talk for either parents or children. More research is needed to determine the potential hazards and benefits of new media formats for very young children. PMID:28559858

  7. Parent-Toddler Behavior and Language Differ When Reading Electronic and Print Picture Books.

    PubMed

    Strouse, Gabrielle A; Ganea, Patricia A

    2017-01-01

    Little is known about the language and behaviors that typically occur when adults read electronic books with infants and toddlers, and which are supportive of learning. In this study, we report differences in parent and child behavior and language when reading print versus electronic versions of the same books, and investigate links between behavior and vocabulary learning. Parents of 102 toddlers aged 17-26 months were randomly assigned to read two commercially available electronic books or two print format books with identical content with their toddler. After reading, children were asked to identify an animal labeled in one of the books in both two-dimensional (pictures) and three-dimensional (replica objects) formats. Toddlers who were read the electronic books paid more attention, made themselves more available for reading, displayed more positive affect, participated in more page turns, and produced more content-related comments during reading than those who were read the print versions of the books. Toddlers also correctly identified a novel animal labeled in the book more often when they had read the electronic than the traditional print books. Availability for reading and attention to the book acted as mediators in predicting children's animal choice at test, suggesting that electronic books supported children's learning by way of increasing their engagement and attention. In contrast to prior studies conducted with older children, there was no difference between conditions in behavioral or off-topic talk for either parents or children. More research is needed to determine the potential hazards and benefits of new media formats for very young children.

  8. Poster - 38: On the physical and dosimetric properties of 3D printed electron bolus fabricated using polylactic acid

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sasaki, David; Jensen, Martin; Rickey, Daniel W

    Purpose: 3D printing technology could simplify and improve electron bolus fabrication. The purpose of this study was to characterize the density, dimensional accuracy, uniformity, and attenuation of PLA boluses fabricated with a low-cost 3D printer. Methods: Several solid square slabs were printed with specific requested dimensions and 100% infill using different fill patterns. These pieces were imaged using an x-ray flat panel imager in order to check for uniformity of the prints. Percentage depth doses (PDDs) were measured downstream of the slabs in solid water using a parallel plate chamber and compared to measurements in water in order to characterizemore » attenuation. The dimensions of the PLA slabs were measured using digital calipers. The slabs were also weighed to find their density. Results: The fill pattern used to create boluses can affect the attenuation of the bolus. Fill patterns should be chosen carefully and quality assurance should be done for each printed piece. PLA causes the electron PDD to shift towards shallower depths, compared to water, by 1.7 mm for each centimeter of PLA. Agreement with design dimensions was within 1 mm in the plane of the printer bed, and within 1/3 of a millimeter (roughly the thickness of a single layer), perpendicular to the printer bed. Average density was in the range 1.20 – 1.22. Conclusions: 3D printing shows great promise for use in fabricating electron bolus. This work indicates that printed PLA can be a suitable material provided the increased attenuation is properly accounted for.« less

  9. 77 FR 448 - Changes To Implement the Preissuance Submissions by Third Parties Provision of the Leahy-Smith...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-05

    ... the record of patent applications, any patents, published patent applications, or other printed... record of a patent application, any patents, published patent applications, or other printed publications... printed publications must be made in patent applications before the earlier of: (a) The date a notice of...

  10. [Research progress of three-dimensional printing technique in joint surgery].

    PubMed

    Wang, Fuyou; Ren, Xiang; Yang, Liu

    2014-03-01

    To summarize the application status of three-dimensional (3-D) printing technique in joint surgery and look forward to the future research directions. The recent original articles about the application and research of 3-D printing technique in joint surgery were extensively reviewed and analyzed. In clinical applications, 3-D printing technique can provide "tailored" treatment and custom implants for patients, which helps doctors to perform the complex operations easier and more safely; in fundamental research, tissue engineered scaffolds with desirable external shape and internal organization are easily fabricated with 3-D printing technique, which can meet the demand of cell adherence and proliferation. Even more, cells may be deposited with the biomaterials during the printing. With the development of medical imaging, digital medicine and new materials, 3-D printing technique will have a wider range of applications in joint surgery.

  11. Printed assemblies of ultrathin, microscale inorganic light emitting diodes for deformable and semitransparent displays

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rogers, John A.; Nuzzo, Ralph; Kim, Hoon-sik

    Described herein are printable structures and methods for making, assembling and arranging electronic devices. A number of the methods described herein are useful for assembling electronic devices where one or more device components are embedded in a polymer which is patterned during the embedding process with trenches for electrical interconnects between device components. Some methods described herein are useful for assembling electronic devices by printing methods, such as by dry transfer contact printing methods. Also described herein are GaN light emitting diodes and methods for making and arranging GaN light emitting diodes, for example for display or lighting systems.

  12. Printed assemblies of ultrathin, microscale inorganic light emitting diodes for deformable and semitransparent displays

    DOEpatents

    Rogers, John A; Nuzzo, Ralph; Kim, Hoon-sik; Brueckner, Eric; Park, Sang Il; Kim, Rak Hwan

    2014-10-21

    Described herein are printable structures and methods for making, assembling and arranging electronic devices. A number of the methods described herein are useful for assembling electronic devices where one or more device components are embedded in a polymer which is patterned during the embedding process with trenches for electrical interconnects between device components. Some methods described herein are useful for assembling electronic devices by printing methods, such as by dry transfer contact printing methods. Also described herein are GaN light emitting diodes and methods for making and arranging GaN light emitting diodes, for example for display or lighting systems.

  13. Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering.

    PubMed

    Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

    2017-02-28

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research.

  14. High Energy Electron Radiation Degradation of Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1986-03-01

    Subroutine Print Instruct ions Print / Completed/ Sample Ch . 0 Return Calculate C1 6 Print C1 IISample Ch . 2 70 -j.. .,.1-I.,.... ,.L.L...PLOTTER * 270 * AND THE CONNECTION DIAGRAM FOR THE SYSTEM MAY * 280 " * MAY BE FOUND IN CH 2, FIGURE (3). THE GPIB * 290’ * DRIVER IS REPRODUCED FROM REF...PLOT I-V CURVE ON HP 7845 PLOTTER." 2180 PRINT 2190 PRINT ř. PLOT I-V CURVE ON RGB MONITOR." 2200 PRINT 2210 PRINT Ś. WRITE I-V DATA TO FLOPPY DISK

  15. Photosensitive space charge limited current in screen printed CdTe thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vyas, C. U.; Pataniya, Pratik; Zankat, Chetan K.; Patel, Alkesh B.; Pathak, V. M.; Patel, K. D.; Solanki, G. K.

    2018-05-01

    Group II-VI Compounds have emerged out as most suitable in the class of photo sensitive material. They represent a strong position in terms of their applications in the field of detectors as well as photo voltaic devices. Cadmium telluride is the prime member of this Group, because of high acceptance of this material as active component in opto-electronic devices. In this paper we report preparation and characterization of CdTe thin films by using a most economical screen printing technique in association with sintering at 510°C temperature. Surface morphology and smoothness are prime parameters of any deposited to be used as an active region of devices. Thus, we studied of the screen printed thin film by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for this purpose. However, growth processes induced intrinsic defects in fabricated films work as charge traps and affect the conduction process significantly. So the conduction mechanism of deposited CdTe thin film is studied under dark as well as illuminated conditions. It is found that the deposited films showed the space charge limited conduction (SCLC) mechanism and hence various parameters of space charge limited conduction (SCLC) of CdTe film were evaluated and discussed and the photo responsive resistance is also presented in this paper.

  16. 3D Printing of Biosamples: A Concise Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Victoria Xin Ting; Wong, Ten It; Zhou, Xiaodong

    This paper reviews the recent development of 3D printing of biosamples, in terms of the 3D structure design, suitable printing technology, and available materials. Successfully printed 3D biosamples should possess the properties of high cell viability, vascularization and good biocompatibility. These goals are attained by printing the materials of hydrogels, polymers and cells, with a carefully selected 3D printer from the categories of inkjet printing, extrusion printing and laser printing, based on the uniqueness, advantages and disadvantages of these technologies. For recent developments, we introduce the 3D applications of creating scaffolds, printing cells for self-assembly and testing platforms. We foresee more bio-applications of 3D printing will be developed, with the advancements on materials and 3D printing machines.

  17. 3D printing of porous hydroxyapatite scaffolds intended for use in bone tissue engineering applications.

    PubMed

    Cox, Sophie C; Thornby, John A; Gibbons, Gregory J; Williams, Mark A; Mallick, Kajal K

    2015-02-01

    A systematic characterisation of bone tissue scaffolds fabricated via 3D printing from hydroxyapatite (HA) and poly(vinyl)alcohol (PVOH) composite powders is presented. Flowability of HA:PVOH precursor materials was observed to affect mechanical stability, microstructure and porosity of 3D printed scaffolds. Anisotropic behaviour of constructs and part failure at the boundaries of interlayer bonds was highlighted by compressive strength testing. A trade-off between the ability to facilitate removal of PVOH thermal degradation products during sintering and the compressive strength of green parts was revealed. The ultimate compressive strength of 55% porous green scaffolds printed along the Y-axis and dried in a vacuum oven for 6h was 0.88 ± 0.02 MPa. Critically, the pores of 3D printed constructs could be user designed, ensuring bulk interconnectivity, and the imperfect packing of powder particles created an inherent surface roughness and non-designed porosity within the scaffold. These features are considered promising since they are known to facilitate osteoconduction and osteointegration in-vivo. Characterisation techniques utilised in this study include two funnel flow tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), compressive strength testing and computed tomography (CT). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. The Impact of Morphology and Composition on the Resistivity and Oxidation Resistance of Metal Nanostructure Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, Ian Edward

    Printed electronics, including transparent conductors, currently rely on expensive materials to generate high conductivity devices. Conductive inks for thick film applications utilizing inkjet, aerosol, and screen printing technologies are often comprised of expensive and rare silver particles. Thin film applications such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs) predominantly employ indium tin oxide (ITO) as the transparent conductive layer which requires expensive and wasteful vapor deposition techniques. Thus an alternative to silver and ITO with similar performance in printed electronics warrants considerable attention. Copper nanomaterials, being orders of magnitude cheaper and more abundant than silver or indium, solution-coatable, and exhibiting a bulk conductivity only 6 % less than silver, have emerged as a promising candidate for incorporation in printed electronics. First, we examine the effect of nanomaterial shape on the conductivity of thick films. The inks used in such films often require annealing at elevated temperature in order to sinter the silver nanoparticles together and obtain low resistivities. We explore the change in morphology and resistivity that occurs upon heating thick films of silver nanowires (of two different lengths, Ag NWs), nanoparticles (Ag NPs), and microflakes (Ag MFs) deposited from water at temperatures between 70 and 400 °C. At the lowest temperatures, longer Ag NWs exhibited the lowest resistivity (1.8 x 10-5 O cm), suggesting that the resistivity of thick films of silver nanostructures is dominated by the contact resistance between particles. This result supported previous research showing that junction resistance between Ag NWs in thin film conductors also dominates optoelectronic performance. Since the goal is to replace silver with copper, we perform a similar analysis by using a pseudo-2D rod network modeling approach that has been modified to include lognormal distributions in length that more closely reflect experimental data collected from the nanowire transparent conductors. In our analysis, we find that Cu NW-based transparent conductors are capable of achieving comparable electrical performance to Ag NW transparent conductors with similar dimensions. We also synthesize high aspect ratio Cu NWs (as high as 5700 in an aqueous based synthesis taking less than 30 minutes) and show that this increase in aspect ratio can result results in transparent conducting films with a transmittance >95% at a sheet resistance <100 O sq-1, optoelectronic properties similar to that for ITO. Two of the major barriers preventing the further use of Cu NWs in printed electronics are the necessity to anneal the nanowires under H2 at higher temperatures and copper's susceptibility to oxidation. The former issue is solved by removing the insulating oxide along the Cu NWs with acetic acid and pressing the nanowires together to make H2 annealing obsolete. Finally, several methods of preventing copper oxidation in the context of transparent conductors were successfully developed such as electroplating zinc, tin, and indium and electrolessly plating benzotriazole (BTAH), nickel, silver, gold, and platinum. While all of the shells lessened or prevented oxidation both in dry and humid conditions, it was found that a thin layer of silver confers identical optoelectronic properties to the Cu NWs as pure Ag NWs. These results are expected provide motivation to replace pure silver and ITO in printed electronics.

