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TechBlick's The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA - Why Should You Join Us? The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA (Boston, 11 & 12 June 2025) - co located with the Wearables RESHAPED conference - is nearly a month away. It features a world-class agenda with over 70 presentations covering exciting material breakthroughs, process innovations, manufacturing advances, application developments, and product launches. This is the only event in North America dedicated to additive, printed, sustainable, hybrid, wearable and 3D electronics. See the program  here.   In this article series, we highlight various talks in the program, outlining the technologies and applications that will be showcased. In a previous article we highlighted some process innovations ( here)  and material innovations ( here ) which will showcased In this particular article, we focus on the following Wearable devices and continuous healthcare/vital signs monitoring Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) in biosensors, wound care, and neural simulation Wearable sensor manufacturing Electronic textile development and manufacturing Pioneering R&D in wearable sensors and FHE Enabling materials (inks, substrates, adhesives) and technologies for wearable sensors, biosensors and e-textiles Wearable Healthcare Monitoring Patches and Biosensors GE Healthcare is invited to explore wearable physiological and molecular monitoring patches designed for both medical and defense applications, single-use Vital Signs Monitoring (VSM) patch continuously tracks ECG, respiration, pulse oximetry, skin temperature, and motion for up to three days, and complementary ISF-based patch using microneedles and screen-printed sensors to detect biomarkers like lactate and cortisol, enabling real-time biochemical monitoring from interstitial fluid [exact abstract to be confirmed] Epicore Biosystems presents the Connected Hydration system, a wearable platform for real-time monitoring of sweat rate, sodium loss, fluid intake, and skin temperature. Combining electrofluidic sensors, haptic feedback, and mobile app integration, the system supports personalized hydration strategies and workplace safety during heat stress. Field studies confirm improved outcomes for individuals and organizations. Spark Biomedical is invited to showcase a wearable flexible neurostimulation device developed to address women's health conditions through non-invasive, drug-free therapy. The system delivers targeted electrical stimulation via a soft, adaptable circuit, enabling continuous, comfortable wear. This bioelectronic approach reflects Spark Biomedical’s mission to advance personalized, accessible healthcare solutions through wearable neurotechnology [exact abstract to be confirmed] GlucoModicum introduces Talisman, a needle-free continuous glucose monitor (CGM) using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) technology. The wearable system includes a reusable device, replaceable sensors, and app connectivity. Clinical trials show a MARD of 13%, with no adverse skin effects — positioning Talisman as a safe, accurate, and accessible CGM for global diabetes care. GrapheneDX presents a low-cost, disposable diagnostic platform using graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) for multiplexed detection of proteins, small molecules, and nucleic acids. Built on scalable silicon wafer technology, the instrument-free platform delivers fast, accurate results and enables accessible, decentralized healthcare diagnostics worldwide. IdentifySensors is invited to present their digital diagnostic platform leveraging printed graphene ink biosensors for rapid, multiplexed detection of infections. The system integrates solid-state graphene semiconductors into a Bluetooth-connected device that analyzes saliva samples without reagents or amplification. This technology delivers PCR-level accuracy within minutes, offering decentralized, point-of-care diagnostics [exact abstract to be confirmed] Innovosens is invited to introduce their non-invasive, multiparametric wearable sweat sensor for continuous tracking of glucose and lactate. Designed for personalized health, training, and wellness monitoring, this wearable sensor enables real-time metabolic insights through a skin-interfaced patch—unlocking new possibilities for non-invasive, data-driven care and performance optimization [exact abstract to be confirmed] Electronic Textiles Human Systems Integration, Inc. details TacMON, a compression eGarment platform using soft electronics embedded directly into stretchable textiles for physiological monitoring in high-performance environments. Tested in U.S. Air Force cockpits, TacMON delivers reliable ECG and respiratory signals under motion and stress, offering enhanced comfort, durability, and long-term usability. NextFlex presents collaborative work with AFFOA and Drexel University on integrating additively manufactured hybrid electronics into functional fabrics for soldier-worn systems. The team embedded sensors, communication nodes, and computing into garments like shirts and helmets, enabling situational and physiological monitoring. The platform also shows promise for civilian uses in safety and performance tracking. Nautilus Defense showcases a method for directly attaching chiplets to embroidered conductive yarn networks at 180 µm pitch, enabling scalable, flexible textile-integrated systems. This approach preserves fabric softness while embedding dense electronics, merging textile and semiconductor manufacturing for high-throughput, comfortable, wearable sensor platforms. Fraunhofer IZM will present on stretchable electronics with a specific focus on smart patches for wound monitoring Manufacturing Wearables Linxens discusses the development of advanced electronic skin patches and wearable sensors for medical applications. Leveraging printed electronics, novel materials, and scalable processes, Linxens is enabling continuous health monitoring through miniaturized, cost-effective devices. The talk explores how integrated technologies are shaping the future of proactive, personalized healthcare. VTT offers a practical guide to scaling up wearable medical devices using pilot line services like MedPhab. He explains how partnerships with RTOs help assess technology readiness, identify risks, and bridge gaps through structured design reviews. Conductive Technologies will share their experience as a key contract manufacturer on how to commercially succeed in mass producing - via printing - wearable sensors. Pioneering Applied Research Holst Centre presents hybrid printed electronics as a key enabler for smart wound care, enabling flexible, sensor-integrated dressings that track healing markers like temperature, oxygen, and pH. The talk highlights progress in eco-friendly materials, clinical testing, and the challenges of multimodal sensor integration. Scalable manufacturing and cross-sector collaboration are vital to bring these next-generation medical devices to market. Massachusetts General Hospital/Mass General Research Institute is invited to present the Ink-Net, a 256-channel dense EEG system using high-resistance polymer thick film (PTF) technology for improved safety and MRI compatibility. Compared to copper-wired nets, the Ink-Net shows minimal heating at 7T and reduced MRI signal artifacts at 3T, enabling high-quality, simultaneous dEEG and MRI recordings. Georgia Institute of Technology reports advances in soft, wearable bioelectronics for real-time health monitoring, diagnostics, and human-machine interfaces. His team develops hybrid-material systems such as AR-integrated brain sensors, energy harvesters, and drug response monitors. The talk highlights in vitro/in vivo results and emphasizes translation from research to commercialization and education in sustainable biomedical innovation. ÉTS Montréal will also present on A.I.-enhanced wearable flexible hybrid electronic sensing platforms for health applications Enabling Technologies - Inks, Substrates, Adhesives, and Communication Protocols NGK Insulators introduces ultra-thin, semi-solid-state Li-ion batteries designed for medical and healthcare wearables. Featuring crystal-oriented ceramic electrodes and minimal liquid electrolyte, the batteries offer enhanced safety, fast charging, and long cycle life. The talk details how this advanced battery platform supports the growing demands of next-generation wearable devices. AmbAI explores how Ambient IoT is bridging AI with the physical world through advances in standards and sensing technologies. As a founding member of the Ambient IoT Alliance, AmbAI highlights real-world use cases where ubiquitous, low-power sensing enables smarter operations, customer experiences, and business models—extending AI beyond digital interfaces into everyday environments. Nagase ChemteX unveils next-generation stretchable conductive inks designed for wearable electronics that endure repeated bending, stretching, and washing. The talk explores challenges in achieving adhesion, conductivity retention, and durability, and highlights material innovations shaping the future of flexible, high-performance printed devices. Policrom Screens Spa introduces ELECROM STRETCH, a TPU-based substrate and encapsulation system that overcomes traditional printing and processing challenges for wearable circuits. Designed to maintain elasticity, dimensional accuracy, and conductivity through multi-layer builds, the system enables reliable integration of stretchable electronics—such as pressure sensors in gloves—into textiles. ACI Materials presents advanced printable conductors that enable fully additive manufacturing of durable flexible hybrid electronics (FHE), wearables, and e-textiles. The talk highlights high-resolution, solderable inks that support denser circuit designs and improved reliability under harsh conditions. Cost-effective material sets for stretchable and formable e-textiles, including direct transfer methods, are also discussed. Sun Chemical discusses the evolving requirements for inks used in electrochemical biosensors across medical, wearable, environmental, and cosmetic applications. The talk explores key material properties, performance evaluation methods, and the challenges in formulating inks that meet sensitivity, stability, and biocompatibility demands in next-generation sensor systems. Creative Materials Inc offers comparative study on skin-interface materials for ECG monitoring, evaluating Elefix paste, dry electrodes, and OmniWAVE against traditional hydrogels. Results suggest improved signal clarity, stability, and patient comfort with these alternatives, particularly for long-term use. The talk explores each material’s performance and potential to enhance ECG reliability and user experience.

