Enabling Rapid Production and Mass Customisation of Electronics Using Digitally Driven Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Techniques

Additive Manufacturing processes can facilitate the rapid iterative product development of electronic devices by optimising their design and functionality. In addition, these methods present a number of potential advantages for improving the production speed and complexity of mass customised and bespoke electronics. In this paper, we present a new digitally driven hybrid fabrication process chain, capable of producing functional, multilayer electronics embedded within geometrically complex 3D printed structures. This has been achieved by interleaving stereolithography, micro-dispensing and surface mount assembly. The resultant combination of different template-less manufacturing techniques enables both the formation of multi-material circuits (conductors and dielectrics) and where the package housing encapsulates the electronics and forms part of the final 3D device. This paper also details the developments around depositing novel freestanding z-axis interconnects. A 555 timer circuit with flashing LED manufactured within a 3D pyramid was used as a demonstrator. The demonstrator contained circuits with feature sizes down to 170µm, and packaged components of 0603 size, a Small Outline Integrated Circuit (SOIC) and a SMD LED. In addition, flip chip packaging on 3D printed substrates has been demonstrated.