  19. Large-Scale Direct-Writing of Aligned Nanofibers for Flexible Electronics.

    PubMed

    Ye, Dong; Ding, Yajiang; Duan, Yongqing; Su, Jiangtao; Yin, Zhouping; Huang, Yong An

    2018-05-01

    Nanofibers/nanowires usually exhibit exceptionally low flexural rigidities and remarkable tolerance against mechanical bending, showing superior advantages in flexible electronics applications. Electrospinning is regarded as a powerful process for this 1D nanostructure; however, it can only be able to produce chaotic fibers that are incompatible with the well-patterned microstructures in flexible electronics. Electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) direct-writing technology enables large-scale deposition of highly aligned nanofibers in an additive, noncontact, real-time adjustment, and individual control manner on rigid or flexible, planar or curved substrates, making it rather attractive in the fabrication of flexible electronics. In this Review, the ground-breaking research progress in the field of EHD direct-writing technology is summarized, including a brief chronology of EHD direct-writing techniques, basic principles and alignment strategies, and applications in flexible electronics. Finally, future prospects are suggested to advance flexible electronics based on orderly arranged EHD direct-written fibers. This technology overcomes the limitations of the resolution of fabrication and viscosity of ink of conventional inkjet printing, and represents major advances in manufacturing of flexible electronics. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  20. Embedding objects during 3D printing to add new functionalities.

    PubMed

    Yuen, Po Ki

    2016-07-01

    A novel method for integrating and embedding objects to add new functionalities during 3D printing based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) (also known as fused filament fabrication or molten polymer deposition) is presented. Unlike typical 3D printing, FDM-based 3D printing could allow objects to be integrated and embedded during 3D printing and the FDM-based 3D printed devices do not typically require any post-processing and finishing. Thus, various fluidic devices with integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films with and without an embedded porous membrane, and optical devices with embedded Corning(®) Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber were 3D printed to demonstrate the versatility of the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method. Fluid perfusion flow experiments with a blue colored food dye solution were used to visually confirm fluid flow and/or fluid perfusion through the embedded porous membrane in the 3D printed fluidic devices. Similar to typical 3D printed devices, FDM-based 3D printed devices are translucent at best unless post-polishing is performed and optical transparency is highly desirable in any fluidic devices; integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films would provide a perfect optical transparent window for observation and visualization. In addition, they also provide a compatible flat smooth surface for biological or biomolecular applications. The 3D printed fluidic devices with an embedded porous membrane are applicable to biological or chemical applications such as continuous perfusion cell culture or biocatalytic synthesis but without the need for any post-device assembly and finishing. The 3D printed devices with embedded Corning(®) Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber would have applications in display, illumination, or optical applications. Furthermore, the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method could also be utilized to print casting molds with an integrated glass bottom for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device replication. These 3D printed glass bottom casting molds would result in PDMS replicas with a flat smooth bottom surface for better bonding and adhesion.

  1. Bio-functionalized graphene–graphene oxide nanocomposite based electrochemical immunosensing

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Priyanka; Tuteja, Satish K.; Bhalla, Vijayender; Shekhawat, G.; Dravid, Vinayak P.; Suri, C.Raman

    2014-01-01

    We report a novel in-situ electrochemical synthesis approach for the formation of functionalized graphene–graphene oxide (fG–GO) nanocomposite on screen-printed electrodes (SPE). Electrochemically controlled nanocomposite film formation was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy. Further insight into the nanocomposite has been accomplished by the Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. Configured as a highly responsive screen-printed immunosensor, the fG–GO nanocomposite on SPE exhibits electrical and chemical synergies of the nano-hybrid functional construct by combining good electronic properties of functionalized graphene (fG) and the facile chemical functionality of graphene oxide (GO) for compatible bio-interface development using specific anti-diuron antibody. The enhanced electrical properties of nanocomposite biofilm demonstrated a significant increase in electrochemical signal response in a competitive inhibition immunoassay format for diuron detection, promising its potential applicability for ultra-sensitive detection of range of target analytes. PMID:22884654

  2. Investigating a Drop-on-Demand Microdispenser for Standardized Sample Preparation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    including the printing of photodiodes , polymer and protein arrays , and in electronics manufacturing (4–7). These applications benefit from the wide...photograph of an array of microdroplets demonstrates a more even sample dispersion when sample is dispensed with a DOD microdispenser... threats encountered. A variety of techniques that offer temporary alternatives have been employed, including drop-and-dry (dropcasting) and spray

  3. Special Issue: 3D Printing for Biomedical Engineering

    PubMed Central

    Chua, Chee Kai; Yeong, Wai Yee; An, Jia

    2017-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing has a long history of applications in biomedical engineering. The development and expansion of traditional biomedical applications are being advanced and enriched by new printing technologies. New biomedical applications such as bioprinting are highly attractive and trendy. This Special Issue aims to provide readers with a glimpse of the recent profile of 3D printing in biomedical research. PMID:28772604

  4. Electric Composition Cost Comparison.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joint Committee on Printing, Washington, DC.

    Experience of the U.S. Government Printing Office and others has shown that electronic composition of computer processed data is more economical than printing from camera copy produced by the line printers of digital computers. But electronic composition of data not already being processed by computer is not necessarily economical. This analysis…

  5. Printing of Three-Dimensional Tissue Analogs for Regenerative Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Vivian K.; Dai, Guohao

    2016-01-01

    3-D cell printing, which can accurately deposit cells, biomaterial scaffolds and growth factors in precisely defined spatial patterns to form biomimetic tissue structures, has emerged as a powerful enabling technology to create live tissue and organ structures for drug discovery and tissue engineering applications. Unlike traditional 3-D printing that uses metals, plastics and polymers as the printing materials, cell printing has to be compatible with living cells and biological matrix. It is also required that the printing process preserves the biological functions of the cells and extracellular matrix, and to mimic the cell-matrix architectures and mechanical properties of the native tissues. Therefore, there are significant challenges in order to translate the technologies of traditional 3-D printing to cell printing, and ultimately achieve functional outcomes in the printed tissues. So it is essential to develop new technologies specially designed for cell printing and in-depth basic research in the bioprinted tissues, such as developing novel biomaterials specifically for cell printing applications, understanding the complex cell-matrix remodeling for the desired mechanical properties and functional outcomes, establishing proper vascular perfusion in bioprinted tissues, etc. In recent years, many exciting research progresses have been made in the 3-D cell printing technology and its application in engineering live tissue constructs. This review paper summarized the current development in 3-D cell printing technologies; focus on the outcomes of the live printed tissues and their potential applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Current challenges and limitations are highlighted, and future directions of 3-D cell printing technology are also discussed. PMID:27066784

  6. A Review of Current Clinical Applications of Three-Dimensional Printing in Spine Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Job, Alan Varkey; Chen, Jing; Baek, Jung Hwan

    2018-01-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a transformative technology with a potentially wide range of applications in the field of orthopaedic spine surgery. This article aims to review the current applications, limitations, and future developments of 3D printing technology in orthopaedic spine surgery. Current preoperative applications of 3D printing include construction of complex 3D anatomic models for improved visual understanding, preoperative surgical planning, and surgical simulations for resident education. Intraoperatively, 3D printers have been successfully used in surgical guidance systems and in the creation of patient specific implantable devices. Furthermore, 3D printing is revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, allowing construction of biocompatible scaffolds suitable for cell growth and vasculature. Advances in printing technology and evidence of positive clinical outcomes are needed before there is an expansion of 3D printing applied to the clinical setting. PMID:29503698

  7. A Review of Current Clinical Applications of Three-Dimensional Printing in Spine Surgery.

    PubMed

    Cho, Woojin; Job, Alan Varkey; Chen, Jing; Baek, Jung Hwan

    2018-02-01

    Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a transformative technology with a potentially wide range of applications in the field of orthopaedic spine surgery. This article aims to review the current applications, limitations, and future developments of 3D printing technology in orthopaedic spine surgery. Current preoperative applications of 3D printing include construction of complex 3D anatomic models for improved visual understanding, preoperative surgical planning, and surgical simulations for resident education. Intraoperatively, 3D printers have been successfully used in surgical guidance systems and in the creation of patient specific implantable devices. Furthermore, 3D printing is revolutionizing the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, allowing construction of biocompatible scaffolds suitable for cell growth and vasculature. Advances in printing technology and evidence of positive clinical outcomes are needed before there is an expansion of 3D printing applied to the clinical setting.

  8. 3D printing in chemistry: past, present and future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shatford, Ryan; Karanassios, Vassili

    2016-05-01

    During the last years, 3d printing for rapid prototyping using additive manufacturing has been receiving increased attention in the technical and scientific literature including some Chemistry-related journals. Furthermore, 3D printing technology (defining size and resolution of 3D objects) and properties of printed materials (e.g., strength, resistance to chemical attack, electrical insulation) proved to be important for chemistry-related applications. In this paper these are discussed in detail. In addition, application of 3D printing for development of Micro Plasma Devices (MPDs) is discussed and 2d-profilometry data of a 3D printed surfaces is reported. And, past and present chemistry and bio-related applications of 3D printing are reviewed and possible future directions are postulated.

  9. Thermal characterization of three-dimensional printed components for light-emitting diode lighting system applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perera, Indika U.; Narendran, Nadarajah; Terentyeva, Valeria

    2018-04-01

    This study investigated the thermal properties of three-dimensional (3-D) printed components with the potential to be used for thermal management in light-emitting diode (LED) applications. Commercially available filament materials with and without a metal filler were characterized with changes to the print orientation. 3-D printed components with an in-plane orientation had >30 % better effective thermal conductivity compared with components printed with a cross-plane orientation. A finite-element analysis was modeled to understand the effective thermal conductivity changes in the 3-D printed components. A simple thermal resistance model was used to estimate the required effective thermal conductivity of the 3-D printed components to be a viable alternative in LED thermal management applications.

  10. Scholarly Electronic Full-Text Publications via the Internet: Issues and Impacts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kosmin, Linda J.

    1999-01-01

    On-line access to complete texts of scholarly journal articles, conference papers, and books is facilitated by rapidly developing World-wide Web Internet access and capabilities. Meanwhile, print publications continue to be produced and read in spite of the proliferation of many networked electronic publications. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight fundamental issues impacting stakeholder groups, as the trend continues towards migration from paper to affordable ubiquitous networked full-text publications. Librarians, publishers, authors and end-users have various viewpoints, interests, and concerns. There are many issues challenging all stakeholder groups. For instance, all share concerns about administering copyright compliance and enforcing fair use. Uncontrollable electronic downstreaming could result in infringed copyright, while limiting a publisher's entitled revenue stream. Moreover, metered fee-based access may hamper scholarly information research. And, self-authoring on the Internet without peer filtering could lead to information clutter. Many related issues challenge librarians in particular. Among these are rising journal subscription prices, regardless if offered in print or electronic. Some electronic offerings are independent of print, others supplement or duplicate print; several publishers presently require subscribing to print in order to access electronic. Furthermore, numbers of publications are n'ow being marketed via the Internet directly to end-users, which can be viewed as encouraging users to bypass the traditional library. A key issue challenging publishers today is the rapidly expanding electronic user base that is demanding delivery of added-value full-text to desktop computers. Also of growing concern appears to be the decline in print sales to libraries, thereby reducing traditional revenue stream potential. Nowadays, publishers are more hesitant about investing in the production of publications geared toward small niche subjects, since these tend to require higher pricing and carry limited sales potential. Both electronic and print publications necessitate similar editorial, production, operating, and marketing dollars. Tradeoffs owing to delivery format difference do not necessarily mean less dollars need to be spent. Authors wishing to publish books are facing a decline in the role of scholarly monographs in electronic media. However, they are witnessing increased roles of electronic preprints and electronic journal articles. Moreover, the Internet fosters self-publishing without peer monitoring or formal review. Issues challenging end-users include electronic barriers to peer-reviewed formal published works (i.e., fee-based subscriptions to journal literature vs. traditional free-library concept). This often means password only access or IP address controlled site-licensed access. Also, in an uncontrolled Internet environment, sometimes there is a blurring of publication authorship/ownership, as various pieces of publications are cut/pasted into/re-posted on various, disconnected Web searchable home pages.