Author: Dr. Erika Rebrosova, Electronic Materials Technology Manager at Sun Chemical Corp Biosensor Applications Biosensor applications are a growth application area, where material technologies, bioengineering and sensor design are continuously and rapidly evolving. Among the various types of biosensors, electrochemical (EC) biosensors are relevant for the printing industry as some of the components of EC biosensors are already being manufactured by printing technologies. The end applications for electrochemical (EC) biosensors are shown in Figure 1. In medical diagnostics and health monitoring , printed EC biosensors are used to monitor glucose levels in diabetic patients, detect pathogens, and identify biomarkers for diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular conditions. They enable immediate analysis of biological samples, such as blood or saliva, allowing for quick decision-making and timely medical interventions. In the pharmaceutical industry , they are employed for drug development and monitoring therapeutic drug levels in patients. In environmental monitoring, these biosensors help detect pollutants, heavy metals, and pesticides in water and soil, ensuring environmental safety and compliance with regulations. The food and agriculture industry benefits from screen-printed biosensors by using them to detect contaminants, pathogens, and allergens, thereby ensuring food safety and quality. Portability and ease of use make them ideal for on-field testing, providing quick and reliable results without the need for complex and large laboratory equipment. Figure 1. Example end-applications of electrochemical biosensors Printing in Manufacturing of Biosensors Among printing processes, screen printing is the dominant process in electronics manufacturing, including manufacturing of electrodes for biosensors, where it has been used for many years. Biosensors with screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) have a wide range of applications due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness. Screen printing is ideally suited for mass production, which is essential for meeting the high demand for medical and environmental biosensors. Screen printing has proven its value due to easy scalability during the recent pandemic and the ensuing increase in demand for biosensors for rapid Covid-19 testing. Screen printing is an additive printing process offering high precision, accuracy and consistency; all of which are important for reliability of an analytical device. We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston . Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend SPEs are most often used in the electrochemical (EC) type of biosensors, where high sensitivity and selectivity is needed for accurate detection of various analytes even at low concentrations. There are special considerations for designing and processing materials for EC sensing. The electrode surface is the place of interaction between an analyte and sensor cell. Materials for sensing electrodes are required to induce an electrical response due to chemical and biological reactions on the electrode surface. Therefore, the surface quality, functionality and high consistency of printed electrodes is of critical importance. The electrical response can be, for example, in the form of voltage potential difference, electrical current levels, or conductivity/impedance changes. EC performance requirements also need to coincide with the process requirements for screen printing, like having suitable rheology, curing dynamics, processing stability, reliability, and biocompatibility. The single-use blood-glucose test strip is the best-known example of an electrochemical biosensor device. While the “finger-prick” technology may appear out-of-fashion compared to the newer devices such as insulin pumps or continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), the test strips are often used alongside higher-tech monitors and are therefore still an essential part of diabetes management. SPEs are used for both single-use glucose test strips and CGM sensors. Screen-printed EC biosensors are revolutionizing the point-of-care (POC) industry by offering accessible, cost-effective, and efficient healthcare solutions. This technology not only reduces the dependency on centralized laboratories but also enhances and accelerates patient care by delivering results in real time. They are designed to be portable and user-friendly, making them ideal for use in clinics, homes, and even remote locations. Additionally, using EC biosensor devices for biomedical analysis is considered less invasive and less stressful for the patient/user. In addition, recent advances in screen printing technologies, for example high-resolution capable emulsions, high open area stainless steel meshes and fine-line printable functional inks, enable miniaturisation of sensor electrodes for more advanced sensor designs. Smaller footprint and thinner sensors are ideal for integration into wearable devices. Higher electrode density is needed for multiplex biomarker detection on a single transducer for POC biosensor applications. We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston . Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend SunSens Materials Solutions from Sun Chemical Sun Chemical is a leading manufacturer of inks, coatings, and pigments, supplying a diverse range of products to numerous industries. In electronics applications, Sun Chemical’s materials are used, for example, in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, advanced solar cells, flexible switches and displays for human-machine interface, and a variety of printed biosensors used for medical diagnostics, health monitoring, environmental monitoring, and food safety. The SunSens product range, designed for EC biosensor applications, includes a wide range of conductive inks for screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) , such as working, counter and reference electrodes. Other materials on offer are dielectric or insulator pastes , which are used in the EC sensor construction to precisely define sensing areas and insulate and protect the sensor’s circuitry. When selecting materials for SPE-based electrochemical sensors, it is important to find the best balance between optimum sensitivity, signal response, processability, reliability and cost. The key functional materials for EC biosensors are conductive pastes for working electrodes, as this is the primary detection surface. Figure 2 shows a variety of SPE designs printed with SunSens pastes. Figure 2. Screen-Printed Electrodes SunSens carbon conductive pastes and mediated carbon pastes are suitable for working electrodes used in multiple electrochemical techniques and detection methods. The pastes based on precious metals, such as gold and platinum, are used for immuno-electrochemical assays or applications where high conductivity, inertness and oxidation resistance are important. For reference electrodes, Silver/Silver Chloride (Ag/AgCl) pastes with different ratios of Ag-to-AgCl are available to accommodate the requirements of various EC sensors designs and detection methods. More information about the SunSens products can be found at https://www.sunchemical.com/product/sunsens_sensors/ Sun Chemical’s SunSens team, with their extensive expertise and experience in biosensor materials design and applications, works continuously on new materials and electrochemical characterization methods to address the needs and new requirements of this exciting field. Along with the medical quality (ISO13485) certified manufacturing facilities, Sun Chemical is more than materials supplier, it is a partner for your next biosensor development project. We are Exhibiting in Boston and Berlin. Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston 22-23 October 2025 in Berlin Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend

TechBlick's The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA - Why Should You Join Us? The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA (Boston, 11 & 12 June 2025) is less than 6 weeks away. It features a world-class agenda with over 70 presentations covering exciting material breakthroughs, process innovations, manufacturing advances, application developments, and product launches.  This is the only event in North America dedicated to additive, printed, sustainable, hybrid, wearable and 3D electronics. See the program  here.   In this article series, we highlight various talks in the program, outlining the technologies and applications that will be showcased. In a previous article we highlighted some process innovations that will be showcased (see  here). In this particular article, we focus on some of the material innovations that will be showcased in the program from around the world, featuring copper inks and molecular ink systems, liquid metal materials and applications, sustainable PCBs, printable EAPs, high temperature inks, printable nickel and more. In subsequent articles, we cover further material, process and application innovations that will be showcased in the program. Copper Innovations Copper has long been considered an attractive alternative to silver in conductive inks due to its inherent cost advantages as well as its compatibility with IPC standards for reliable solder joints. However, it has not been an easy path developing a copper ink/paste that prints well, dries/cures within normal conditions and is stable and oxidation free.  At the Future of Electronics RESHAPED in Boston (11&12 June 2025)   we will highlight a novel of innovations advancing copper ink/paste technology Priways (Japan) : Minari-san will report on a novel approach to forming air stable and highly conducting copper-nickel complex inks. Here, Cu-Ni inks can form uniform Cu@Ni core-shell nanostructures by a self-assembling process, resulting in the nickel coating on the surface. Thus, the addition of nickel overcomes the weakness of conventional copper inks, achieving high oxidation resistance and high electrical conductivity. The formed Cu-Ni wiring shows high conductivity of 10 μΩ cm and the high oxidation resistance can be maintained at 180°C. This is a novel and promising approach to achieving air stable copper inks. University of Maryland (USA): Most nanomaterial based copper inks are highly susceptible to oxidation. Here, Prof. Ren reports on their work developing a printable copper precursor-based ink based on molecular decomposition. This approach not only results in high performance copper materials, but also gives rise to printed structures that can remain stable for long periods even under extreme conditions such as 1000C. This demonstrates a promising approach to the development of printable stable copper inks. Copprint (Israel): This team has long developed a screen printable copper ink system that can meet many commercial requirements such as low-temperature and rapid sintering, stability and even solderability, making it a viable commercial choice in printed electronics and even additive PCB production. Here Dr Grouchko  will offer a masterclass where you can learn about practical techniques and tips for applying and adopting copper inks, even in existing lines. You will learn important insights about scale up of copper ink production. Finally, you will learn about a large array of applications in which copper inks deliver value together with supporting data. These applications range from wafer-based PV to RFID to aluminium based LED boards and beyond. Liquid Metals Liquid metals are an emerging class of materials in flexible, stretchable and soft electronics with unique properties, including extremely high stretchability, self healing, etc. At the   Future of Electronics RESHAPED in Boston (11&12 June 2025)  we will highlight the following advances. Satosen (Japan):  The increasing demand for flexible and wearable devices necessitates the development of circuit boards capable of withstanding significant mechanical deformation. Traditional PCBs struggle to maintain conductivity and structural integrity under strain, limiting their applicability in dynamic environments. Here, Satosen reports on a unique approach to deploying liquid metals to form stretchable PCBs. Here, the liquid metal traces are encapsulated within a flexible substrate.  This approach offers significant advantages in terms of durability, stretchability and conformability compared to conventional rigid or flexible PCBs. The inherent fluidity of the conductive traces allows for dynamic reconfiguration of the circuit pathways, enabling new possibilities for adaptive electronics. In general, this approach can truly change the design and fabrication of wearable electronics, biomedical devices, and soft robotics. North Carolina State University (USA): Dr. Dickey is a pioneer in the field and will present a new useful property of gallium-based liquid metals: ability to print conductive thin oxides! In general, an oxide layer rapidly forms on gallium based liquid metals, giving them the ability to be shaped. Dr. Dickey will report on a method to separate the oxide, offering a way to directly deposit 2D-like oxides at ambient conditions without vacuum processing. These oxides are surprisingly also conductive. This is an innovative material development,  important for electronics, sensors, optics, and touch screens. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (USA) : Multimodal Glove and Sleeve Human Machine Interfaces can have many use cases including multimodal sensing of human intent and motion; AR/VR/XR immersion; human-robot teleoperation and collaboration (i.e. human-machine integration); control of exoskeletons; and human performance/health monitoring. However, such systems require very stretchable electronics. Here, Dr. Rao reports on how they integrate printed liquid metal conductors into stretchable fabric garments to achieve this. Furthermore he reports on the progress towards printing of fine-line and fine-pitch stretchable circuits, as well as attachment and encapsulation of surface-mount integrated circuits and passive components onto these circuits. This talk demonstrates how the printed liquid metal technology is advancing and opening new applications. Other Exciting Innovations Sustainable PCB substrates | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA): e-waste presents a significant environmental challenge due to the non-degradable nature and limited recyclability of conventional polyimide (PI)-based substrates. In Boston, Dr Wallin from MIT will report the design and synthesis of a family of photopatternable, degradable polyimide network substrates that maintains high mechanical and electronic performance for reprocessible flex electronic circuitry. These materials exhibito desirable thermal and mechanical properties as well as stable dielectric value suitable for flexible electronics. Furthermore, the material can be used to form multilayered circuits surviving the solder reflow process. These materials are an important step in improving the sustainability of the PCB and flexible hybrid electronics industry.  Printable black phosphorus inks for optoelectronic devices | Irisi Light Technologies (USA):  Black phosphorus (BP) has emerged as a promising two-dimensional material due to its unique properties, including a tunable bandgap, high carrier mobility, and strong light-matter interaction. The development of scalable synthesis routes has enabled the production of black phosphorus inks in large quantities, making them suitable for industrial applications. This talk reports on synthesis, characterization, and device applications for BP photonic devices. Furthermore, it reports how BP photonic inks were utilized in the fabrication of optoelectronic devices using aerosol jet printing. Example devices include pn diodes and photodetectors. This opens up avenues for the realization of flexible and wearable electronics, as well as the development of low-cost sensors for environmental monitoring and healthcare applications. Printable Nickle Structures| New Mexico State University (USA):  Dr Mahajan will report on a method for creating aligned nickel (Ni) nanoparticles with unique and customizable structures on various substrates for electronic and magnetic applications. The ink can be printed in ambient conditions, and upon heating in the presence of a magnetic field, it forms aligned elemental Ni nanostructures over large areas. The use of templates or subsequent purification is not required. This technique is very flexible and allows the preparation of unique patterns to produce structures with enhanced anisotropic electrical, magnetic, and thermal properties. Resistive Inks for High-Temperature Applications| Vibrantz Technologies (USA):  Aerospace and defense industry requires thick film solutions for specialty low-thermal expansion substrates that can withstand high operating temperatures. Such thick film pastes are not easy to formulate and are not readily available. Vibrantz Technologies reports a package consisting of RuO2-based resistive inks and optional underglaze dielectric/sealing overglaze targeting the firing temperature of 1020°C. The materials show excellent high temperature stability and can tolerate rapid thermal cycling. The inks can be deposited by screen printing or spraying and are fully compatible with Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC), Silicon Carbide, and Fused Quartz substrates. This opens up new applications for printed electronics in demanding high-temperature fields Printable Electroactive polymers | Arkema (France):  These printable EAPs enable easy integration into smart systems such as pressure sensors in insoles and mattresses, sports equipment sensors, steerable medical guidewires, structural health monitoring in hydrogen tanks, and haptic gloves. Here, Arkema reports on 2 classes of EPAs: (1) Piezotech FC (P(VDF-TrFE)) for piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and ferroelectric applications like sensors, energy harvesting, and speakers, and (2) Piezotech RT (P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE/CFE)) for high-k, electrostrictive, and electrocaloric uses in actuators and OTFTs. Furthermore, you can learn about specific real applications including printed pressure sensors integrated into mattresses, insoles, and sports equipment such as gold clubs or tennis rackets, a guide wire for endovascular navigation, acoustic monitoring sensor for H2 tank structural health monitoring, haptic glove and many more... Join us at the  Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA (Boston, 11  12 June 2025) - where the global additive, printed, hybrid, wearable, and 3D electronics connects. This is the only event in North America dedicated to this industry, bringing together the entire ecosystem.

