Fabrication of conductive structures in volumetric additive manufacturing through embedded 3-D printing for electronic applications

Abstract

This study investigates the fabrication of conductive structures for electronics applications using embedded 3-D printing coupled with Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM). Electrically conductive carbon grease was suspended within a resin matrix, and the samples underwent VAM printing and post-processing. The resulting three dimensional conductive structure was measured to have a resistance of 4.5 kΩ, corresponding well with the material specifications. The results showed the importance of complete encapsulation of the conductive material within the resin to preserve the conductive structure. The resistivity of the conductive grease remained unaffected, indicating no interaction with the resin. Potential enhancements to improve the structure's fidelity and broaden its range of applications is discussed. This research highlights the potential of embedded 3-D printing for fabricating conductive structures in VAM. The fabrication method allows for unprecedented avenues in developing electronic applications, such as smart sensing, smart drug delivery and cyborganics.