  11. Development of a precision reverse offset printing system

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kim, Hyunchang; Lee, Eonseok; Choi, Young-Man

    2016-01-15

    In printed electronics technology, the overlay accuracy of printed patterns is a very important issue when applying printing technology to the production of electric devices. In order to achieve accurate positioning of the printed patterns, this study proposes a novel precision reverse offset printing system. Furthermore, the study evaluates the effects of synchronization and printing force on position errors of the printed patterns, and presents methods of controlling synchronization and printing force so as to eliminate positional errors caused by the above-mentioned reasons. Finally, the printing position repeatability of 0.40 μm and 0.32 μm (x and y direction, respectively) atmore » a sigma level is obtained over the dimension of 100 mm under repeated printing tests with identical printing conditions.« less

  12. [The clinical application of three dimention printing technology].

    PubMed

    Zhong, S Z; Fang, C H

    2016-09-01

    In recent years, the three-dimentional(3D)printing technology is gradually applied in medicine.Now, the 3D printing has already play an important role in medical education, surgical device development, prosthesis implantation and so on.There are still many challenges and difficulties in the clinical overall application of 3D printing for some time, but it also contains a huge application prospect.Once with appropriate applications of this technology, it will be a major breakthrough in iatrical history once more.

  13. TU-H-BRC-08: Use and Validation of Flexible 3D Printed Tissue Compensators for Post-Mastectomy Radiation Therapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Craft, D; Kry, S; Salehpour, M

    Purpose: Patient-specific tissue equivalent compensators can be used for post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) to achieve homogenous dose distributions with single-field treatments. However, current fabrication methods are time consuming and expensive. 3D-printing technology could overcome these limitations. The purposes of this study were to [1] evaluate materials for 3D-printed compensators [2] design and print a compensator to achieve a uniform thickness to a clinical target volume (CTV), and [3] demonstrate that a single-field electron compensator plan is a clinically feasible treatment option for PMRT. Methods: Blocks were printed with three materials; print accuracy, density, Hounsfield units (HU), and percent depth dosesmore » (PDD) were evaluated. For a CT scan of an anthropomorphic phantom, we used a ray-tracing method to design a compensator that achieved uniform thickness from compensator surface to CTV. The compensator was printed with flexible tissue equivalent material whose physical and radiological properties were most similar to soft tissue. A single-field electron compensator plan was designed and compared with two standard-of-care techniques. The compensator plan was validated with thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) measurements. Results: We identified an appropriate material for 3D-printed compensators that had high print accuracy (99.6%) and was similar to soft tissue; density was 1.04, HU was - 45 ± 43, and PDD curves agreed with clinical curves within 3 mm. We designed and printed a compensator that conformed well to the phantom surface and created a uniform thickness to the CTV. In-house fabrication was simple and inexpensive (<$75). Compared with the two standard plans, the compensator plan resulted in overall more homogeneous dose distributions and performed similarly in terms of lung/heart doses and 90% isodose coverage of the CTV. TLD measurements agreed well with planned doses (within 5 %). Conclusions: We have demonstrated that 3D-printed compensators make single-field electron therapy a clinically feasible treatment option for PMRT.« less

  14. Advances in High Temperature Materials for Additive Manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordin, Nurul Amira Binti; Johar, Muhammad Akmal Bin; Ibrahim, Mohd Halim Irwan Bin; Marwah, Omar Mohd Faizan bin

    2017-08-01

    In today’s technology, additive manufacturing has evolved over the year that commonly known as 3D printing. Currently, additive manufacturing have been applied for many industries such as for automotive, aerospace, medical and other commercial product. The technologies are supported by materials for the manufacturing process to produce high quality product. Plus, additive manufacturing technologies has been growth from the lowest to moderate and high technology to fulfil manufacturing industries obligation. Initially from simple 3D printing such as fused deposition modelling (FDM), poly-jet, inkjet printing, to selective laser sintering (SLS), and electron beam melting (EBM). However, the high technology of additive manufacturing nowadays really needs high investment to carry out the process for fine products. There are three foremost type of material which is polymer, metal and ceramic used for additive manufacturing application, and mostly they were in the form of wire feedstock or powder. In circumstance, it is crucial to recognize the characteristics of each type of materials used in order to understand the behaviours of the materials on high temperature application via additive manufacturing. Therefore, this review aims to provide excessive inquiry and gather the necessary information for further research on additive material materials for high temperature application. This paper also proposed a new material based on powder glass, which comes from recycled tempered glass from automotive industry, having a huge potential to be applied for high temperature application. The technique proposed for additive manufacturing will minimize some cost of modelling with same quality of products compare to the others advanced technology used for high temperature application.

  15. 40 CFR 443.40 - Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. 443.40 Section 443.40 Protection of Environment... PAVING AND ROOFING MATERIALS (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Linoleum and Printed Asphalt Felt Subcategory § 443.40 Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. The...

  16. 40 CFR 443.40 - Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. 443.40 Section 443.40 Protection of Environment... THE PAVING AND ROOFING MATERIALS (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Linoleum and Printed Asphalt Felt Subcategory § 443.40 Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt...

  17. 40 CFR 443.40 - Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. 443.40 Section 443.40 Protection of Environment... THE PAVING AND ROOFING MATERIALS (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Linoleum and Printed Asphalt Felt Subcategory § 443.40 Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt...

  18. 40 CFR 443.40 - Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. 443.40 Section 443.40 Protection of Environment... PAVING AND ROOFING MATERIALS (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Linoleum and Printed Asphalt Felt Subcategory § 443.40 Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. The...

  19. 40 CFR 443.40 - Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... linoleum and printed asphalt felt subcategory. 443.40 Section 443.40 Protection of Environment... THE PAVING AND ROOFING MATERIALS (TARS AND ASPHALT) POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Linoleum and Printed Asphalt Felt Subcategory § 443.40 Applicability; description of the linoleum and printed asphalt felt...

  20. Non-contact printing of optical waveguides using capillary bridges.

    PubMed

    Theiler, Pius M; Lütolf, Fabian; Ferrini, Rolando

    2018-04-30

    Non-contact printing methods such as inkjet, electro hydrodynamic, and aerosol printing have attracted attention for their precise deposition of functional materials that are needed in printed electronics, optoelectronics, photonics, biotechnology, and microfluidics. In this article, we demonstrate printing of tapered optical waveguides with losses of 0.61 ± 0.26 dB/cm, with the best performing structure achieving 0.19 dB/cm. Such continuous features are indispensable for successfully printing functional patterns, but they are often corrupted by capillary forces. The proposed inkjet printing method uses these forces to align liquid bridges into continuous features, enabling the printing of smooth lines on substrates with arbitrary contact angles.

  1. TU-H-CAMPUS-TeP1-04: Novel 3D Printed Plastic Cutouts Filled with Aluminum Oxide for Same Day Electron Radiotherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mikell, J; Lee, C; Lam, K

    Purpose: Clinics that outsource electron cutout manufacturing may be unable to simulate and treat patients on the same day. To enable same day treatment, we investigate the use of 3D printed hollow cutouts filled with 30 grit Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder. We verified the dosimetric equivalence of such a cutout relative to an outsourced Copper cutout. Methods: Printing was performed using a Ultibots Kossel 250 V-Slot 3D printer and polylactic acid filament. Printing files were derived from an in-house 3D model designed to mate with a Varian 6 cm electron cone. Relative to conventional cutouts (Copper or Cerrobend), the heightmore » of the hollow plastic cutout was extended by 1.0 cm to increase attenuation. Measurements were performed for 6 MeV in solid water at dmax (1.4 cm) with Gafchromic™ EBT3 film; the cutout was kidney-shaped with a long and short axis of approximately 5 and 2 cm, respectively. The Copper cutout was based on an outline of the 3D printed cutout.A calibration film was exposed immediately after the electron irradiations. All films, including an un-irradiated one, were from the same batch. Films were scanned on an Epson 10000XL flatbed scanner. Film analysis was performed in DoseLab (MOBIUS Medical Systems, Houston, Tx). Results: Visual comparison of the physical cutouts revealed that the Copper cutout had a slightly smaller opening than the printed cutout. Line profiles through the registered films indicated agreement within 5% in the open section. 99.9% of pixels passed gamma analysis with 2% local percent difference, 2 mm DTA, and a 25% threshold. Conclusion: Same day simulation and treatment with electrons is feasible with 3D printing of a hollow cutout filled with Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Future work will include evaluations of additional cutout shapes at different depths for higher energies. Other printing materials, such as bismuth, are being tested.« less

  2. Fully Printed Flexible and Stretchable Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Suoming

    Through this thesis proposal, the author has demonstrated series of flexible or stretchable sensors including strain gauge, pressure sensors, display arrays, thin film transistors and photodetectors fabricated by a direct printing process. By adopting the novel serpentine configuration with conventional non-stretchable materials silver nanoparticles, the fully printed stretchable devices are successfully fabricated on elastomeric substrate with the demonstration of stretchable conductors that can maintain the electrical properties under strain and the strain gauge, which could be used to measure the strain in desired locations and also to monitor individual person's finger motion. And by investigating the intrinsic stretchable materials silver nanowires (AgNWs) with the conventional configuration, the fully printed stretchable conductors are achieved on various substrates including Si, glass, Polyimide, Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Very High Bond (VHB) tape with the illustration of the capacitive pressure sensor and stretchable electroluminescent displays. In addition, intrinsically stretchable thin-film transistors (TFTs) and integrated logic circuits are directly printed on elastomeric PDMS substrates. The printed devices utilize carbon nanotubes and a type of hybrid gate dielectric comprising PDMS and barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles. The BaTiO3/PDMS composite simultaneously provides high dielectric constant, superior stretchability, low leakage, as well as good printability and compatibility with the elastomeric substrate. Both TFTs and logic circuits can be stretched beyond 50% strain along either channel length or channel width directions for thousands of cycles while showing no significant degradation in electrical performance. Finally, by applying the SWNTs as the channel layer of the thin film transistor, we successfully fabricate the fully printed flexible photodetector which exhibits good electrical characteristics and the transistors exhibit good reliability under bending conditions owing to the ultrathin polyimide substrate as well as the superior mechanical flexibility of the gate dielectric and carbon nanotube network. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that by using two types of SWCNT samples with different optical absorption characteristics, the photoresponse exhibits unique wavelength selectivity, as manifested by the good correlation between the responsive wavelengths of the devices with the absorption peaks of the corresponding carbon nanotubes. All the proposed materials above together with the unique direct printing process may offer an entry into more sophisticated flexible or stretchable electronic systems with monolithically integrated sensors, actuators, and displays for real life applications.

  3. Preparation of solid silver nanoparticles for inkjet printed flexible electronics with high conductivity.

    PubMed

    Shen, Wenfeng; Zhang, Xianpeng; Huang, Qijin; Xu, Qingsong; Song, Weijie

    2014-01-01

    Silver nanoparticles (NPs) which could be kept in solid form and were easily stored without degeneration or oxidation at room temperature for a long period of time were synthesized by a simple and environmentally friendly wet chemistry method in an aqueous phase. Highly stable dispersions of aqueous silver NP inks, sintered at room temperature, for printing highly conductive tracks (∼8.0 μΩ cm) were prepared simply by dispersing the synthesized silver NP powder in water. These inks are stable, fairly homogeneous and suitable for a wide range of patterning techniques. The inks were successfully printed on paper and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates using a common color printer. Upon annealing at 180 °C, the resistivity of the printed silver patterns decreased to 3.7 μΩ cm, which is close to twice that of bulk silver. Various factors affecting the resistivity of the printed silver patterns, such as annealing temperature and the number of printing cycles, were investigated. The resulting high conductivity of the printed silver patterns reached over 20% of the bulk silver value under ambient conditions, which enabled the fabrication of flexible electronic devices, as demonstrated by the inkjet printing of conductive circuits of LED devices.