In this edition we get into microLED, printed electronics, and flexible tech in this edition, featuring expert insights on electroluminescence (EL) vs. photoluminescence (PL) for accurate microLED testing, scalable RGB microLED assembly with high yield, and silver nanowire (AgNW) materials enabling transparent heaters and smart surfaces for automotive applications. Learn how printed piezoelectric sensors are revolutionizing structural health monitoring in aerospace composites, and discover a bioelectronic breakthrough with gold ink ECG electrodes printed on flexible TPU. Ideal for professionals in display technology, automotive, aerospace, and wearable electronics, this newsletter highlights scalable manufacturing solutions using advanced materials, screen and aerosol jet printing, and sensor integration. InZiv  | Unleashing microLED’s Future: The Power of Electroluminescence Testing Fraunhofer IZM  | An R&D study on feasibility of Massive parallel assembly for contacting Micro-LEDs DuPont   | Transparent heater, Smart surface and In-Mold Electronics Fraunhofer IFAM  | Printed sensors for structural health monitoring of composite components Voltera  | Printing ECG Electrodes with Gold Ink on TPU The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration: 🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon! Get your coupon here InZiv | Unleashing microLED’s Future: The Power of Electroluminescence Testing Noam Shapiro Despite their promise, microLED displays have yet to achieve mass commercialization, with yield improvement being a critical hurdle. Effective testing is essential to overcoming this challenge. This talk will explore the two major functional testing methodologies—photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL)—and demonstrate why EL is the superior approach for accurate defect detection and performance assessment. We will discuss the key advantages of EL testing and examine what the industry needs in order to adopt this methodology at scale, ultimately driving microLED technology toward widespread adoption. Key Takeaways: The Yield Challenge: Reliable testing and inspection are essential to improving microLED yields Early-stage inspection = reduced costs and faster time-to-market PL vs. EL: Why electroluminescence offers deeper insights into device functionality InZiv’s research: Understanding the limitations of PL and how EL overcomes them Download the full presentation here Fraunhofer IZM | An R&D study on feasibility of Massive parallel assembly for contacting Micro-LEDs Charles-Alix Manier The present work describes a method for the RGB handling and the electrical bonding of Micro-LED arranged onto a host substrate emulating a display. The assembly technology will be presented which relies on a three-step sequential soldering for RGB-connecting of several thousands of small-sized (ca. 20x20 µm) LED mechanical chips mimicking "RGB" source LEDs to a large substrate in a 150x150 matrix array, leading to a 99.5% success rate at R&D scale. Key Takeaways from the Presentation: Goal and Motivation Lower power losses Longer lifetime, higher brightness, thermal stability, and robustness in extreme conditions RGB monolithic integration remains complex Base Principle and Specificities Core principle of the assembly process Unique features of the approach Description of the test vehicle Material Preparation Micro-LEDs (Mechanical Silicon) Donor & Conveyor systems Host substrate ("display") Sequential Assembly of Micro-LEDs Selective picking process Assembly methodology Assembly Results Post-assembly inspection Electrical testing Download the full presentation here DuPont | Transparent heater, Smart surface and In-Mold Electronics Xiaofeng Chen DuPont’s silver nanowire-based Activegrid® inks and films deliver excellent optical clarity, conductivity, and flexibility, making them ideal for a wide range of automotive applications. These include transparent heaters, smart surfaces, LiDAR systems, in- mold electronics (IME), transparent EMI shielding, and infrared (IR) reflection. Activegrid® inks can be applied onto diverse substrates such as polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polyimide (PI), glass, and more, possibly at low process temperature (less than 60 °C). These inks are compatible with various solution coating techniques, including spray, dip, flow coating, and roll-to-roll slot-die processes, allowing application to both flat and curved surfaces with ease. In addition, DuPont offers Activegrid® films as a pre-coated film product on various substrates with Activegrid® inks, which can be laminated or molded onto target surfaces to meet specific design needs. By leveraging DuPont’s silver nanowire technology, we enable cutting-edge innovation, driving the development of next-generation automotives. Key Topics Covered: 1. A Materials Platform for Next-Gen Electronics & Automotives Core material: Silver Nanowire (AgNW) Product offerings: Printable inks, 3D inks, AgNW adhesives & composites, transparent conductive films Target sectors: Touch sensors, interconnects, life sciences 2. Flexible Manufacturing Capabilities Downstream process adaptability Pilot coating widths up to 600 mm, mass production up to 1250 mm 3. Automotive Innovation Use Cases Transparent heaters for ADAS, exterior & interior applications UltraNW™ Technology – the industry’s highest performing transparent heater LiDAR/Camera heaters – high transmission in visible and near-infrared Electrified fabrics – for heated armrests, seat leather, and seatbelts Download the full presentation here The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA  is TechBlick's premier event, showcasing the latest innovations in electronics. Join us at UMass Boston on June 11-12, 2025  for an exciting exploration of emerging technologies. You can find more details on the event website  here. Early Bird Registration is now open! Register today and take advantage of our exclusive Early Bird rates  before they expire on April 25, 2025 . Special Limited-Time Offer: Get an additional $200 off  your registration with our special coupon! 🔗 Get your coupon here TechBlick.Com Fraunhofer IFAM | Printed sensors for structural health monitoring of composite components Ingo Wirth In aviation industry, there exists an increasing demand for structural health monitoring (SHM) of carbon fiber reinforced composite materials (CFRP), which are needed for aerospace structures because of their unique stiffness to weight ratio. The challenge in such a context is to integrate smart systems in composites for lightweight constructions using different sensors without mechanically changing the structural behavior of the host structures (low weight addition and as small as possible stiffness modification). Innovative printing technologies allow the integration of printed sensors in composite parts and components by satisfying these criteria. For this purpose, manufacturing and integration process of sensors in composite parts using printing technologies was investigated. Piezoelectric sensors as well as temperature sensors were deposited directly on composite aeronautics parts representative of the aeronautic industry using screen printing and Aerosol Jet printing technologies. As an architecture network, printed individual sensors can be connected to an overall system. The great advantage of printing technologies is the possibility to deposit customized sensor structures directly on planar and non-planar surfaces. The usage of printing technologies results in a great accuracy, reliability, and cost reduction also in a later production process. The development of electrical conductive composites allows the deposition of conductive paths between the sensor structures on the part and finally a connection to the power supply unit. This allows for the realization of a complete sensor structure with low added weight and low intrusivity with respect to the host structure. The sensor technology platform itself offers a broad range of variations of piezoelectric sensor candidate architectures into manufacturing process. The printed sensor network consists of several connected piezoelectric sensors, which build a dynamical load and displacement sensitive element. To detect, localize, classify and quantify damage to CFRP parts, composite aeronautic structural elements may be monitored using data from such printed sensors. This innovative sensor technology can thus be used for SHM by providing a complete and continuous observation of the whole system in the aircraft, but also in any other application area having similar requirements. Printed piezoelectric sensors can be used to detect and monitor structural deformation, damage, or fatigue in aircrafts, helping to ensure the safety and reliability of the aircraft. Furthermore, it can be used to monitor the vibration of aircraft engines, providing early warning of potential issues and helping to prevent costly engine failures. Printed temperature sensors are able to monitor temperature changes even in inaccessible places in engines. Overall, the use of printed piezoelectric sensors in aeronautics can help to improve the safety, efficiency, and performance of aircrafts. Download the full presentation here Swing by our booth to learn more! Voltera | Printing ECG Electrodes with Gold Ink on TPU Katarina Ilić What you will learn 1. The Problem with Traditional ECG Electrodes Skin irritation from gel adhesives Biocompatibility concerns for sensitive users 2. The Bioelectronic Solution – A Modular System ECG electrodes printed directly onto flexible TPU for skin contact A control unit featuring a heart rate monitor and controller A protective enclosure safeguarding the electronics from impact 3. Design & Fabrication Electrode design, layer stack-up, and post-processing Printing the control unit and integrating components 4. Technical Challenges & Learnings Download the full presentation here Visit us at our booth to learn more and say hello! The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration:   🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon!  Get your coupon here TechBlick.com

Fraunhofer IAP | Quantum Dot Color Conversion in MicroLED – A Material Perspective - Quantum Dot (QD) materials for color conversion in MicroLED displays. Key topics include high quantum efficiency QDs, tailored ink formulations, and EHD-Jet printing techniques for high-resolution applications. The session explores QD stability, ligand optimization, and methods to close the green and red gap in MicroLED displays. Saralon GmbH | Conducting Copper Ink for Printed Electronics: An Application-Based Journey - Saral Copper Ink as an alternative to costly silver-based inks for printed electronics. The session covers copper ink’s stable conductivity, processability via conventional screen printing, and its application in low-cost, high-demand sectors. It highlights challenges and benefits for future electronics manufacturing. INTLVAC THIN FILM | ICARUS: Indium Solder Bump Deposition System- Focusing on improving indium solder bump deposition, addressing pattern hole closure, dendritic growth prevention, and enhancing bump quality. Insights on system stability and reliability for semiconductor assembly and MEMS packaging will also be discussed. Flexoo | Excellence in European Manufacturing: Focus on Contract Manufacturing and R&D Services- Exploring mass-customization in high-end sensing solutions. Topics include the production of BaMoS and MiniMoS sensors, battery behavior analysis at the cell level, advanced wiring solutions, and the role of digitalized processes in manufacturing efficiency. E-Lyte Innovations GmbH | Enhancing Battery Safety in Sodium-Ion Batteries - Addressing the performance challenges of Sodium-Ion Batteries (SIBs), focusing on electrolyte optimization to prevent degradation and sodium plating. The session talks about additive development, test plans for improving efficiency and safety, and a comprehensive review of existing patents and research on SIB