Soft Microreactors for the Deposition of Conductive Metallic Traces on Planar, Embossed, and Curved Surfaces

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2018-10, Vol.28 (40), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Konda, Abhiteja, Rau, Advaith, Stoller, Michael A., Taylor, Jay M., Salam, Abdul, Pribil, Gabriel A., Argyropoulos, Christos, Morin, Stephen A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antennas; Circuits; Conductivity; Copper; Deposition; electroless deposition; Electroless plating; Electronic components; Electronic devices; Embossing; Form factors; Inorganic materials; Materials science; Materials selection; Metallizing; microfluidics; Microreactors; patterned metallization; Polymers; printed circuit boards; Production methods; Substrates; Toys; Weight
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201803020

Advanced manufacturing strategies have enabled large‐scale, economical, and efficient production of electronic components that are an integral part of various consumer products ranging from simple toys to intricate computing systems; however, the circuitry for these components is (by and large) produced via top‐down lithography and is thus limited to planar surfaces. The present work demonstrates the use of reconfigurable soft microreactors for the patterned deposition of conductive copper traces on flat and embossed two‐dimensional (2D) substrates as well as nonplanar substrates made from different commodity plastics. Using localized, flow‐assisted, low‐temperature, electroless copper deposition, conductive metallic traces are fabricated, which, when combined with various off‐the‐shelf electronic components, enabled the production of simple circuits and antennas with unique form factors. This solution‐phase approach to the patterned deposition of functional inorganic materials selectively on different polymeric components will provide relatively simple, inexpensive processing opportunities for the fabrication of 2D/nonplanar devices when compared to complicated manufacturing methods such as laser‐directed structuring. Further, this approach to the patterned metallization of different commodity plastics offers unique design opportunities applicable to the fabrication of planar and nonplanar electronic and interconnect devices, and other free‐form electronics with less structural “bloat” and weight (by directly coating support elements with circuitry). A simple, microfluidic‐directed, solution‐phase approach to the patterned metallization of planar and nonplanar polymeric substrates that have smooth/textured surfaces and/or embossed features is described. These commodity plastic parts, when combined with various off‐the‐shelf electronic components, enabled the fabrication of simple electronic circuits and antennas on two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional parts.