  4. Patterned surface with controllable wettability for inkjet printing of flexible printed electronics.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Phuong Q M; Yeo, Lip-Pin; Lok, Boon-Keng; Lam, Yee-Cheong

    2014-03-26

    Appropriate control of substrate surface properties prior to inkjet printing could be employed to improve the printing quality of fine resolution structures. In this paper, novel methods to fabricate patterned surfaces with a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties are investigated. The results of inkjet printing of PEDOT/PSS conductive ink on these modified surfaces are presented. Selective wetting was achieved via a two-step hydrophilic-hydrophobic coating of 3-aminopropyl trimethoxysilane (APTMS) and 3M electronic grade chemical respectively on PET surfaces; this was followed by a selective hydrophilic treatment (either atmospheric O2/Ar plasma or UV/ozone surface treatment) with the aid of a Nickel stencil. Hydrophobic regions with water contact angle (WCA) of 105° and superhydrophilic regions with WCA <5° can be achieved on a single surface. During inkjet printing of the treated surfaces, PEDOT/PSS ink spread spontaneously along the hydrophilic areas while avoiding the hydrophobic regions. Fine features smaller than the inkjet droplet size (approximately 55 μm in diameter) can be successfully printed on the patterned surface with high wettability contrast.

  5. A new method of fabricating a blend scaffold using an indirect three-dimensional printing technique.

    PubMed

    Jung, Jin Woo; Lee, Hyungseok; Hong, Jung Min; Park, Jeong Hun; Shim, Jung Hee; Choi, Tae Hyun; Cho, Dong-Woo

    2015-11-03

    Due to its simplicity and effectiveness, the physical blending of polymers is considered to be a practical strategy for developing a versatile scaffold having desirable mechanical and biochemical properties. In the present work, an indirect three-dimensional (i3D) printing technique was proposed to fabricate a 3D free-form scaffold using a blend of immiscible materials, such as polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin. The i3D printing technique includes 3D printing of a mold and a sacrificial molding process. PCL/chloroform and gelatin/water were physically mixed to prepare the blend solution, which was subsequently injected into the cavity of a 3D printed mold. After solvent removal and gelatin cross-linking, the mold was dissolved to obtain a PCL-gelatin (PG) scaffold, with a specific 3D structure. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis indicated that PCL masses and gelatin fibers in the PG scaffold homogenously coexisted without chemical bonding. Compression tests confirmed that gelatin incorporation into the PCL enhanced its mechanical flexibility and softness, to the point of being suitable for soft-tissue engineering, as opposed to pure PCL. Human adipose-derived stem cells, cultured on a PG scaffold, exhibited enhanced in vitro chondrogenic differentiation and tissue formation, compared with those on a PCL scaffold. The i3D printing technique can be used to blend a variety of materials, facilitating 3D scaffold fabrication for specific tissue regeneration. Furthermore, this convenient and versatile technique may lead to wider application of 3D printing in tissue engineering.

  6. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    New, Joshua Ryan

    Abstract 1: Geographic information systems emerged as a computer application in the late 1960s, led in part by projects at ORNL. The concept of a GIS has shifted through time in response to new applications and new technologies, and is now part of a much larger world of geospatial technology. This presentation discusses the relationship of GIS and estimating hourly and seasonal energy consumption profiles in the building sector at spatial scales down to the individual parcel. The method combines annual building energy simulations for city-specific prototypical buildings and commonly available geospatial data in a GIS framework. Abstract 2: Thismore » presentation focuses on 3D printing technologies and how they have rapidly evolved over the past couple of years. At a basic level, 3D printing produces physical models quickly and easily from 3D CAD, BIM (Building Information Models), and other digital data. Many AEC firms have adopted 3D printing as part of commercial building design development and project delivery. This presentation includes an overview of 3D printing, discusses its current use in building design, and talks about its future in relation to the HVAC industry. Abstract 3: This presentation discusses additive manufacturing and how it is revolutionizing the design of commercial and residential facilities. Additive manufacturing utilizes a broad range of direct manufacturing technologies, including electron beam melting, ultrasonic, extrusion, and laser metal deposition for rapid prototyping. While there is some overlap with the 3D printing talk, this presentation focuses on the materials aspect of additive manufacturing and also some of the more advanced technologies involved with rapid prototyping. These technologies include design of carbon fiber composites, lightweight metals processing, transient field processing, and more.« less

  7. Inkjet-printed optoelectronics.

    PubMed

    Zhan, Zhaoyao; An, Jianing; Wei, Yuefan; Tran, Van Thai; Du, Hejun

    2017-01-19

    Inkjet printing is a powerful and cost-effective technique for deposition of liquid inks with high accuracy, which is not only of great significance for graphic applications but also has enormous potential for the direct printing of optoelectronic devices. This review highlights a comprehensive overview of the progress that has been made in optoelectronics fabrication by the inkjet printing technique. The first part briefly covers the droplet-generation process in the nozzles of printheads and the physical properties affecting droplet formation and the profiles of the printed patterns. The second section outlines the recent activities related to applications of inkjet printing in optoelectronics fabrication including solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors and transparent electrodes. In each application field, the challenges with the inkjet printing process and the possible solutions are discussed before a few remarks. In the last section, a brief summary on the progress of inkjet printing fabrication of optoelectronics and an outlook for future research effort are presented.

  8. Recent Advances in Extrusion-Based 3D Printing for Biomedical Applications.

    PubMed

    Placone, Jesse K; Engler, Adam J

    2018-04-01

    Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has become significantly more commonplace in tissue engineering over the past decade, as a variety of new printing materials have been developed. In extrusion-based printing, materials are used for applications that range from cell free printing to cell-laden bioinks that mimic natural tissues. Beyond single tissue applications, multi-material extrusion based printing has recently been developed to manufacture scaffolds that mimic tissue interfaces. Despite these advances, some material limitations prevent wider adoption of the extrusion-based 3D printers currently available. This progress report provides an overview of this commonly used printing strategy, as well as insight into how this technique can be improved. As such, it is hoped that the prospective report guides the inclusion of more rigorous material characterization prior to printing, thereby facilitating cross-platform utilization and reproducibility. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Highly Conductive Aromatic Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube for Inkjet Printable High Performance Supercapacitor Electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Attri, Pankaj

    2015-01-01

    We report the functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) via the 1,3-dipolar [3+2] cycloaddition of aromatic azides, which resulted in a detangled CNT as shown by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Carboxylic moieties (-COOH) on aromatic azide result in highly stable aqueous dispersion (max. conc. ~ 10 mg/mL H2O), making the suitable for inkjet printing. Printed patterns on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flexible substrate exhibit low sheet resistivity ~65 Ω. cm, which is attributed to enhanced conductivity. Fabricated Supercapacitors (SC) assembled using these printed substrates exhibit good electrochemical performance in organic as well as aqueous electrolytes. High energy and power density (57.8 Wh/kg and 0.85 kW/kg) in 1M H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed supercapacitor. Capacitive retention varies from ~85–94% with columbic efficiency ~95% after 1000 charge/discharge cycles in different electrolytes, demonstrating the excellent potential of the device for futuristic power applications. PMID:26153688

  10. Chip-based generation of carbon nanodots via electrochemical oxidation of screen printed carbon electrodes and the applications for efficient cell imaging and electrochemiluminescence enhancement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yuanhong; Liu, Jingquan; Zhang, Jizhen; Zong, Xidan; Jia, Xiaofang; Li, Dan; Wang, Erkang

    2015-05-01

    A portable lab-on-a-chip methodology to generate ionic liquid-functionalized carbon nanodots (CNDs) was developed via electrochemical oxidation of screen printed carbon electrodes. The CNDs can be successfully applied for efficient cell imaging and solid-state electrochemiluminescence sensor fabrication on the paper-based chips.A portable lab-on-a-chip methodology to generate ionic liquid-functionalized carbon nanodots (CNDs) was developed via electrochemical oxidation of screen printed carbon electrodes. The CNDs can be successfully applied for efficient cell imaging and solid-state electrochemiluminescence sensor fabrication on the paper-based chips. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental section; Fig. S1. XPS spectra of the as-prepared CNDs after being dialyzed for 72 hours; Fig. S2. LSCM images showing time-dependent fluorescence signals of HeLa cells treated by the as-prepared CNDs; Tripropylamine analysis using the Nafion/CNDs modified ECL sensor. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01765c

  11. Ferrocene pixels by laser-induced forward transfer: towards flexible microelectrode printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitu, B.; Matei, A.; Filipescu, M.; Palla Papavlu, A.; Bercea, A.; Lippert, T.; Dinescu, M.

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this work is to demonstrate the potential of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) as a printing technology, alternative to standard microfabrication techniques, in the area of flexible micro-electrode fabrication. First, ferrocene thin films are deposited onto fused silica and fused silica substrates previously coated with a photodegradable polymer film (triazene polymer) by matrix assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE). The morphology and chemical structure of the ferrocene thin films deposited by MAPLE has been investigated by atomic force microscopy and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and no structural damage occurs as a result of the laser deposition. Second, LIFT is applied to print for the first time ferrocene pixels and lines onto flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The ferrocene pixels and lines are flawlessly transferred onto the PDMS substrates in air at room temperature, without the need of additional conventional photolithography processes. We believe that these results are very promising for a variety of applications ranging from flexible electronics to lab-on-a-chip devices, MEMS, and medical implants.

  12. A stable solution-processed polymer semiconductor with record high-mobility for printed transistors

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jun; Zhao, Yan; Tan, Huei Shuan; Guo, Yunlong; Di, Chong-An; Yu, Gui; Liu, Yunqi; Lin, Ming; Lim, Suo Hon; Zhou, Yuhua; Su, Haibin; Ong, Beng S.

    2012-01-01

    Microelectronic circuits/arrays produced via high-speed printing instead of traditional photolithographic processes offer an appealing approach to creating the long-sought after, low-cost, large-area flexible electronics. Foremost among critical enablers to propel this paradigm shift in manufacturing is a stable, solution-processable, high-performance semiconductor for printing functionally capable thin-film transistors — fundamental building blocks of microelectronics. We report herein the processing and optimisation of solution-processable polymer semiconductors for thin-film transistors, demonstrating very high field-effect mobility, high on/off ratio, and excellent shelf-life and operating stabilities under ambient conditions. Exceptionally high-gain inverters and functional ring oscillator devices on flexible substrates have been demonstrated. This optimised polymer semiconductor represents a significant progress in semiconductor development, dispelling prevalent skepticism surrounding practical usability of organic semiconductors for high-performance microelectronic devices, opening up application opportunities hitherto functionally or economically inaccessible with silicon technologies, and providing an excellent structural framework for fundamental studies of charge transport in organic systems. PMID:23082244

  13. Effects of Media on Female Body Image: Myth or Reality?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryla, Karen Y.

    2002-01-01

    Examines the media's influence on female body image. differentiating between the effects of print and electronic media. Results suggest that print media have a direct, immediate, and negative effect on female body image, while no such relationship exists for electronic media. Results also indicate that exploring only exposure to media images is…

  14. Library Economic Metrics: Examples of the Comparison of Electronic and Print Journal Collections and Collection Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Donald W.; Boyce, Peter B.; Montgomery, Carol Hansen; Tenopir, Carol

    2003-01-01

    Focuses on library economic metrics, and presents a conceptual framework for library economic metrics including service input and output, performance, usage, effectiveness, outcomes, impact, and cost and benefit comparisons. Gives examples of these measures for comparison of library electronic and print collections and collection services.…

  15. Laser microprocessing technologies for automotive, flexible electronics, and solar energy sectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikumb, Suwas; Bathe, Ravi; Knopf, George K.

    2014-10-01

    Laser microprocessing technologies offer an important tool to fulfill the needs of many industrial sectors. In particular, there is growing interest in applications of these processes in the manufacturing areas such as automotive parts fabrication, printable electronics and solar energy panels. The technology is primarily driven by our understanding of the fundamental laser-material interaction, process control strategies and the advancement of significant fabrication experience over the past few years. The wide-ranging operating parameters available with respect to power, pulse width variation, beam quality, higher repetition rates as well as precise control of the energy deposition through programmable pulse shaping technologies, enables pre-defined material removal, selective scribing of individual layer within a stacked multi-layer thin film structure, texturing of material surfaces as well as precise introduction of heat into the material to monitor its characteristic properties are a few examples. In this research, results in the area of laser surface texturing of metals for added hydrodynamic lubricity to reduce friction, processing of ink-jet printed graphene oxide for flexible printed electronic circuit fabrication and scribing of multi-layer thin films for the development of photovoltaic CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) interconnects for solar panel devices will be discussed.