technologies. The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration: 🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon! Get your coupon here Fraunhofer IAP | QD color conversion in MicroLED – a material perspective Manuel Gensler Quantum Dot (QD) materials are emerging as promising candidates for color conversion in MicroLED displays, offering significant advantages over traditional RGB emitting backplanes. The Fraunhofer IAP has developed exceptionally stable QDs with enhanced properties, including high quantum efficiencies under blue illuminance and improved solubility for ink formulation. These advancements are crucial for the practical application of QDs in display technology. Furthermore, the talk will showcase the application of EHD-Jet printing techniques to achieve high-resolution printing of 10 µm and less, even on multi-nozzle systems. This demonstration paves the way for future up-scaling to industrial processes, potentially revolutionizing the manufacturing of MicroLED displays. What You Will Learn from This Presentation: The Green and Red Gap for LEDs in the MicroLED Size (1 – 30 μm) Quantum Dot Color Conversion: The Currently 3 Promising Candidates Printable Quantum Dots for Color Conversion – Tailored Materials and Printing Processes (Ink-Jet, EHD-Jet) Quantum Dot Stability – Optimizing the Ligands Quantum Yield and Stability – Giant-Shell Approach Ink Formulation and Printing – Ink-Jet and EHD-Jet Techniques Devices Increasing the Blue Absorbance & Optimized Encapsulation Download the full presentation here Saralon GmbH | Conducting Copper Ink for Printed Electronics : An Application-Based Journey Steve Paschky Silver based conductive ink is the backbone of the Printed Electronics. However, volatile silver prices necessitate the development of conductive inks with lower cost underlying Materials. Such an alternative must provide comparable conductivity while ensuring stable conductivity levels over time, and easy processability using conventional printing technologies (i.e.screen printing). Introducing a novel low-cost Saral Copper Ink, this presentation guides you through the high-demand application areas, discusses the benefits and addresses how to overcome challenges. Join us in Boston and stop by our booth to learn more! Download the full presentation here INTLVAC THIN FILM | ICARUS: Indium Solder Bump Deposition System Dino Deligiannis Insights you will gain from this session How we minimized pattern hole closure How we improved bump quality by preventing dendritic growth Prevention of spits System stability and reliability Indium bumps we produce Download the full presentation here The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA  is TechBlick's premier event, showcasing the latest innovations in electronics. Join us at UMass Boston on June 11-12, 2025  for an exciting exploration of emerging technologies. You can find more details on the event website  here. Early Bird Registration is now open! Register today and take advantage of our exclusive Early Bird rates  before they expire on April 25, 2025 . Special Limited-Time Offer: Get an additional $200 off  your registration with our special coupon! 🔗 Get your coupon here TechBlick.Com Flexoo | Excellence in European Manufacturing: Focus on Contract Manufacturing and R&D Services Thomas Rohland Key points covered in this presentation Mass-Customization: The Mass-Production of High-End Sensing Solutions — What is Required for Mass-Customization? Outstanding Sensors: From BaMoS to MiniMoS Gain an understanding of battery behavior at the cell level Learn how to monitor pressure distribution within your system/device Versatile Wiring Solutions Explore how wiring lines are gradually shifted within one repetition of the printing cylinder, leading to a shift in the bus connector in the transverse direction with each revolution Technically Advanced Solutions & Gathered Knowledge Discover the benefits of digitalized processes that enable fast processing of customer requests Understand the subject matter and the challenges it presents Download the full presentation here E-Lyte Innovations GmbH | Enhancing battery safety in Sodium-Ion Batteries Jonathan Bäthge The electrolyte plays a crucial role in improving key performance indicators (KPIs) such as efficiency, cost, safety and lifespan of a Sodium-Ion Battery (SIB). By adjusting the electrolyte to prevent active material degradation and sodium plating on the anode, which represent currently occurring problems while cycling SIBs at high cut-off voltages, an enhancement in performance of SIBs can be achieved. Patent and literature analyses were conducted to identify relevant existing electrolyte components, providing a foundation for further electrolyte development and research on new additives. Therefore, new electrolyte additives were investigated to improve the safety and lifespan of SIBs. Key Takeaways from the Presentation Sodium-Ion Batteries (SIBs): Overview of current operational challenges from literature. Patent Analysis: Multi-source approach for patent data collection combined with a Python-based methodology for data processing. Test Plan: Absolute and relative discharge capacity measurements. Post-mortem analysis of battery performance. Archimedes measurements for material evaluation.   Download the full presentation here The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration:   🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon!  Get your coupon here TechBlick.com

Author: Voltera Due to their thin profile and lightweight design, flexible membrane keyboards are useful in a variety of industries, such as portable electronics, toys, games, home appliances, medical equipment, automotive, and aerospace. This project is an example of using Voltera’s NOVA materials dispensing system to print a functional flexible membrane keyboard.   YouTube video:  Printing a flexible membrane keyboard with silver ink   Contact: sales@voltera.io  or +1 888-381-3332 ext: 1   Summary of Materials and Tools MATERIALS USED ACI SS1109 Stretchable Silver Ink ACI SI3104 Stretchable Printed Insulator T4 Solder Paste Sn42Bi57.6Ag0.4   SUBSTRATES USED Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) FR1 (to secure the controller)   TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES Nordson EFD 7018333 dispensing tip Nordson EFD 7018424 dispensing tip Arduino Micro, A000053 Tactile metal switches Keyboard cover skin Headers Diodes   We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston . Project Overview Purpose The purpose of this project is to demonstrate how NOVA prints multilayer electrical circuits on a highly flexible substrate (PET), and dispenses ink with high precision on sections that are as small as 250 µm W × 40 µm H. Figure 1: Three-layered print with crossovers Design layout We divided the layout into three layers: Base conductive layer (ACI SS1109 stretchable silver ink) Dielectric layer (ACI SI3104 stretchable printed insulator) Top conductive layer (ACI SS1109 stretchable silver ink) Desired outcome Based on a matrix style keyboard design, we limited the number of pins used to only seven on the controller (Arduino Micro, A000053). Once connected to a power source, pressing any key on the keyboard will trigger the controller to register the key. Functionality We determined a 10-numbered keypad design would be suitable for this project. However, other flexible membrane keyboard designs have the potential for further customization, such as specific graphics, colors, or lighting, which could be beneficial for specialized equipment, including customized control panels, wearable devices, and foldable electronics. Printing and curing the flexible substrate Base conductive layer This layer consists of a 4’’ × 3’’ matrix grid for 10 numbered keys, excluding the 10 dielectric pads (see dielectric layer). Figure 2: Base conductive layer schematic Figure 3: Base conductive layer being printed by NOVA Figure 4: NOVA print settings, base conductive layer Dielectric layer This layer consists of 10 dielectric pads. To ensure full coverage of the dielectric ink, we did two passes for this layer, each cured after dispensing. Figure 5: Dielectric layer schematic We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston   Figure 6: Dielectric layer print result Figure 7: NOVA print settings, dielectric layer Top conductive layer This layer consists of 10 fine crossover lines that connect the red signal paths and complete the circuitry. Figure 8: Top conductive layer schematic Figure 9: Top conductive layer print result with crossovers Figure 10: NOVA print settings, top conductive layer Challenges and advice for printing multilayer Broken layers Because inks from different manufacturers have different properties – they may contain solvents that dissolve existing traces for example – printing and curing each new layer risks breaking the layer previously completed. It is, therefore, crucial that you choose compatible materials based on the degree of flexibility required. For this project, we selected compatible inks from ACI Materials, but for projects that involve using multiple inks from different manufacturers, it is recommended that you check the materials’ technical data sheets. Electrical shorts Due to the matrix design of the keyboard, the signal lines have a number of crossovers, which could cause electrical shorts if not insulated properly. Printing a second pass of the dielectric layer achieves an appropriately thick insulating layer and supports further printing on top. Connection issues Because the crossover sections are intricate (250 µm W × 40 µm H), if the nozzle scratches the ink while printing, the electrical paths may not function as planned. Separating the crossover sections into their own layer (the top conductive layer) allows each crossover pad to be probed accurately and have specialized settings, yielding a higher success rate. In addition, because changes in height can happen drastically when printing over existing traces, setting a low probe pitch will make the height map more accurate. An accurate height map means the height transition at the edges of features is accurate and the risk of traces being printed off-course is low. Post-printing: A fully flexible electronic device Figure 11: Flexible keyboard assembly To ensure the Arduino Micro was securely in place, we used a FR1 board, cut it to 30 mm × 60 mm, and placed it beneath the flexible substrate (PET sheet). Next we drilled through holes on the board and the flexible substrate with the Voltera V-One PCB printer. We then dispensed solder paste, placed the diodes on the flexible substrate, and riveted it together with the FR1 board, before placing the metal switches on the rectangle-shaped contacts. To secure the metal switches, we covered them with Kapton tape. Next, we secured the controller to the flexible substrate and connected it to a power source. We also gave the keyboard a finishing touch by placing it inside a 3D-printed enclosure with graphical silicone keys. Figure 12: Final assembly in 3D-printed case Conclusion This project highlights the innovative potential of printing on flexible substrates. It also points to the critical role of fine-tuning print settings to achieve success in multilayer projects. As achieved by this project, using compatible materials helps ensure optimal performance, and is key to unlocking the full potential of flexible electronics. As we continue to explore the boundaries of what’s possible with flexible substrates, we invite you to view the other application projects we’ve completed. We are Exhibiting in Boston and in Berlin. Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston 22-23 October 2025 in Berlin

