Direct Manufacturing Technology for High‐Precision Follow‐the‐Shape Circuits on Complex, Hard, Curved Surfaces

Abstract

Abstract3D curved electronics are a trend in the microelectronics industry, but conformal printing of circuits on complex curved surfaces remains challenging, especially for electronics comprising concave surfaces with large curvature. In this study, a new manufacturing method is proposed for follow‐the‐shape circuits, using high‐precision direct printing technology to print circuits on hard, arbitrarily curved surfaces. A circuit with any complex curved surface can be directly digitized and programmed for fully autonomous and controlled printing without indirect transfer or pad printing processing. The proposed direct printing method begins with using unique 3D projection technology to map a 2D planar functional circuit onto a 3D digital curved surface. The next step is directly printing the integrated circuit on a complex surface by controlled planning of the spatial motion trajectory, high‐frequency drive control of the precision nozzle, and precise switching control of the heterogeneous functional material. Optimal printing parameters are obtained by exploring the main factors affecting molding quality and electrical conductivity of curved surface circuits. Simple examples, such as an acoustic‐optic touch time‐delay three‐control multifunction system, demonstrate the feasibility and broad potential of the proposed technology.