  16. Sci-Thur PM – Brachytherapy 06: 3D Printed Surface Applicators for High Dose Rate Brachytherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clarke, Scott; Yewondwossen, Mammo; Robar, James

    Purpose: The purpose of this work is to develop a new applicator for administering high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy using 3D printing technology. Primary advantages of using a 3D printed applicator will be to offer a more streamlined approach for therapists and patients while achieving better conformity, reproducibility, and patient specific applicators. Methods: A phantom study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a 3D printed surface applicator by analyzing tumours on three locations of the body: the foot, nose, and scalp. The applicator was designed using Eclipse and further modified using Blender to create the catheter tunnels before beingmore » printed on a Lulzbot Taz 5 3D printer. A radiation plan was made using Oncentra Brachytherapy for a control treatment option using Freiburg Flaps and one with the novel method of a 3D printed applicator. A comparative analysis was made using D90, D100, V100, V150, and V200 Results: The 3D printed applicator showed comparable dose coverage with significant improvements on highly irregular surfaces when analyzed against a plan made using Freiburg Flaps. Although both plans exhibited complete tumour coverage, the 3D applicator showed improvements in D90 and V150 and the 3D applicator had a dose homogeneity index (DHI) of 0.99 compared to a DHI of 0.97 for the control. Therapist prep time also dropped significantly due to the lack of need for a thermoplastic mesh. Conclusions: 3D printed applicators for treatment of superficial sites proved to offer more patient convenience, less prep time, better conformity and tighter margins.« less

  17. Biomimetic Inks Based on Cellulose Nanofibrils and Cross-Linkable Xylans for 3D Printing.

    PubMed

    Markstedt, Kajsa; Escalante, Alfredo; Toriz, Guillermo; Gatenholm, Paul

    2017-11-22

    This paper presents a sustainable all-wood-based ink which can be used for 3D printing of constructs for a large variety of applications such as clothes, furniture, electronics, and health care products with a customized design and versatile gel properties. The 3D printing technologies where the material is dispensed in the form of liquids, so called inks, have proven suitable for 3D printing dispersions of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) because of their unique shear thinning properties. In this study, novel inks were developed with a biomimetic approach where the structural properties of cellulose and the cross-linking function of hemicelluloses that are found in the plant cell wall were utilized. The CNF was mixed with xylan, a hemicellulose extracted from spruce, to introduce cross-linking properties which are essential for the final stability of the printed ink. For xylan to be cross-linkable, it was functionalized with tyramine at different degrees. Evaluation of different ink compositions by rheology measurements and 3D printing tests showed that the degree of tyramine substitution and the ratio of CNFs to xylan-tyramine in the prepared inks influenced the printability and cross-linking density. Both two-layered gridded structures and more complex 3D constructs were printed. Similarly to conventional composites, the interactions between the components and their miscibility are important for the stability of the printed and cross-linked ink. Thus, the influence of tyramine on the adsorption of xylan to cellulose was studied with a quartz crystal microbalance to verify that the functionalization had little influence on xylan's adsorption to cellulose. Utilizing xylan-tyramine in the CNF dispersions resulted in all-wood-based inks which after 3D printing can be cross-linked to form freestanding gels while at the same time, the excellent printing properties of CNFs remain intact.

  18. Microfluidic impact printer with interchangeable cartridges for versatile non-contact multiplexed micropatterning

    PubMed Central

    Ding, Yuzhe; Huang, Eric; Lam, Kit S.; Pan, Tingrui

    2015-01-01

    Biopatterning has been increasingly used for well-defined cellular microenvironment, patterned surface topology, and guided biological cues; however, it meets additional challenges on biocompatibility, temperature and chemical sensitivity and limited reagent volume. In this paper, we target at combining the desired features from the non-contact inkjet printing and the dot-matrix impact printing to establish a versatile multiplexed micropatterning platform, referred to as Microfluidic Impact Printer (MI-Printer), for emerging biomedical applications. Using this platform, we can achieve the distinct features of no cross-contamination, minute volume manipulation with minimal dead volume, high-throughput and biocompatible printing process, multiplexed patterning with automatic alignment, printing availability for complex medium (cell suspension or colloidal solutions), interchangeable/disposable microfluidic cartridge design with out-of-cleanroom microfabrication, simple printing system assembly and configuration, all highly desirable towards biological applications. Specifically, the printing resolution of the MI-printer platform has been experimentally characterized and theoretically analyzed. Printed droplets with 80µm in diameter have been repeatedly obtained. Furthermore, two unique features of MI-printer platform, multiplexed printing and self-alignment printing, have been successfully experimentally demonstrated (less than 10µm misalignment). In addition, combinatorial patterning and biological patterning, which utilizes the multiplexed and self-alignment printing nature of the MI-printer, have been devised to demonstrate the applicability of this robust printing technique for emerging biomedical applications. PMID:23525299

  19. Roll-to-roll Slot-die Printed Polymer Solar Cell by Self-Assembly.

    PubMed

    Yang, Junyu; Lin, Yuanbao; Zheng, Wenhao; Liu, Alei; Cai, Wanzhu; Yu, Xiaomin; Zhang, Fengling; Liang, Quanbin; Wu, Hongbin; Qin, Donghuan; Hou, Lintao

    2018-06-12

    Extremely simplified one-step roll-to-roll slot-die printed flexible ITO-free polymer solar cells (PSCs) are demonstrated based on ternary blends of electron-donor polymer thieno [3,4-b]thiophene/benzodithiophene (PTB7), electron-acceptor fullerene [6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) and electron extracting polymer poly [(9,9-bis(3'-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)] (PFN) at room temperature (RT) in ambient air. The flexible ITO-free PSC exhibits a comparable power conversion efficiency (PCE) with the device employing complicated two-step slot-die printing (5.29% vs 5.41%), which indicates that PFN molecules can migrate from the ternary nanocomposite towards Ag cathode via vertical self-assembly during the one-step slot-die printing process in air. To confirm the migration of PFN, the morphology and elemental analysis as well as charge transport of different active layers are investigated with in-situ transient film drying process, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle and surface energy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, impedance spectroscopy, transient photovoltage and transient photocurrent as well as laser beam induced current. Moreover, the good air and mechanical stability of the flexible device with a decent PCE achieved in 1 cm2 PSCs at RT in air suggests the feasibility of energy-saving and time-saving one-step slot-die printing to large-scale roll-to-roll manufacture in the future.

  20. Nanowire active-matrix circuitry for low-voltage macroscale artificial skin.

    PubMed

    Takei, Kuniharu; Takahashi, Toshitake; Ho, Johnny C; Ko, Hyunhyub; Gillies, Andrew G; Leu, Paul W; Fearing, Ronald S; Javey, Ali

    2010-10-01

    Large-scale integration of high-performance electronic components on mechanically flexible substrates may enable new applications in electronics, sensing and energy. Over the past several years, tremendous progress in the printing and transfer of single-crystalline, inorganic micro- and nanostructures on plastic substrates has been achieved through various process schemes. For instance, contact printing of parallel arrays of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) has been explored as a versatile route to enable fabrication of high-performance, bendable transistors and sensors. However, truly macroscale integration of ordered NW circuitry has not yet been demonstrated, with the largest-scale active systems being of the order of 1 cm(2) (refs 11,15). This limitation is in part due to assembly- and processing-related obstacles, although larger-scale integration has been demonstrated for randomly oriented NWs (ref. 16). Driven by this challenge, here we demonstrate macroscale (7×7 cm(2)) integration of parallel NW arrays as the active-matrix backplane of a flexible pressure-sensor array (18×19 pixels). The integrated sensor array effectively functions as an artificial electronic skin, capable of monitoring applied pressure profiles with high spatial resolution. The active-matrix circuitry operates at a low operating voltage of less than 5 V and exhibits superb mechanical robustness and reliability, without performance degradation on bending to small radii of curvature (2.5 mm) for over 2,000 bending cycles. This work presents the largest integration of ordered NW-array active components, and demonstrates a model platform for future integration of nanomaterials for practical applications.

  1. The donor-acceptor approach allows a black-to-transmissive switching polymeric electrochrome

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beaujuge, P. M.; Ellinger, S.; Reynolds, J. R.

    2008-10-01

    In the context of the fast-growing demand for innovative high-performance display technologies, the perspective of manufacturing low-cost functional materials that can be easily processed over large areas or finely printed into individual pixels, while being mechanically deformable, has motivated the development of novel electronically active organic components fulfilling the requirements for flexible displays and portable applications. Among all technologies relying on a low-power stimulated optical change, non-emissive organic electrochromic devices (ECDs) offer the advantage of being operational under a wide range of viewing angles and lighting conditions spanning direct sunlight as desired for various applications including signage, information tags and electronic paper. Combining mechanical flexibility, high contrast ratios and fast response times, along with colour tunability through structural control, polymeric electrochromes constitute the most attractive organic electronics for tomorrow's reflective/transmissive ECDs and displays. Although red, blue and most recently green electrochromic polymers (ECPs) required for additive primary colour space were investigated, attempts to make saturated black ECPs have not been reported, probably owing to the complexity of designing materials absorbing effectively over the whole visible spectrum. Here, we report on the use of the donor-acceptor approach to make the first neutral-state black polymeric electrochrome. Processable black-to-transmissive ECPs promise to affect the development of both reflective and transmissive ECDs by providing lower fabrication and processing costs through printing, spraying and coating methods, along with good scalability when compared with their traditional inorganic counterparts.

  2. A 128-channel picoammeter system and its application on charged particle beam current distribution measurements.

    PubMed

    Yu, Deyang; Liu, Junliang; Xue, Yingli; Zhang, Mingwu; Cai, Xiaohong; Hu, Jianjun; Dong, Jinmei; Li, Xin

    2015-11-01

    A 128-channel picoammeter system is constructed based on instrumentation amplifiers. Taking advantage of a high electric potential and narrow bandwidth in DC energetic charged beam measurements, a current resolution better than 5 fA can be achieved. Two sets of 128-channel strip electrodes are implemented on printed circuit boards and are employed for ion and electron beam current distribution measurements. Tests with 60 keV O(3+) ions and 2 keV electrons show that it can provide exact boundaries when a positive charged particle beam current distribution is measured.

  3. Patterned gallium surfaces as molecular mirrors.

    PubMed

    Bossi, Alessandra; Rivetti, Claudio; Mangiarotti, Laura; Whitcombe, Michael J; Turner, Anthony P F; Piletsky, Sergey A

    2007-09-30

    An entirely new means of printing molecular information on a planar film, involving casting nanoscale impressions of the template protein molecules in molten gallium, is presented here for the first time. The metallic imprints not only replicate the shape and size of the proteins used as template. They also show specific binding for the template species. Such a simple approach to the creation of antibody-like properties in metallic mirrors can lead to applications in separations, microfluidic devices, and the development of new optical and electronic sensors, and will be of interest to chemists, materials scientists, analytical specialists, and electronic engineers.