#PrintedElectroncis #OrganicElectronics #Themoelectrics #PrintedThermoElectricGenerators Loup Chopplet [1], Jiang Jing[1], Nicolas Battaglini[1], Vincent Noël[1], Benoît Piro[1], Giorgio Mattana[1],* [1] Université Paris Cité, ITODYS, CNRS, UMR 7086, 15 rue J.-A. de Baïf, F-75013 Paris, France The current climate emergency and the perspective of fossil fuel depletion are pushing researchers towards the quest for efficient and environmentally friendly energy sources or conversion technologies. Within this context, thermoelectric materials, i.e. materials capable of recycling waste heat through its partial conversion to electrical power, have attracted considerable attention in the last twenty years[1]. Organic semiconductors (OSCs), such as conjugated polymers and small molecules, have recently become a blooming field of research in the continuous search for potential candidates for the fabrication of thermoelectric systems. Indeed, OSCs possess some important advantages compared to their inorganic counterparts, in particular their processability at room temperature in liquid phase using printing fabrication techniques and their excellent mechanical robustness and flexibility [2][3]. At the PRINT’UP institute, we developed a fabrication and characterisation protocol for all-printed organic thermoelectric generators, fabricated on flexible polyimide substrates. Each generator is composed of two semiconducting legs, one p-type doped and the other n-type doped, electrically connected in series. All electrical connections are realised using inkjet-printed silver contacts while the p-type leg is made using inkjet-printed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). The n-type semiconducting leg is made of a polymer recently described in the literature[4], namely the poly(3,7-dihydrobenzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']difuran-2,6-dione) (PBDF), that we deposited by ink-dispensing (see Figure 1a for an optical image of the final device, the total active area of the generator is ~ 6 sq.cm). Our devices were fully characterised to evaluate their thermoelectric performances. As for the electric conductivity, the inkjet-printed p-leg exhibited a value of (400 ± 10) S.cm-1, while the n-type OSC showed a mean value of (260 ± 70) S.cm-1. It is important to notice that these values remained stable for devices stored in ambient conditions over several weeks. In terms of Seebeck coefficient, the mean value of the overall device was (23 ± 5) µV.K-1 (stable in ambient conditions for more than 75 days). Our devices generated an output power of (5 ± 2) nW for a temperature difference of ΔT = 60 K for a single thermocouple; the best performing device was able to generate (at the same temperature difference) an output power of 8.8 nW (see Figure 1b). These results are comparable to the performances already reported in the literature for similar devices but it should be emphasised that, contrary to the large majority of generators reported so far, our thermoelectric devices were completely fabricated and characterised in ambient conditions. Figure 1: a) Optical image of an all-printed generator on a flexible, polyimide substrate. The p-type leg is visible on the left while the n-type leg is on the right. b) Output power of the all-printed generators as a function of the load resistance Rload at different temperature differences. We are Exhibiting in Berlin. Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 22-23 October 2025 in Berlin Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend [1] D. Beretta et al., Mater. Sci. Eng. , 2019, 138, 100501. [2] I. H. Eryilmaz et al.,  Chem. Commun. , 2023, 59, 3160. [3] J. Jing et al., J. Mater. Chem. C , 2024, 12, 6185. [4] Z. Ke et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. , 2023, 145, 6, 3706. [5] N. J. Pataki et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. , 2024, 34, 2400982.

In this edition, we look into materials science, energy storage, printed electronics, and sustainable display technologies. Joanneum Research introduces Supresil®, a patented technology that optimizes the processing window for platinum-cured silicones (LSR and HCR) without compromising material properties, ideal for 3D printing. Celanese Micromax presents PTC film heaters, leveraging Joule heating and printed carbon pastes for uniform, self-regulating thermal solutions across flexible substrates. AilArian addresses the environmental impact of metal-based conductive inks in biodegradable electronics with a novel magnetic separation technique for recovering silver, promoting both high conductivity and eco-friendliness. Sepion Technologies reveals a new battery separator coating that improves moisture resistance, enhances safety, and reduces manufacturing costs, enabling the use of low-cost cathodes. Finally, E Ink compares ePaper with emissive displays, focusing on energy efficiency, readability, and use cases in retail, public information, and digital signage. Joanneum Research   | New inhibition technology for (Pt)-cured silicones (LSR and HCR) to optimise the processing window without changing material properties - Supresil® Celanese Micromax  | PTC Film Heaters – Materials, Design and Applications AilArian | Magnetic separation of silver conductive material for fully biodegradable electronics Sepion Technologies  | The Next-Generation of Battery Separators Eink   | ePaper vs. Emissive Displays The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration: 🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon! Get your coupon here Joanneum Research   | New inhibition technology for (Pt)-cured silicones (LSR and HCR) to optimise the processing window without changing material properties - Supresil® Ulrich Trog Platinum (Pt)-cured silicones are gaining in popularity, emphasising addition curing over traditional peroxide methods. They ensure purity and efficacy, resulting in stronger and more aesthetically pleasing products. However, when curing is initiated by mixing parts A and B, the pot life is limited (minutes to hours) depending on the type of silicone and temperature. This creates practical and technological constraints such as short processing time, manufacturing waste, difficult reproducibility, and inflexible manufacturing processes. Our patented formulation extends pot life through reversible inhibition of crosslinking. Unlike systems with state of the art inhibitors our inhibitors evaporate readily and completely once processing begins, even at temperatures below 80 °C, allowing normal cross-linking at mild temperatures for rapid and complete curing while maintaining the original material properties. The benefits of using Supresil® are reduced production costs, ensuring constant production quality and enabling 3D printing. Download the full presentation here Celanese Micromax | PTC Film Heaters – Materials, Design and Applications Andree Maindok Electrical resistance heating is an efficient way of applying heat directly to the surfaces requiring it. Also referred to as Joule heating, such devices can take many forms. Printed conductive inks and pastes present a versatile approach to apply heater patterns and electronic circuitry onto a variety of substrates materials like metals, textile fabrics, rigid and stretchable polymer films, leather and many more. Providing uniform heating power over a large area efficiently directs the heat to the intended surface without the need for heat spreaders or padding to prevent the heater being seen or felt. The heating elements can be printed with fixed resistance pastes, or positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTC) paste can be used to reduce power as operating temperature is achieved and to reduce overall power consumption. What you will learn from this presentation: PTC – Power as a Function of Temperature: All PTC heaters work on the principle of Joule Heating, where electrical current flowing through a resistor generates heat. PTC Carbon Pastes – Where Do We Stand? A look at the range of sheet resistivities available today for both low and high voltage power supply applications. Features & Benefits – No Thermal Runaway: PTC heaters self-regulate, making them safe and efficient with no risk of overheating. Design Considerations: Understand the dynamics of your PTC heater through powered cycling tests and other assessments that help optimize performance Download the full presentation here AilArian | Magnetic separation of silver conductive material for fully biodegradable electronics James Claypole There is a strong desire to remove plastic from printed electronics; both removing plastic as a substrate and also replacing FRPs in traditional PCB assemblies, including many biodegradable alternatives. The challenge then becomes what happens to the circuit material? Circuits made with carbon-based inks lack the conductivity required for many applications. Metal circuits, such as copper and silver, can accumulate in the environment and reach highly toxic levels or enter waterways. We present our unique solution to this problem, using magnets to recover the conductive material, allowing us to provide inks that are both highly conductive and environmentally friendly. Download the full presentation here The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA  is TechBlick's premier event, showcasing the latest innovations in electronics. Join us at UMass Boston on June 11-12, 2025  for an exciting exploration of emerging technologies. You can find more details on the event website  here. Early Bird Registration is now open! Register today and take advantage of our exclusive Early Bird rates  before they expire on April 25, 2025 . Special Limited-Time Offer: Get an additional $200 off  your registration with our special coupon! 🔗 Get your coupon here TechBlick.Com Sepion Technologies  | The Next-Generation of Battery Separators Peter Frischmann Some takeaways from the presentation: Challenges with ceramic coatings: High moisture retention, bulkiness, and limited selectivity. Sepion’s innovation: A next-gen coating that enables low-cost cathodes, requires less drying time, and performs better with less moisture. Enhanced safety & efficiency: Thermo-mechanical stability that matches ceramics with 4x less mass and volume. Download the full presentation here Eink | ePaper vs. Emissive Displays Jonathan Margalit With the growing popularity of electronic Paper (“ePaper”) and the increasing need to deploy sustainable signage solutions, Jonathan Margalit will review the latest advancements in ePaper technology. With the introduction of new color platforms and sizes, Jonathan will discuss the pros and cons of ePaper technology and go over examples of use cases and deployments in retail, hospitality, public information, DOOH, and others, followed by a Q&A session Download the full presentation here The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   #AdditiveElectronics #3DElectronics #PrintedElectronics #WearableElectronics #FlexibleHybridElectronics #WearableElectronics #SustainableElectronics #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration:   🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🔥 Early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025! 💥 Limited-time offer: Get an extra $200 discount with this special coupon!  Get your coupon here TechBlick.com

