Development of Multi-Layer Circuitry Using Electrically Conductive Adhesive and Low-Temperature Solder Material for Surface-Mount Component Attachment

The increased versatility in the design and manufacturing of components in low volumes, as well as the shorter time between design and prototype, has increased interest in the field of additively printed electronics. The ability to directly print on a variety of substrates, whether rigid, flexible, or conformable, provides several benefits over conventional electronics fabrication methods. Furthermore, the growing complexity of flexible electronics necessitates the development of multilayered circuits similar to traditional PCBs to decrease the volumetric and gravimetric effect of the underlying electronics. Using z-axis interconnections with dielectric materials, which may allow or prevent the connection between two layers, is one method of reaching several layers of circuits. In this paper, a working multilayer circuitry test vehicle is designed and additively printed using the direct-write method. The circuit model involves conductive and dielectric ink printing, as well as passive and active component attachments using an electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) and low-temperature solder (LTS). The study also shows details about the process of developing dielectric printing parameters for microvias for multilayer z-axis interconnections.