  4. Embedding objects during 3D printing to add new functionalities

    PubMed Central

    2016-01-01

    A novel method for integrating and embedding objects to add new functionalities during 3D printing based on fused deposition modeling (FDM) (also known as fused filament fabrication or molten polymer deposition) is presented. Unlike typical 3D printing, FDM-based 3D printing could allow objects to be integrated and embedded during 3D printing and the FDM-based 3D printed devices do not typically require any post-processing and finishing. Thus, various fluidic devices with integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films with and without an embedded porous membrane, and optical devices with embedded Corning® Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber were 3D printed to demonstrate the versatility of the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method. Fluid perfusion flow experiments with a blue colored food dye solution were used to visually confirm fluid flow and/or fluid perfusion through the embedded porous membrane in the 3D printed fluidic devices. Similar to typical 3D printed devices, FDM-based 3D printed devices are translucent at best unless post-polishing is performed and optical transparency is highly desirable in any fluidic devices; integrated glass cover slips or polystyrene films would provide a perfect optical transparent window for observation and visualization. In addition, they also provide a compatible flat smooth surface for biological or biomolecular applications. The 3D printed fluidic devices with an embedded porous membrane are applicable to biological or chemical applications such as continuous perfusion cell culture or biocatalytic synthesis but without the need for any post-device assembly and finishing. The 3D printed devices with embedded Corning® Fibrance™ Light-Diffusing Fiber would have applications in display, illumination, or optical applications. Furthermore, the FDM-based 3D printing and embedding method could also be utilized to print casting molds with an integrated glass bottom for polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) device replication. These 3D printed glass bottom casting molds would result in PDMS replicas with a flat smooth bottom surface for better bonding and adhesion. PMID:27478528

  5. Effect of Bed Temperature on the Laser Energy Required to Sinter Copper Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, N. K.; Dibua, O. G.; Cullinan, M. A.

    2018-03-01

    Copper nanoparticles (NPs), due to their high electrical conductivity, low cost, and easy availability, provide an excellent alternative to other metal NPs such as gold, silver, and aluminum in applications ranging from direct printing of conductive patterns on metal and flexible substrates for printed electronics applications to making three-dimensional freeform structures for interconnect fabrication for chip-packaging applications. Lack of research on identification of optimum sintering parameters such as fluence/irradiance requirements for sintering of Cu NPs serves as the primary motivation for this study. This article focuses on the identification of a good sintering irradiance window for Cu NPs on an aluminum substrate using a continuous wave (CW) laser. The study also includes the comparison of CW laser sintering irradiance windows obtained with substrates at different initial temperatures. The irradiance requirements for sintering of Cu NPs with the substrate at 150-200°C were found to be 5-17 times smaller than the irradiance requirements for sintering with the substrate at room temperature. These findings were also compared against the results obtained with a nanosecond (ns) laser and a femtosecond (fs) laser.

  6. In-situ sequential laser transfer and laser reduction of graphene oxide films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papazoglou, S.; Petridis, C.; Kymakis, E.; Kennou, S.; Raptis, Y. S.; Chatzandroulis, S.; Zergioti, I.

    2018-04-01

    Achieving high quality transfer of graphene on selected substrates is a priority in device fabrication, especially where drop-on-demand applications are involved. In this work, we report an in-situ, fast, simple, and one step process that resulted in the reduction, transfer, and fabrication of reduced graphene oxide-based humidity sensors, using picosecond laser pulses. By tuning the laser illumination parameters, we managed to implement the sequential printing and reduction of graphene oxide flakes. The overall process lasted only a few seconds compared to a few hours that our group has previously published. DC current measurements, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Raman Spectroscopy were employed in order to assess the efficiency of our approach. To demonstrate the applicability and the potential of the technique, laser printed reduced graphene oxide humidity sensors with a limit of detection of 1700 ppm are presented. The results demonstrated in this work provide a selective, rapid, and low-cost approach for sequential transfer and photochemical reduction of graphene oxide micro-patterns onto various substrates for flexible electronics and sensor applications.

  7. The Various Applications of 3D Printing in Cardiovascular Diseases.

    PubMed

    El Sabbagh, Abdallah; Eleid, Mackram F; Al-Hijji, Mohammed; Anavekar, Nandan S; Holmes, David R; Nkomo, Vuyisile T; Oderich, Gustavo S; Cassivi, Stephen D; Said, Sameh M; Rihal, Charanjit S; Matsumoto, Jane M; Foley, Thomas A

    2018-05-10

    To highlight the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular disease and discuss its limitations and future direction. Use of handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures has emerged as a facile modality in procedural and surgical planning as well as education and communication. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a novel imaging modality which involves creating patient-specific models of cardiovascular structures. As percutaneous and surgical therapies evolve, spatial recognition of complex cardiovascular anatomic relationships by cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons is imperative. Handheld 3D printed models of cardiovascular structures provide a facile and intuitive road map for procedural and surgical planning, complementing conventional imaging modalities. Moreover, 3D printed models are efficacious educational and communication tools. This review highlights the various applications of 3D printing in cardiovascular diseases and discusses its limitations and future directions.

  8. SU-F-E-13: Design and Fabrication of Gynacological Brachytherapy Shielding & Non Shielding Applicators Using Indigenously Developed 3D Printing Machine

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shanmugam, S

    Purpose: In this innovative work we have developed Gynecological Brachytherapy shielding & Non Shielding Applicators and compared with the commercially available applicators by using the indigenously developed 3D Printing machine. Methods: We have successfully indigenously developed the 3D printing machine. Which contain the 3 dimensional motion platform, Heater unit, base plate, ect… To fabricate the Gynecological Brachytherapy shielding & non shielding applicators the 3D design were developed in the computer as virtual design. This virtual design is made in a CAD computer file using a 3D modeling program. Separate programme for the shielding & non shielding applicators. We have alsomore » provided the extra catheter insert provision in the applicator for the multiple catheter. The DICOM file of the applicator were then converted to stereo Lithography file for the 3D printer. The shielding & Non Shielding Applicators were printed on a indigenously developed 3D printer material. The same dimensions were used to develop the applicators in the acrylic material also for the comparative study. A CT scan was performed to establish an infill-density calibration curve as well as characterize the quality of the print such as uniformity and the infill pattern. To commission the process, basic CT and dose properties of the printing materials were measured in photon beams and compared against water and soft tissue. Applicator were then scanned to confirm the placement of multiple catheter position. Finally dose distributions with rescanned CTs were compared with those computer-generated applicators. Results: The doses measured from the ion Chamber and X-Omat film test were within 2%. The shielded applicator reduce the rectal dose comparatively with the non shielded applicator. Conclusion: As of submission 3 unique cylinders have been designed, printed, and tested dosimetrically. A standardizable workflow for commissioning custom 3D printed applicators was codified and will be reported.« less

  9. NASA printing, duplicating, and copying management handbook

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    This handbook provides information and procedures for the implementation of NASA policy and applicable laws and regulations relating to printing, duplicating, and copying. The topics addressed include a description of relevant laws and regulations, authorizations required, and responsible entities for NASA printing, duplicating, and copying. The policy of NASA is to ensure understanding and application of authority and responsibility on printing matters. Where necessary, the handbook clarifies the intent of basic laws and regulations applicable to NASA.

  10. Rethinking the reference collection: exploring benchmarks and e-book availability.

    PubMed

    Husted, Jeffrey T; Czechowski, Leslie J

    2012-01-01

    Librarians in the Health Sciences Library System at the University of Pittsburgh explored the possibility of developing an electronic reference collection that would replace the print reference collection, thus providing access to these valuable materials to a widely dispersed user population. The librarians evaluated the print reference collection and standard collection development lists as potential benchmarks for the electronic collection, and they determined which books were available in electronic format. They decided that the low availability of electronic versions of titles in each benchmark group rendered the creation of an electronic reference collection using either benchmark impractical.

  11. The E-Only Tipping Point for Journals: What's Ahead in the Print-to-Electronic Transition Zone

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Richard K.; Luther, Judy

    2007-01-01

    This report examines the issues associated with moves toward electronic-only publication of journals, based on interviews with academic librarians and journal publishers. Noting that publishers and libraries today find themselves in an extended transition zone between print-only and e-only journals, the report investigates forces driving change…

  12. The Discourse on Printed and Electronic Books: Analogies, Oppositions, and Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Velagic, Zoran

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: The point of departure for this paper is the twofold analogy (analogy of content, analogy of medium) between printed and electronic books, the aim being to draw attention to the usual perception of their capacities and relationships, to provide a rather detailed analysis of the outcome and sustainability of such analogies and…

  13. A Technological Determinist Viewpoint of the Stanton-Staggers Conflict over "The Selling of the Pentagon": Print Man Versus Electronic Man.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Breen, Myles P.

    Media, specifically documentary films on television, profoundly affect both social structure and man's psychological percepts. The clash of views depicted is between "print man" (using U.S. Representative Harley Staggers as an example) and "electronic man" (portrayed as Frank Stanton of CBS) centering on Stagger's objections to…

  14. Effects of Printed, Pocket Electronic, and Online Dictionaries on High School Students' English Vocabulary Retention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiu, Li-Ling; Liu, Gi-Zen

    2013-01-01

    This study obtained empirical evidence regarding the effects of using printed dictionaries (PD), pocket electronic dictionaries (PED), and online type-in dictionaries (OTID) on English vocabulary retention at a junior high school. A mixed-methods research methodology was adopted in this study. Thirty-three seventh graders were asked to use all…

  15. 78 FR 17199 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-20

    ... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; NESHAP for Printing and Publishing... information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov . Title: NESHAP for Printing and Publishing...: Owners and operators of printing and publishing facilities. Estimated Number of Respondents: 352...

  16. The economics of electronic journals.

    PubMed

    Budd, K W

    2000-01-01

    High print journal subscription costs, access to desktop publishing software, and awareness of Internet capability are among several reasons that interest in the electronic publishing of scholarly journals is increasing rapidly. The economic considerations of electronic publishing are not as familiar, however, although the fingertip accessibility of electronic journals, and in some cases, the lack of subscription charges gives the impression that electronic journal publishing is a much less costly means of publishing. Such an impression receives qualified confirmation in this article as an overview of the costs of scholarly publishing is provided, and the costs of print and electronic journals are compared. Also addressed are ways to recover costs of publishing electronic journals, and predictions for the future of such journals.

  17. High performance inkjet-printed metal oxide thin film transistors via addition of insulating polymer with proper molecular weight

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Dawei; Chen, Cihai; Zhang, Jun; Wu, Xiaomin; Chen, Huipeng; Guo, Tailiang

    2018-01-01

    Fabrication of metal oxide thin film transistor (MOTFT) arrays using the inkjet printing process has caused tremendous interest for low-cost and large-area flexible electronic devices. However, the inkjet-printed MOTFT arrays usually exhibited a non-uniform geometry due to the coffee ring effect, which restricted their commercial application. Therefore, in this work, a strategy is reported to control the geometry and enhance device performance of inkjet-printed MOTFT arrays by the addition of an insulating polymer to the precursor solution prior to film deposition. Moreover, the impact of the polymer molecular weight (MW) on the geometry, chemical constitution, crystallization, and MOTFT properties of inkjet-printed metal oxide depositions was investigated. The results demonstrated that with an increase of MW of polystyrene (PS) from 2000 to 200 000, the coffee ring was gradually faded and the coffee ring effect was completely eliminated when MW reached 200 000, which is associated with the enhanced viscosity with the insulating polymer, providing a high resistance to the outward capillary flow, which facilitated the depinning of the contact line, leading to the elimination of the coffee ring. More importantly, the carrier mobility increased significantly from 4.2 cm2 V-1 s-1 up to 13.7 cm2 V-1 s-1 as PS MW increased from 2000 to 200 000, which was about 3 times that of the pristine In2O3 TFTs. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicated that PS doping of In2O3 films not only frustrated crystallization but also altered chemical constitution by enhancing the formation of the M-O structure, both of which facilitated the carrier transport. These results demonstrated that the simple polymer additive process provides a promising method that can efficiently control the geometry of MO arrays during inkjet printing and maximize the device performance of MOTFT arrays, which showed great potential for the application in next generation printed displays and integrated circuits.

  18. Process Parameter Optimization of Extrusion-Based 3D Metal Printing Utilizing PW-LDPE-SA Binder System.

    PubMed

    Ren, Luquan; Zhou, Xueli; Song, Zhengyi; Zhao, Che; Liu, Qingping; Xue, Jingze; Li, Xiujuan

    2017-03-16

    Recently, with a broadening range of available materials and alteration of feeding processes, several extrusion-based 3D printing processes for metal materials have been developed. An emerging process is applicable for the fabrication of metal parts into electronics and composites. In this paper, some critical parameters of extrusion-based 3D printing processes were optimized by a series of experiments with a melting extrusion printer. The raw materials were copper powder and a thermoplastic organic binder system and the system included paraffin wax, low density polyethylene, and stearic acid (PW-LDPE-SA). The homogeneity and rheological behaviour of the raw materials, the strength of the green samples, and the hardness of the sintered samples were investigated. Moreover, the printing and sintering parameters were optimized with an orthogonal design method. The influence factors in regard to the ultimate tensile strength of the green samples can be described as follows: infill degree > raster angle > layer thickness. As for the sintering process, the major factor on hardness is sintering temperature, followed by holding time and heating rate. The highest hardness of the sintered samples was very close to the average hardness of commercially pure copper material. Generally, the extrusion-based printing process for producing metal materials is a promising strategy because it has some advantages over traditional approaches for cost, efficiency, and simplicity.

