Direct Write Technologies are being utilized in antennas, engineered structures, sensors, and tissue engineering. One form of the Direct Write Technologies is Maskless Mesoscale Material Deposition (M3D) for Optomec, Inc. M3D is a process that uses aerosol formation, transport and deposition. Inks for the M3D utilize nano-particles in suspension for deposition. Several different conductive inks were deposited with M3D and characterized for electrical resistivity and microstructure. Soft magnetic material was formulated as an ink suspension, deposited and characterized.
This paper will report on the results obtained after sintering conductive nano-particle inks and soft magnetic material. Sintering was performed with a 2W frequency doubled Nd:YAG CW laser, a conventional muffle furnace and a novel photonic curing method. Depositions of various conductive inks were examined for physical dimensions (width and thickness) and microstructure. A study of the sintering characteristics if these ink was also included. This paper will also report on the results obtained from depositing a soft magnetic material. Permeability results were calculated from magnetic structures created with the deposition. These results are compared to conventional methods of soft magnetic material formation and construction. Physical properties of the deposited inks are also measured and reported.