We present the direct printing of thin (linewidth of 70 μm) conductive lines from molten solder on thin, flexible substrates. The lines are generated via the so-called StarJet technology that enables the printing of micro jets from molten metal. In this work, metal lines are printed for the first time on flexible substrates, possibly enabling applications in the field of printed electronics. The printed lines are evaluated regarding their mechanical and electrical properties. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first time that direct printing of a functional metallization, requiring no further treatment, on a flexible polymer substrate was demonstrated. The lines exhibit a low ohmic resistance and can endure shear forces of up to 3.5 N on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates.
Zhe Shu, Björn Gerdes, Michael Fechtig, Lutz Riegger, Roland Zengerle, Peter Koltay, "Direct Printing of Conductive Metal Lines from Molten Solder Jets via StarJet Technology on Thin, Flexible Polymer Substrates" in Proc. IS&T Printing for Fabrication: Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP34), 2018, pp 72 - 75, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2018.34.72