  19. Process Parameter Optimization of Extrusion-Based 3D Metal Printing Utilizing PW–LDPE–SA Binder System

    PubMed Central

    Ren, Luquan; Zhou, Xueli; Song, Zhengyi; Zhao, Che; Liu, Qingping; Xue, Jingze; Li, Xiujuan

    2017-01-01

    Recently, with a broadening range of available materials and alteration of feeding processes, several extrusion-based 3D printing processes for metal materials have been developed. An emerging process is applicable for the fabrication of metal parts into electronics and composites. In this paper, some critical parameters of extrusion-based 3D printing processes were optimized by a series of experiments with a melting extrusion printer. The raw materials were copper powder and a thermoplastic organic binder system and the system included paraffin wax, low density polyethylene, and stearic acid (PW–LDPE–SA). The homogeneity and rheological behaviour of the raw materials, the strength of the green samples, and the hardness of the sintered samples were investigated. Moreover, the printing and sintering parameters were optimized with an orthogonal design method. The influence factors in regard to the ultimate tensile strength of the green samples can be described as follows: infill degree > raster angle > layer thickness. As for the sintering process, the major factor on hardness is sintering temperature, followed by holding time and heating rate. The highest hardness of the sintered samples was very close to the average hardness of commercially pure copper material. Generally, the extrusion-based printing process for producing metal materials is a promising strategy because it has some advantages over traditional approaches for cost, efficiency, and simplicity. PMID:28772665

  20. 3D printed bionic ears.

    PubMed

    Mannoor, Manu S; Jiang, Ziwen; James, Teena; Kong, Yong Lin; Malatesta, Karen A; Soboyejo, Winston O; Verma, Naveen; Gracias, David H; McAlpine, Michael C

    2013-06-12

    The ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements. As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via 3D printing.

  1. Novel Biomaterials Used in Medical 3D Printing Techniques.

    PubMed

    Tappa, Karthik; Jammalamadaka, Udayabhanu

    2018-02-07

    The success of an implant depends on the type of biomaterial used for its fabrication. An ideal implant material should be biocompatible, inert, mechanically durable, and easily moldable. The ability to build patient specific implants incorporated with bioactive drugs, cells, and proteins has made 3D printing technology revolutionary in medical and pharmaceutical fields. A vast variety of biomaterials are currently being used in medical 3D printing, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. With continuous research and progress in biomaterials used in 3D printing, there has been a rapid growth in applications of 3D printing in manufacturing customized implants, prostheses, drug delivery devices, and 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The current review focuses on the novel biomaterials used in variety of 3D printing technologies for clinical applications. Most common types of medical 3D printing technologies, including fused deposition modeling, extrusion based bioprinting, inkjet, and polyjet printing techniques, their clinical applications, different types of biomaterials currently used by researchers, and key limitations are discussed in detail.

  2. Existing and emerging detection technologies for DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) finger printing, sequencing, bio- and analytical chips: a multidisciplinary development unifying molecular biology, chemical and electronics engineering.

    PubMed

    Kumar Khanna, Vinod

    2007-01-01

    The current status and research trends of detection techniques for DNA-based analysis such as DNA finger printing, sequencing, biochips and allied fields are examined. An overview of main detectors is presented vis-à-vis these DNA operations. The biochip method is explained, the role of micro- and nanoelectronic technologies in biochip realization is highlighted, various optical and electrical detection principles employed in biochips are indicated, and the operational mechanisms of these detection devices are described. Although a diversity of biochips for diagnostic and therapeutic applications has been demonstrated in research laboratories worldwide, only some of these chips have entered the clinical market, and more chips are awaiting commercialization. The necessity of tagging is eliminated in refractive-index change based devices, but the basic flaw of indirect nature of most detection methodologies can only be overcome by generic and/or reagentless DNA sensors such as the conductance-based approach and the DNA-single electron transistor (DNA-SET) structure. Devices of the electrical detection-based category are expected to pave the pathway for the next-generation DNA chips. The review provides a comprehensive coverage of the detection technologies for DNA finger printing, sequencing and related techniques, encompassing a variety of methods from the primitive art to the state-of-the-art scenario as well as promising methods for the future.

  3. 3D printing of highly elastic strain sensors using polyurethane/multiwall carbon nanotube composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christ, Josef F.; Hohimer, Cameron J.; Aliheidari, Nahal; Ameli, Amir; Mo, Changki; Pötschke, Petra

    2017-04-01

    As the desire for wearable electronics increases and the soft robotics industry advances, the need for novel sensing materials has also increased. Recently, there have been many attempts at producing novel materials, which exhibit piezoresistive behavior. However, one of the major shortcomings in strain sensing technologies is in the fabrication of such sensors. While there is significant research and literature covering the various methods for developing piezoresistive materials, fabricating complex sensor platforms is still a manufacturing challenge. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate multidirectional embedded strain sensors using additive manufacturing technology. Pure thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and TPU/multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) nanocomposites were 3D printed in tandem using a low-cost multi-material FDM printer to fabricate uniaxial and biaxial strain sensors with conductive paths embedded within the insulative TPU platform. The sensors were then subjected to a series of cyclic strain loads. The results revealed excellent piezoresistive responses of the sensors with cyclic repeatability in both the axial and transverse directions and in response to strains as high as 50%. Further, while strain-softening did occur in the embedded printed strain sensors, it was predictable and similar to the results found in the literature for bulk polymer nanocomposites. This works demonstrates the possibility of manufacturing embedded and multidirectional flexible strain sensors using an inexpensive and versatile method, with potential applications in soft robotics and flexible electronics and health monitoring.

  4. Scalable, full-colour and controllable chromotropic plasmonic printing

    PubMed Central

    Xue, Jiancai; Zhou, Zhang-Kai; Wei, Zhiqiang; Su, Rongbin; Lai, Juan; Li, Juntao; Li, Chao; Zhang, Tengwei; Wang, Xue-Hua

    2015-01-01

    Plasmonic colour printing has drawn wide attention as a promising candidate for the next-generation colour-printing technology. However, an efficient approach to realize full colour and scalable fabrication is still lacking, which prevents plasmonic colour printing from practical applications. Here we present a scalable and full-colour plasmonic printing approach by combining conjugate twin-phase modulation with a plasmonic broadband absorber. More importantly, our approach also demonstrates controllable chromotropic capability, that is, the ability of reversible colour transformations. This chromotropic capability affords enormous potentials in building functionalized prints for anticounterfeiting, special label, and high-density data encryption storage. With such excellent performances in functional colour applications, this colour-printing approach could pave the way for plasmonic colour printing in real-world commercial utilization. PMID:26567803

  5. Scalable, full-colour and controllable chromotropic plasmonic printing.

    PubMed

    Xue, Jiancai; Zhou, Zhang-Kai; Wei, Zhiqiang; Su, Rongbin; Lai, Juan; Li, Juntao; Li, Chao; Zhang, Tengwei; Wang, Xue-Hua

    2015-11-16

    Plasmonic colour printing has drawn wide attention as a promising candidate for the next-generation colour-printing technology. However, an efficient approach to realize full colour and scalable fabrication is still lacking, which prevents plasmonic colour printing from practical applications. Here we present a scalable and full-colour plasmonic printing approach by combining conjugate twin-phase modulation with a plasmonic broadband absorber. More importantly, our approach also demonstrates controllable chromotropic capability, that is, the ability of reversible colour transformations. This chromotropic capability affords enormous potentials in building functionalized prints for anticounterfeiting, special label, and high-density data encryption storage. With such excellent performances in functional colour applications, this colour-printing approach could pave the way for plasmonic colour printing in real-world commercial utilization.

  6. Fully roll-to-roll gravure printed rectenna on plastic foils for wireless power transmission at 13.56 MHz.

    PubMed

    Park, Hyejin; Kang, Hwiwon; Lee, Yonggil; Park, Yongsu; Noh, Jinsoo; Cho, Gyoujin

    2012-08-31

    Wireless power transmission to inexpensive and disposable smart electronic devices is one of the key issues for the realization of a ubiquitous society where sensor networks such as RFID tags, price tags, smart logos, signage and sensors could be fully interconnected and utilized by DC power of less than 0.3 W. This DC power can be provided by inductively coupled AC from a 13.56 MHz power transmitter through a rectenna, consisting of an antenna, a diode and a capacitor, which would be cheap to integrate with inexpensive smart electronic devices. To integrate the rectenna with a minimum cost, a roll-to-roll (R2R) gravure printing process has been considered to print the rectenna on plastic foils. In this paper, R2R gravure printing systems including printing condition and four different nanoparticle based inks will be reported to print the rectenna (antenna, diode and capacitor) on plastic foils at a printing speed of 8 m min(-1) and more than 90% device yield for a wireless power transmission of 0.3 W using a standard 13.56 MHz power transmitter.

  7. Fully roll-to-roll gravure printed rectenna on plastic foils for wireless power transmission at 13.56 MHz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Hyejin; Kang, Hwiwon; Lee, Yonggil; Park, Yongsu; Noh, Jinsoo; Cho, Gyoujin

    2012-08-01

    Wireless power transmission to inexpensive and disposable smart electronic devices is one of the key issues for the realization of a ubiquitous society where sensor networks such as RFID tags, price tags, smart logos, signage and sensors could be fully interconnected and utilized by DC power of less than 0.3 W. This DC power can be provided by inductively coupled AC from a 13.56 MHz power transmitter through a rectenna, consisting of an antenna, a diode and a capacitor, which would be cheap to integrate with inexpensive smart electronic devices. To integrate the rectenna with a minimum cost, a roll-to-roll (R2R) gravure printing process has been considered to print the rectenna on plastic foils. In this paper, R2R gravure printing systems including printing condition and four different nanoparticle based inks will be reported to print the rectenna (antenna, diode and capacitor) on plastic foils at a printing speed of 8 m min-1 and more than 90% device yield for a wireless power transmission of 0.3 W using a standard 13.56 MHz power transmitter.

  8. Direct Write Printing on Thin and Flexible Substrates for Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paquette, Beth

    2016-01-01

    This presentation describes the work done on direct-write printing conductive traces for a flexible detector application. A Repeatability Plan was established to define detector requirements, material and printer selections, printing facilities, and tests to verify requirements are met. Designs were created for the detector, and printed using an aerosol jet printer. Testing for requirement verification is ongoing.

  9. Rapid prototyping for tissue-engineered bone scaffold by 3D printing and biocompatibility study.

    PubMed

    He, Hui-Yu; Zhang, Jia-Yu; Mi, Xue; Hu, Yang; Gu, Xiao-Yu

    2015-01-01

    The prototyping of tissue-engineered bone scaffold (calcined goat spongy bone-biphasic ceramic composite/PVA gel) by 3D printing was performed, and the biocompatibility of the fabricated bone scaffold was studied. Pre-designed STL file was imported into the GXYZ303010-XYLE 3D printing system, and the tissue-engineered bone scaffold was fabricated by 3D printing using gel extrusion. Rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were cultured in vitro and then inoculated to the sterilized bone scaffold obtained by 3D printing. The growth of rabbit BMSCs on the bone scaffold was observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of the tissue-engineered bone scaffold on the proliferation and differentiation of rabbit BMSCs using MTT assay. Universal testing machine was adopted to test the tensile strength of the bone scaffold. The leachate of the bone scaffold was prepared and injected into the New Zealand rabbits. Cytotoxicity test, acute toxicity test, pyrogenic test and intracutaneous stimulation test were performed to assess the biocompatibility of the bone scaffold. Bone scaffold manufactured by 3D printing had uniform pore size with the porosity of about 68.3%. The pores were well interconnected, and the bone scaffold showed excellent mechanical property. Rabbit BMSCs grew and proliferated on the surface of the bone scaffold after adherence. MTT assay indicated that the proliferation and differentiation of rabbit BMSCs on the bone scaffold did not differ significantly from that of the cells in the control. In vivo experiments proved that the bone scaffold fabricated by 3D printing had no acute toxicity, pyrogenic reaction or stimulation. Bone scaffold manufactured by 3D printing allows the rabbit BMSCs to adhere, grow and proliferate and exhibits excellent biomechanical property and high biocompatibility. 3D printing has a good application prospect in the prototyping of tissue-engineered bone scaffold.