In this article, we highlight a number of printing process innovations that are advancing the state of the art in printed and additive electronics and are addressing critical existing limitations to open new opportunities. Here, we will go on a quick tour from analog screen printing to digital printing to ink-less laser printing. In this journey, we will make many short stops covering screen printing, capillary printing, inkjet printing,  EHD printing, micro-dispensing, LIFT printing, dry printing and beyond.  Wit over 25 images, tables, charts as well as 13 videos, we cover the following points Screen printing: State of the art ultrafine line printing High production speed in screen printed metallisation Rotary screen printing for PV metallisation Alternative PV metallisation methods (1): Capillary printing Digital printed electronics/additive electronics Can we scale up inkjet printing in functional printing? How to digitally print high viscosity pastes? Digital multi-material laser printing of high viscosity pastes in printed electronics and electronics manufacturing High viscosity digital printing AND ultra fine resolution well beyond inkjet or LIFT Digitally printing higher viscosity levels at ultrafine resolution without e-field? High Pressure Capillary Printing - high resolution, high aspect ratio and high viscosity printing without e-fields, satellites or splashing? Printed Electronics / Additive Electronics without inks? SSAIL Process: Additive laser-induced metallisation of "diverse" surfaces Dry (Ink Free) multi-material direct laser printing To learn more about the wonderful world of Additive and 3D Electronics , join us and 550 others from around the world at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and exhibition in Boston on 11 and 12 June 2025. This is the largest and the most important event in the US dedicated to Additive and 3D Electronics, bringing together over 550 participants, 70 talks, and over 75 exhibitors. Explore here https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa Major Early Bird Ends on 25 April. Go HERE to receive a coupon offering you 200 USD additional discount on top of early bird rates. Screen printing: State of the art ultrafine line printing First let us start with one of the largest applications of printed electronics: photovoltaic metallisation. In fact, this application is so large that according to projections this market alone will end up requiring amounts of silver in excess of 100% of the current worldwide silver supply soon, meaning that silver shortage will constrain growth if technological changes do not address the issues. In PV metallisation screen printing has been completely dominant despite many attempts to introduce alternatives. Here, screen printing is the state of the art, pushing the boundaries of what is considered possible every year.  The chart below shows the research level progress in ultrafine screen printing in photovoltaic metallisation. It shows that the state-of-the-art linewidth at research level went down from 80-10 µm in 2008 to 17µm or so now. This is an incredible rate of progress and learning. Sources:. Tepner & A. Lorenz, „Printing technologies..”, Progress in Photovoltaics, 2023 But the progress in fineline screen printing is not limited to just research. The industry has actually followed too given the strong need to print ever narrower lines without efficiency loss to reduce silver consumption per cell or watt.  This is shown in the chart below which TechBlick has compiled from years of ITRPV roadmaps. The chart shows linewidth of screen printed metallisation as a function of year, demonstrating that the linewidth in mass production has gone from some 90 µm or so in 2012 to now 25 µm. This is just an incredible advancement of the art of screen printed electronics.  This achievement is the result of real team effort between printers, screen and mesh makers, paster makers and equipment manufacturers. Sources:. TechBlick compilation from ITRPV roadmap data Below you can see an example from Fraunhofer ISE showing how they managed to improve the topography of the printed lines, making them ever narrower with an aspect ratio of 1. This progress is the result of years of hand-in-hand effort in paste optimisation (rheology, particle size, wall slip, etc),  mesh technology (e.g., towards ultrafine 520-11 stainless ones), and emulsion-over-mesh (EOM) technology (e.g., laser opening of EOMs with sub 20 µm openings and ultra long life (80k-100k) print runs in PI), etc Sources: Fraunhofer ISE. Taken from a talk given at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED Berlin 2024 To learn more about the wonderful world of Additive and 3D Electronics , join us and 550 others from around the world at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and exhibition in Boston on 11 and 12 June 2025. Major Early Bird Ends on 25 April. Go HERE  to receive a coupon offering you 200 USD additional discount on top of early bird rates. High Production Speed in Screen Printed Metallisation But in this business of PV metallisation, it is not just the linewidths that are impressive, the production speeds and throughputs are also very impressive.  As an example, below you can see a printer by Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co., Ltd. in action. This is a new half-cell TOPCon printer. The parameters are reported in the table below, showing that this equipment can achieve 14400 pieces per hour at half cell at printing speeds of 490 mm/s and a cycle time (CT) of >1s with minimal breakage. This is impressive! Source: Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co., Ltd. presented at the online TechBlick Screen Printing workshop in 2023 Source: Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co., Ltd. presented at the online TechBlick Screen Printing workshop in 2023 Below you can also see a full turn-key automatic line for full-size wafers. This data is also from Suzhou Maxwell Technologies Co and was presented at TechBlick in 2023, so is already 2 years old and still impressive! Rotary Screen Printing In production everyone uses flatbed screen printing. But can one also utilise rotary screen printing whilst meeting the linewidth and aspect ratio requirements? Here you can see an example from Fraunhofer ISE again showing a rotary screen printing line which can achieve in a single printing line some 8000 SHJ wafers per hour with a cycle time of just 0.45s at a linewidth of 50um or so. This is impressive for a demonstrator full system machine although it is not yet commercial. In general, given the exacting linewidth requirements and the current status of flatbed screen printing systems, rotary screen printing will not find it easy to go from pilot to production in this application. Rotary screen printing for SHJ PV metallisation. Source Fraunhofer ISE presented a Future of Electronics RESHAPED Berlin 2024 To learn more about the wonderful world of Additive and 3D Electronics , join us and 550 others from around the world at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and exhibition in Boston on 11 and 12 June 2025. Alternative metallisation methods (1): Parallel dispensing Many alternative processes have long sought to replace or at least dent the dominance of screen printing. Here I want to highlight some interesting approaches being developed by the community. First example is from Highline Technology which uses parallel dispensing or homogenous extrusion of metallisation pastes through parallel nozzles. The image below shows the paste being extruded outside the nozzle, and the video below shows the printing process at a pilot equipment. This is an interesting process because it is non contact and can achieve finger widths down to 20 µm with good print speeds exceeding 500 mm per second. Source: HighLine Technology presented at TechBlick online 2023 Furthermore, this printing process can yield nice printed lines with excellent aspect ratios. This is shown below. The left images show printed aluminium traces whereas the right one shows silver lines with a linewidth of 17 µm and a good aspect ratio. Alternative PV metallisation methods (1): Capillary printing Another innovative approach is using capillary printing under pressure. We will come to capillary printing again in another context later in this article. Here the capillary, made out of glass with a narrow 20 µm opening, is brought close to the surface and atmospheric pressure (10 mbar to 11 bar) is applied, pushing the paste out, thus printing at speeds up to 500 mm/s. The process is schematically shown below. You can see also some print profiles, showing the capability to achieve ultra narrow line with good aspect ratio. Here  Ag NPs inks are used since larger particles could clog the glass capillary. When applied to a single heterojunction cells the process could achieve 12 µm lines with 6.4 µm height, resulting in a good SHJ efficiency of 22.96%. Critically, this process could lead to 60% less silver consumption. These are impressive results. However, this is relatively early stage and much work needs to be done on parallelisation and on achieving stable print runs. Digital printed electronics/additive electronics Now lets switch from analog to inkjet and DIGITAL printing. The most traditional digital printing method in printed electronics and additive electronics is inkjet printing (IJP). In fact, IJP sets the reference point, and many innovations and developments covered in the rest of this article seek to address the shortcomings of IJP, such as IJP's inability to handle high viscously pastes or its limited print resolution. Can we scale up inkjet printing in functional printing? One common question has always been whether one can really scale the size of inkjet printers when it comes to functional printing. As seen in the image below, the answer is YES! Below one can see a huge inkjet printer - by Kateeva - able to print on Gen 6.5 glass (925x1500mm2) glass. To appreciate the size of the system, it is instructive to see the human next to the machine in the image! This is a commercial system used in production of multilayer encapsulation layers in OLED displays where the organic layer in the barrier is inkjet printed. It is thus area printing and not pixel printing. The video below also shows how the printing actually works, showing the movement of the print heads as well as that of the glass floating on gas. This is an incredible feat of engineering in inkjet printing millions and millions of droplets over huge areas in a production setting. Video presented at the TechBlick Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA in Boston (2024) How to digitally print high viscosity pastes A major shortcoming of IJP has always been its inability to print high viscosity materials. There are many approaches to enabling digital printing of high viscosity materials like screen printable pastes, adhesives, solder, and many other materials. An interesting approach has been taken by Quantica. An example of their print system is shown below. They essentially build a powerful actuation system within the print head able to push out even high viscosity materials. The parameters are shown below. The print head can handle pastes with viscosity levels up to 240 centipoise that have a high loadings (>75 wt%) and even large particulate fillers (5um or so). Thus this print head can open up jetting to all manners of higher viscosity materials including screen printable pastes. Quantica print system showing the print head as well as the actuation and circulation system for printing high viscosity materials in printed electronics Parameters of the Quantica jetting head including operation temperature, nozzle pitch, frequency, nozzle count, etc There are however a couple of challenges that still hinder rapid and widespread adoption in printed electronics. The first is the need to have custom-made pastes necessitating a close collaboration with ink/paste makers who are willing to make such custom formulations. This is because the print head operates at 80C or so. This would mean that most standard screen printing pastes would already begin to dry in the print head and within the circulation system, limiting print runs and stability. This can be addressed with special paste formulation, however. The second current challenge is the limited number of nozzles per print heads. This is the consequence of the fact that the actuation mechanism takes up real estate in the print head design, inevitably limiting the number of possible nozzles. Digital multi-material LASER printing of high viscosity pastes in printed electronics and electronics manufacturing? Another interesting process enabling digital printing of high viscosity pastes is the LIFT (Laser Induced Forward Transfer) process. The operation principle is explained nice in the below video by Coatema. The process works by first coating the paste on a transfer film. A laser then run across the transfer film causing the coated material