The Advantages of Additively Manufactured Electronics

The first advantage of AME that will be discussed is the increased potential of miniaturization. Not only electronic traces but also coils and capacitors can easily be imprinted in the dielectric substrate. This leads to more available space on the surface for chips that cannot be printed, increasing the possible packing density. Some of the available and upcoming AME systems come with an integrated pick & place device, increasing the miniaturization potential even further by also allowing to embed COTS components during the print.

With this and the potential to shape the dielectric substrate according to the available space in the system, it is possible to squeeze electronic functionalities in spaces that would not be accessible with traditional technologies. Thus, not only on the single AME structure, the packing density is higher, but also on a system level, it is possible to fit more functionality in a predefined space.

The next step towards miniaturization is the potential to omit traditional chip packages and directly embed the bare dies into the AME structure. With the dispensing-like processes, the resolution required for contacting bare die chips can be achieved, and avoiding traditional chip packages saves a significant amount of space. Furthermore, the flexibility in contacting and embedding bare die chips offers the potential for creating customized system-in-packages (SiP). In those structures, different off-the-shelf chips are combined in one single package, allowing for a high level of customization using standard chip components. Being able to connect the chips by printing instead of wire-bonding leads to a more stable and reliable connection. In the case of RF applications, wire-bonds usually represent a disturbance that needs to be considered in the design of the RF circuit.

Further advantages of AME in RF systems include the possibility of creating coaxial lines inside the dielectric substrates. The coaxial traces can then be routed smoothly, tremendously reducing reflections and therefore increasing the performance significantly. The shielding of the coaxial lines additionally avoids unwanted crosstalk with neighboring traces and yields much better EMC results than traditional “open” microstrip lines. This avoidance of crosstalk and the low level of reflections through smooth routing, combined with the coaxial line propagation mode, also lead to better signal integrity.

For more complex RF devices than transmission lines, AME shows some potential advantages over traditional manufacturing methods as well. These include the manufacturing of RF filters using the high reproducibility of the AME systems. This way, manual tuning of the filters can be reduced to a minimum. When it comes to antennas, the new freedom of design allows for the realization of antenna concepts. This is not only valid for single radiator elements but whole arrays can be printed, reducing the assembly effort tremendously.

In conclusion, this article showed that the exciting field of AME is also rather complex. There is a large set of different processes and an even larger set of potential applications. To guide you through this technology, the J.A.M.E.S engineers are the right address to support you. Having an expert overview of the growing number of materials, processes, possible process combinations and applications, J.A.M.E.S helps you make your AME project a success.

Ready to push the boundaries of 3D-printed electronics? Join us at Electronica 2024 from November 12-15 at Messe München. Visit our team at Hall B4, Booth 259 to dive into our latest applications and explore the future of electronics firsthand. For more event details, head to our event page.