  10. Rapid prototyping for tissue-engineered bone scaffold by 3D printing and biocompatibility study

    PubMed Central

    He, Hui-Yu; Zhang, Jia-Yu; Mi, Xue; Hu, Yang; Gu, Xiao-Yu

    2015-01-01

    The prototyping of tissue-engineered bone scaffold (calcined goat spongy bone-biphasic ceramic composite/PVA gel) by 3D printing was performed, and the biocompatibility of the fabricated bone scaffold was studied. Pre-designed STL file was imported into the GXYZ303010-XYLE 3D printing system, and the tissue-engineered bone scaffold was fabricated by 3D printing using gel extrusion. Rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were cultured in vitro and then inoculated to the sterilized bone scaffold obtained by 3D printing. The growth of rabbit BMSCs on the bone scaffold was observed under the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of the tissue-engineered bone scaffold on the proliferation and differentiation of rabbit BMSCs using MTT assay. Universal testing machine was adopted to test the tensile strength of the bone scaffold. The leachate of the bone scaffold was prepared and injected into the New Zealand rabbits. Cytotoxicity test, acute toxicity test, pyrogenic test and intracutaneous stimulation test were performed to assess the biocompatibility of the bone scaffold. Bone scaffold manufactured by 3D printing had uniform pore size with the porosity of about 68.3%. The pores were well interconnected, and the bone scaffold showed excellent mechanical property. Rabbit BMSCs grew and proliferated on the surface of the bone scaffold after adherence. MTT assay indicated that the proliferation and differentiation of rabbit BMSCs on the bone scaffold did not differ significantly from that of the cells in the control. In vivo experiments proved that the bone scaffold fabricated by 3D printing had no acute toxicity, pyrogenic reaction or stimulation. Bone scaffold manufactured by 3D printing allows the rabbit BMSCs to adhere, grow and proliferate and exhibits excellent biomechanical property and high biocompatibility. 3D printing has a good application prospect in the prototyping of tissue-engineered bone scaffold. PMID:26380018

  11. Advanced Plasmonic Materials for Dynamic Color Display.

    PubMed

    Shao, Lei; Zhuo, Xiaolu; Wang, Jianfang

    2018-04-01

    Plasmonic structures exhibit promising applications in high-resolution and durable color generation. Research on advanced hybrid plasmonic materials that allow dynamically reconfigurable color control has developed rapidly in recent years. Some of these results may give rise to practically applicable reflective displays in living colors with high performance and low power consumption. They will attract broad interest from display markets, compared with static plasmonic color printing, for example, in applications such as digital signage, full-color electronic paper, and electronic device screens. In this progress report, the most promising recent examples of utilizing advanced plasmonic materials for the realization of dynamic color display are highlighted and put into perspective. The performances, advantages, and disadvantages of different technologies are discussed, with emphasis placed on both the potential and possible limitations of various hybrid materials for dynamic plasmonic color display. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Zero-dimensional to three-dimensional nanojoining: current status and potential applications

    DOE PAGES

    Ma, Ying; Li, Hong; Bridges, Denzel; ...

    2016-08-01

    We report that the continuing miniaturization of microelectronics is pushing advanced manufacturing into nanomanufacturing. Nanojoining is a bottom-up assembly technique that enables functional nanodevice fabrication with dissimilar nanoscopic building blocks and/or molecular components. Various conventional joining techniques have been modified and re-invented for joining nanomaterials. Our review surveys recent progress in nanojoining methods, as compared to conventional joining processes. Examples of nanojoining are given and classified by the dimensionality of the joining materials. At each classification, nanojoining is reviewed and discussed according to materials specialties, low dimensional processing features, energy input mechanisms and potential applications. The preparation of new intermetallicmore » materials by reactive nanoscale multilayer foils based on self-propagating high-temperature synthesis is highlighted. This review will provide insight into nanojoining fundamentals and innovative applications in power electronics packaging, plasmonic devices, nanosoldering for printable electronics, 3D printing and space manufacturing.« less

  13. High-Fidelity 3D-Nanoprinting via Focused Electron Beams: Computer-Aided Design (3BID)

    DOE PAGES

    Fowlkes, Jason D.; Winkler, Robert; Lewis, Brett B.; ...

    2018-02-14

    Currently, there are few techniques that allow true 3D-printing on the nanoscale. The most promising candidate to fill this void is focused electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID), a resist-free, nanofabrication compatible, direct-write method. The basic working principles of a computer-aided design (CAD) program (3BID) enabling 3D-FEBID is presented and simultaneously released for download. The 3BID capability significantly expands the currently limited toolbox for 3D-nanoprinting, providing access to geometries for optoelectronic, plasmonic, and nanomagnetic applications that were previously unattainable due to the lack of a suitable method for synthesis. In conclusion, the CAD approach supplants trial and error toward more precise/accurate FEBID requiredmore » for real applications/device prototyping.« less

  14. High-Fidelity 3D-Nanoprinting via Focused Electron Beams: Computer-Aided Design (3BID)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fowlkes, Jason D.; Winkler, Robert; Lewis, Brett B.

    Currently, there are few techniques that allow true 3D-printing on the nanoscale. The most promising candidate to fill this void is focused electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID), a resist-free, nanofabrication compatible, direct-write method. The basic working principles of a computer-aided design (CAD) program (3BID) enabling 3D-FEBID is presented and simultaneously released for download. The 3BID capability significantly expands the currently limited toolbox for 3D-nanoprinting, providing access to geometries for optoelectronic, plasmonic, and nanomagnetic applications that were previously unattainable due to the lack of a suitable method for synthesis. In conclusion, the CAD approach supplants trial and error toward more precise/accurate FEBID requiredmore » for real applications/device prototyping.« less

  15. Preparation and Microcosmic Structural Analysis of Recording Coating on Inkjet Printing Media

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Bo; Liu, Weiyan; Bai, Yongping; Huang, Yudong; Liu, Li; Han, Jianping

    2011-01-01

    Preparation of recording coating on inkjet printing (RC-IJP) media was proposed. The microstructure and roughness of RC-IJP was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The surface infiltration process of RC-IJP was studied by a liquid infiltration instrument. The distribution of C, O and Si composites on recording coating surface is analyzed by energy dispersive spectrum (EDS). The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the nanoscale silica could be dissolved uniformly in water. Finally, the print color is shown clearly by the preparative recording coating. PMID:21954368

  16. Current Trends on Medical and Pharmaceutical Applications of Inkjet Printing Technology.

    PubMed

    Scoutaris, Nicolaos; Ross, Steven; Douroumis, Dennis

    2016-08-01

    Inkjet printing is an attractive material deposition and patterning technology that has received significant attention in the recent years. It has been exploited for novel applications including high throughput screening, pharmaceutical formulations, medical devices and implants. Moreover, inkjet printing has been implemented in cutting-edge 3D-printing healthcare areas such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Recent inkjet advances enabled 3D printing of artificial cartilage and skin, or cell constructs for transplantation therapies. In the coming years inkjet printing is anticipated to revolutionize personalized medicine and push the innovation portfolio by offering new paths in patient - specific treatments.

  17. Structural Integration of Silicon Solar Cells and Lithium-ion Batteries Using Printed Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Jin Sung

    Inkjet printing of electrode using copper nanoparticle ink is presented. Electrode was printed on a flexible glass epoxy composite substrate using drop on demand piezoelectric dispenser and was sintered at 200°C in N 2 gas condition. The printed electrodes were made with various widths and thicknesses. Surface morphology of electrode was analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Reliable dimensions for printed electronics were found from this study. Single-crystalline silicon solar cells were tested under four-point bending to find the feasibility of directly integrating them onto a carbon fiber/epoxy composite laminate. These solar cells were not able to withstand 0.2% strain. On the other hand, thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells were subjected to flexural fatigue loadings. The current density-voltage curves were analyzed at different cycles, and there was no noticeable degradation on its performance up to 100 cycles. A multifunctional composite laminate which can harvest and store solar energy was fabricated using printed electrodes. The integrated printed circuit board (PCB) was co-cured with a carbon/epoxy composite laminate by the vacuum bag molding process in an autoclave; an amorphous silicon solar cell and a thin-film solid state lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery were adhesively joined and electrically connected to a thin flexible PCB; and then the passive components such as resistors and diodes were electrically connected to the printed circuit board by silver pasting. Since a thin-film solid state Li-ion battery was not able to withstand tensile strain above 0.4%, thin Li-ion polymer batteries were tested under various mechanical loadings and environmental conditions to find the feasibility of using the polymer batteries for our multifunctional purpose. It was found that the Li-ion polymer batteries were stable under pressure and tensile loading without any noticeable degradation on its charge and discharge performances. Also, the active materials did not decompose at 80°C, and the battery was performing well under low temperature of -27°C. Lastly, the batteries were embedded inside a carbon fiber/epoxy composite laminate to characterize their performance under fatigue loading. Finally, an intense pulsed light (IPL) was used to sinter printed silver nanoink patterns. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to find grain size of printed silver nanoink patterns. From these analyses it was confirmed that IPL is able to adequately sinter silver nanoink patterns for printed electronics without degradation of the substrates in less than 30 ms.

  18. 75 FR 41524 - Cranston Print Works Company, Webster Division, Webster, MA; Cranston Print Works Company...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-16

    ... Print Works Company, Webster Division, Webster, MA; Cranston Print Works Company, Corporate Offices..., 2009, applicable to workers of Cranston Print Works Company, Webster Division, Webster, Massachusetts... certification to include workers from Cranston Print Works Company, Corporate Offices, Cranston, Rhode Island...

  19. Laser printing of 3D metallic interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beniam, Iyoel; Mathews, Scott A.; Charipar, Nicholas A.; Auyeung, Raymond C. Y.; Piqué, Alberto

    2016-04-01

    The use of laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) techniques for the printing of functional materials has been demonstrated for numerous applications. The printing gives rise to patterns, which can be used to fabricate planar interconnects. More recently, various groups have demonstrated electrical interconnects from laser-printed 3D structures. The laser printing of these interconnects takes place through aggregation of voxels of either molten metal or of pastes containing dispersed metallic particles. However, the generated 3D structures do not posses the same metallic conductivity as a bulk metal interconnect of the same cross-section and length as those formed by wire bonding or tab welding. An alternative is to laser transfer entire 3D structures using a technique known as lase-and-place. Lase-and-place is a LIFT process whereby whole components and parts can be transferred from a donor substrate onto a desired location with one single laser pulse. This paper will describe the use of LIFT to laser print freestanding, solid metal foils or beams precisely over the contact pads of discrete devices to interconnect them into fully functional circuits. Furthermore, this paper will also show how the same laser can be used to bend or fold the bulk metal foils prior to transfer, thus forming compliant 3D structures able to provide strain relief for the circuits under flexing or during motion from thermal mismatch. These interconnect "ridges" can span wide gaps (on the order of a millimeter) and accommodate height differences of tens of microns between adjacent devices. Examples of these laser printed 3D metallic bridges and their role in the development of next generation electronics by additive manufacturing will be presented.

  20. Print versus Electronic: Editors' Insights on the Costs and Benefits of Online Journals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angell, Brian D.; Smith, Gabie E.

    1998-01-01

    Responses from 26 of 40 editors of electronic journals indicates that 57% were motivated to go online by creative possibilities; only 42% had existing print-journal counterparts; 34.6% felt they reach a broader or different audience online; and 50% felt online journals were less costly and had the advantage of speed of production. (SK)

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