to be released at points which are laser illuminated. The released materials then land onto the target substrate. Thus the process can digitally with the help of a laser essentially print the material! It can even be done R2R! Interestingly - as shown in the table below - this method can print materials with a wide range of viscosities, ranging from 500 to over 300 000 centipoise. Indeed, in the table you can see that LIFT can print carbon pastes, ceramic pastes, metal pastes, solder, silicon, and even epoxy! The print resolution can also be as low as 40um, thus being comparable to the very best-in-class advanced screen printers found at most contract manufacturers in the printed electronics and electronics manufacturing operations. Table by io-Tech presented at TechBlick's Electronics RESHAPED event in 2023 in Berlin. Below you can see the solder printing in operation by an io-Tech LIFT printer machine. It can print T6 solder at 120 um and T9 at 45um, operating at 5 million drops per hour (equivalent to some 13888 drops per sec). This is thus a high speed and high resolution process able to handle a wide range of viscosity levels. What is unique is that in the same print run - by controlling the laser profile - one can print two different profiles. See the example below. These were done in the same print run! This opens up some nice possibilities. LIFT printing example showing that two different print profiles of solder can be achieved in the same print run. io-Tech presented this at TechBlick Berlin 2023 Interestingly this process also be made R2R. This is explained by Coatema, which is developed such a system, capable of printing on 180mm wide substrate at print speeds of 2-10 m per min and resolutions of up to 600 dpi. Key innovations here will also include ink recycling as well as rapid laser drying, which is more digital and energy efficient than general overn curing (but less flexible and more material specific). This will open up the way for digital and roll-to-roll mass production on flexible substrate. This is important because previous attempts with inkjet printing were not always successful due to limited material menu and process instability Here it is important to mention that ink recycling is crucial. This is because only a small fraction of the paste coated on the transfer film will be printed. Thus - without recycling - the process will be extremely wasteful with a poor material utilisation, which will increase costs, potentially rendering it unviable. Thus this is an important process innovation. High viscosity digital printing and ultra fine resolution well beyond inkjet or LIFT? Thus far we have seen that it is possible to digitally print high viscosity materials. But both mentioned processes have low to moderate resolutions. We will now showcase a range of printing techniques that enable ultra high resolution printing of even high viscosity materials. The first process is EHD (Electrohydrodynamic) Printing. Here, an electric field build into the print head is used to pull out the ink and particles. Thus it is not a classic push process as in inkjet printing. This means that EHD printing can handle much higher viscosity levels and can have narrower nozzles with more focused jets leading to higher resolutions. The schematic below by Scrona shows the design of a multi-nozzle print head showing that each nozzle could be ca 200um wide with its own well-controlled e-field. Scrona multi-nozzle EHD printer heads for printed electronics and QD printing shown at TechBlick conference This process can print with resolutions of 500nm or handle materials with viscosity levels over 10 000 cP. The video below - also by Scrona shown at a TechBlick event - shows the printing of quantum dots (QDs) with a multi-nozzle print head (I think this is a 128 nozzle printer!) A key innovation here is how to scale to multi-nozzle printing. Scrona has developed its own MEMS technology for this together with custom made drive electronics, ensuring small sized multinozzle printer heads with little nozzle-to-nozzle electric field interference process can also handle high viscoisty materials. As shown below, the print head may need to be adjusted, for example, by having wider nozzles. This way it can even print adhesives as shown in the video below (both schematic and video are from Scrona) Can we digitally print higher viscosity levels at ultrafine resolution without e-field? Micro-dispensing offers such a capability. This process - developed by XTPL - is shown in the video below. Here it can be seen that it can not only print ultrafine lines but also do so over 2.5D and 3D surfaces with steep steps, demonstrating the strengths of this process. The chart below shows the market positioning of this process, indicating that it can also go where others can not, namely ultra high viscosity (10 000 to 1 000 000 cP) with a few micrometre resolution, enabling the printing of dense, high viscosity materials at ultrafine resolutions. Indeed the pictures below also demonstrate this, showing printed structure over 3D (over steep steps) at a few micron linewidth resolutions. One question about this process has long been about print speed and productivity since here the print head hovers very close to the substrate often covering only a small area. However, as can be shown below the process is able to print fast at speeds of 8.3 dots per second. This indicates that the process can be industrialised with multiple parallel heads printing at high speeds. High Pressure Capillary Printing - High Resolution, High Aspect Ratio and High Viscosity Printing Without e-Fields, Satellites or Splashing? Another interesting process is the High Pressure Capillary Printing (HPCaP). Here the ink leaves under pressure a resonating pipette with a narrow opening which is vibrating very close to the surface - similar to an AFM system. As shown below, the technology can achieve sub-micron printing resolution and can handle high viscosity pastes up to 100 00 cPa. The technology does not use e-field and causes no satellite or splashing since print head is very close to the surface In the image below you can see an example of a printed line, showing that it can print narrow linewidths as well as narrow pitches. The narrow pitch printing is important, demonstrating control of the print head and high control of the printed material without splashing or satellites You can see below the printing process in action. Here a micro bump is being printed. This is a unique ability because in a single print run the process can print the entire micro bumps with high macro-scale height. This ability to reach macro-scale heights with micron-scale linewidths/diameters is unique amongst most printing processes. The process is rather slow however it still offers some unique value propositions even in this application. In R&D settings, it is much quicker to print micro-bumps and similar structures than go through a complex photolith process. In repair this process is also be unique especially if high aspect ratio printing is involved which most other printing processes can not handle. Printed Electronics / Additive Electronics Without Inks? Additive electronics is somewhat broader than printed electronics in that it includes techniques which are ink-free. Here we want to showcase two innovative laser-based and ink-free additive electronics processes: SSAIL and the NanoPrintek Process. They offer additive (or semi additive) way of manufacturing electronics SSAIL Process: Additive laser-induced metallisation of "diverse" surfaces SSAIL stands for selective surface activation induced by laser! This is a unique process - developed by Akoneer in the laser hotspot of Europe, Lithuania - enabling metallisation of diverse surfaces. This is important because traditional LDS (laser direct structuring) is limited to a narrow set of specially prepared materials containing conductive particulates near the surface which can be exposed by laser illumination. In SSAIL however, the process is not limited to such substrate and can be applied to glass, FR4, ceramics, and a range of materials. The process is shown below. Here, the laser is applied onto the blank surface to create a pattern. A chemical process is then used to active the surface of the laser exposed areas. Finally, those activated areas are electroless plated to form the final part. The process parameters are also shown below. The traces can be typically around 10um (down to 1um also possible), high laser write speeds at 3m/s @10 um, rapid electroless plating, mild process temperature, etc. Below you can see three selected examples. All are made by Akoneer. 1) a fan-out Cu circuit on PI substrate with fine features, 2 ) 15um traces on a standard FR4 substrates, which is a sensitive substrates and demonstrate viability for PCB manufacturing, 3) 10um/10um Cu lines on glass These applications show applicability to a wide range of substrates. They also demonstrate fineline capability. All these via an additive process with properties of electroless plated copper (vs those of conductive inks) Dry (Ink Free) Multi-Material Direct Laser Printing The final process we wish to highlight in this article is a novel dry ink-free multi-material printing process. The process is developed by NanoPrintek. It is shown below. A solid target is inserted into the machine. The laser then ablates the material, forming nano particles which are then directed onto the substrate via nozzles. A sintering laser sitting below the print head then sinters the material. The process does not involve inks and offers a high diversity of material options. The sintering and print steps happen at the same time. It is disruptive in the sense that it takes the ink our of the additive electronics / printed electronics process. Below you can see various examples including 1) printing Cu on FR4 substrates 2) printing tungsten which is very hard to print via ink format 3) printing platinum which is very hard to print via ink format The smallest nozzle is currently 100um but other nozzles are available too (150, 200, 300 and 350, 400um). In the near future, it is hoped that with aerodynamic focusing 20um effective nozzles and thus printed linewidths can be achieved. These are single aperture nozzle at the moment, but work is ongoing on multi nozzle system. Here the particle generated can be cranked up and the generated particles distributed through the multiple nozzle systems. The system can achieve (as limited by nozzle diameter currently) 100um linewidth. It prints layer by layer. The printed layers are typically 200nm so to print thicker lines multiple print runs are required. This can be a limitation in many application where a relatively high current carrying capability is required thus thick paste printing will still make sense. The work space is around 8inch by 8inch today. The achieved conductivity today - without any sintering optimisation - is around one order magnitude below bulk. With optimisation of sintering, it is expected to approach bulk since pure metals are being printed. Note that the sintering laser is below the print nozzle which means that sintering occurs at the same time as the print. The print speeds are up to 20mm per second. It is thus to be compared with other digital processes in productivity and not with the likes of screen printing which are much faster in printing in the same pattern on an industrial scale. To learn more about the wonderful world of Additive and 3D Electronics , join us and 550 others from around the world at the Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and exhibition in Boston on 11 and 12 June 2025. This is the largest and the most important event in the US dedicated to Additive and 3D Electronics, bringing together over 550 participants, 70 talks, and over 75 exhibitors. Explore here https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa Major Early Bird Ends on 25 April. Go HERE to receive a coupon offering you 200 USD additional discount on top of early bird rates.

The Evolution of the Semiconductor Industry and Its Path to Sustainability Author: Elisa DUQUET, Hummink, elisa.duquet@hummink.com The semiconductor industry is one of the most complex, dynamic, and technologically advanced sectors in the world. It plays an essential role in shaping modern life, serving as the foundation for everything from smartphones and MRI machines to kitchen appliances and space shuttles. In today’s digital world, nearly every device we rely on is powered by semiconductor chips. The demand for semiconductor chips has reached unprecedented levels. According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), the industry shipped a record of 1.15 trillion semiconductor units last year, this figure means that every person on earth could receive over 150 chips annually. In addition, the SIA announced that the global semiconductor sales hit $627.6 billion in 2024, an increase of 19.1% compared to 2023. The semiconductor industry is projected to reach over $726.73 billion by 2027. We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston . Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend (elisa.duquet@hummink.com) As production scales up to meet increasing demand, so does the need for sustainable solutions to manage waste and defective components. Indeed, the twelve largest semiconductor manufacturers together generate about 2.7 million tons of waste annually - about as much as 5 million EU citizens. Nearly 50 percent of the waste generated by the semiconductor industry is classified as hazardous (V.A. Heinrich & D. Hübner). This waste includes defective or obsolete chips discarded during manufacturing. In the worst scenario and without further proactive measures, the amount of waste could almost double by 2030, due to expected production growth. Figure 1: High aspect ratio bumps, printed by HPCaP with silver ink Historically, the semiconductor industry has focused on relentless innovation and mass production, often leading to significant electronic waste and the rapid obsolescence of components. However, a transformative shift is occurring - one that prioritizes repair and sustainability. In the semiconductor industry, several printing methods can be used to correct production defects and reintegrate components into production lines. These techniques primarily aim to restore defective interconnections and repair open defects at the RDL or bump level. Inkjet printing enables material deposition using an inkjet process without having contact with the substrate. This method minimizes the risk of substrate damage, but it offers limited precision (>10 µm in line width). EHD (Electrohydrodynamic) printing, on the other hand, uses electric fields to generate droplets and deposit conductive inks. However, this technology is complex to implement, as reproducibility becomes challenging at high resolution and requires precise control of electrical parameters. Finally, UPD (Ultra-Precise Deposition), which applies pressure, is also limited in terms of resolution. Indeed, the pressure applied tends to expand the deposits. To overcome the challenges of existing techniques, HPCaP technology introduces a breakthrough approach, enabling ultra-precise, high-resolution repairs that ensure superior electrical performance and seamless reintegration of semiconductor components into production lines. Figure 2: Pads printed by HPCaP, with silver ink HPCaP technology: Correcting Production Defects for Semiconductor The HPCaP (High Precision Capillary Printing) technology, developed by Hummink, offers an innovative alternative to traditional additive manufacturing methods. Based exclusively on capillary forces and resonance, HPCaP technology allows for a remarkable level of precision in depositing various materials. HPCaP technology offers effective repair of production defects at the level of RDLs, flip chip bumps, and interconnections in order to improve the yield and put the chips back into production lines. We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston . Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend (elisa.duquet@hummink.com) Unlike other conventional repair methods, such as inkjet printing or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), HPCaP achieves an exceptionally low resistivity of less than 10 µΩ·cm, ensuring optimal electrical performance. Additionally, with HPCaP a resolution of less than 2 µm (L/S) is feasible, providing the means to correct RDLs at the needed submicron scales with high precision and reliability, overcoming a key challenge in semiconductor repair. Beyond RDL repairs, HPCaP technology is also effective in addressing missing bumps - a common production defect in advanced packaging. HPCaP provides a solution that meets the new industry specifications by creating high aspect ratio bumps (up to 20:1) and microbumps of diameters less than 5 µm; all while maintaining excellent resistivity and ensuring both high reliability and reproducibility. Furthermore, HPCaP technology allows for the repair of missing interconnections and damaged pads, restoring semiconductor functionality without requiring costly replacements. By enabling precise, high-performance production repairs, this technology allows semiconductors to be put back into production lines and improve their yield, supporting a more sustainable approach to microelectronics manufacturing. Figure 3: Conductive silver lines printed with HPCaP Conclusion Innovation and sustainability must be combined as the semiconductor industry is at a pivotal crossroads. As demand for semiconductor chips continues to grow, so does the urgency to adopt environmentally responsible practices that mitigate waste and extend the lifespan of electronic components. Repairing, rather than replacing, defective semiconductors is a crucial step toward achieving this goal. HPCaP technology offers an efficient and high-performance alternative to traditional methods in terms of precision semiconductor repair. By enabling the restoration of open defects, missing bumps, and damaged interconnections with unparalleled accuracy, HPCaP not only enhances yield and efficiency but also significantly reduces electronic waste through the production line. Companies that invest in cutting-edge repair technologies like HPCaP will not only gain a competitive advantage but also contribute to a greener, more responsible future for microelectronics manufacturing. The shift toward sustainability is no longer optional - it is the key to long-term resilience and progress in the semiconductor industry. We are Exhibiting in Boston and Berlin. Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston 22-23 October 2025 in Berlin Contact us for your special discount coupon to attend (elisa.duquet@hummink.com)

Author: Steve Paschky Saralon now offers new ink sets for stretchable membrane switches, heaters, and electroluminescent display printing. Each of these sets contains all the essential ink components tailored to each application, simplifying your work for a seamless, high-quality experience. We are Exhibiting! Visit our booth at the TechBlick event on 11-12 June 2025 in Boston Last year, I wrote about our range of stretchable Saral Inks , designed for different substrates with various formulations like silver, carbon, and others. Since then, technology has continued to evolve, and so have the needs of the industry. We’ve been hearing from customers that they need stretchable inks that are not only conducting but also provide features like heating and capacitive touch, all while withstanding dynamic forces like bending, stretching, and twisting. One of our major focuses at Saralon has been on providing "ink sets"- collections of compatible inks that are designed for specific applications of Printed Electronics (PE). This approach aligns with our company’s mission: Simplifying Electronics Through InkTech. PE devices often require printing multiple layers of ink on top of each other, and one common challenge for developers is finding the right combination of inks that work well together. That’s where our Saral Inks Sets come in. For specific PE applications, we offer complete sets of inks that are compatible with one another, easy to print, and ensure a trouble-less printing process. For instance, we introduced SaralBattery Inks , SaralEC Display Inks , and SaralEL Display Inks few years ago; designed for printing batteries, electrochromic displays, and electroluminescent displays on flexible substrates. As the demand for stretchable electronics has grown, it was clear that we needed to develop new stretchable ink sets that go beyond just conductivity and provide specific functionalities for particular applications. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. This year, we’ve launched new ink sets for stretchable heaters, membrane switches, and electroluminescent displays. Ink set for printing heaters on stretchable materials Applications like surface heating in automotive, specially on complex geometries like arm rest areas demand printed electronics heaters that can easily stretch and twist. The other application areas include therapeutic and medical devices, hospit al equipment like blankets and bed components. Stretchability offers more comfort, easier integration into product, and higher reliability under dynamic forces. Saral StretchHeater Inks Saral StretchHeater Inks Saral StretchHeater Inks contains all three ink components needed for printing stretchable heaters. Saral StretchSilver 100 is the silver based conductive ink that offer over 300% stretchability with a sheet resistance of 30mΩ/sq/25 μm. It is screen printable and thermally dried at 90°C – 130°C. Saral StretchCarbon 200 is the carbon based stretchable electrically conducting ink, suitable for printing on different stretchable surfaces e.g. TPU. We recommend a drying temperature of 120°C to reach a sheet resistance of 60mΩ/sq/25 μm. Saral StretchDielectricT 300 is a solvent based stretchable, transparent dielectric ink, suitable for elastic substrates. The ink is suitable as a protective layer on top of stretchable silver layers. The ink is screen printable and we recommend a curing temperature of 120°C. Saral StretchMembrane-Switch Inks   Ink set for printing stretchable membrane switches Be it in white goods, HMI, car interiors, etc. creating three dimensional (3D) capacitive touches offers a completely different level of design freedom and user experience. For such purposes, we’ve developed a complete stretchable ink set. Saral StretchMembrane-Switch Inks includes all needed ink components for printing membrane switches on stretchable substrates like TPU. The Silver and Carbon ink components, are basically the same inks that are used in printing stretchable heaters, namely: Saral StretchSilver 100 and Saral StretchCarbon 200. For the Dielectric part however, we’ve developed an UV curable ink. Saral StretchUVDielectricG 100 is the UV curable and stretchable dielectric ink, suitable for elastic and flexible substrates. The ink is with green pigment and up to 100% stretchability is possible. Print Stretchable Electroluminescent Displays Ink set for stretchable electroluminescent printing. While we already have a standard ink set for EL display printing on common PE materials e.g., plastic and paper, there is still demand for stretchable EL displays for applications like 3D backlight design, that’s why we have a full set of inks for stretchable EL printing. Saral StretchEL Display Inks contains four ink components and comes with AC/DC inverter. Again, the conducting silver ink is our high-performance Saral StretchSilver 100 with the specifications that were mentioned above. The three other stretchable ink components are as the following. Saral StretchDielectricW 200 is a Barium Titanate based stretchable dielectric ink, suitable for elastic substrates and offers ~ 100% stretchability. Saral StretchPhosphor 100 is the stretchable light emitting electroluminescent ink that comes in blue, orange, white, and green colors. Saral StretchTCPolymer 100 is the transparent conducting ink offering over 300% stretchability on various elastic substrates. These new Saral Inks Sets are designed to support PE developers across a range of industries, including automotive, HMI, surface heating, capacitive touch panels, wearables, etc., offering simplicity in printing, reliable functionality, and design flexibility. They’ve been created based on the input from our partners and clients in the Printed Electronics industry; which plays a crucial role in our development process. We always welcome any further ideas. So, please feel free to get in touch

In this newsletter you can learn about the latest advances in Additive, Sustainable, Hybrid and 3D Electronics! via the following highlighted short videos, each being less than 2min, saving you learning time. These are all key points and advances in the field, advancing the art and cutting-edge. R2R pilot hybrid electric manufacturing line for wearable sensors? | VTT What are the real applications of ACFs (anisotropic conductive films)? |  CondAlign How is micro-dispensing positioned and how fast can it print? |  XTPL How to print silver lines finer than human hair on Si photovoltaics |  Fraunhofer ISE How does the 3D additive lithography for additive electronic work? |  Holst Centre Why is there a need for direct gravure printing of manufacturing solder bumps? | Komori The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   Conference and Exhibition #AdditiveElectronics   #3DElectronics   #PrintedElectronics   #WearableElectronics   #FlexibleHybridElectronics   #WearableElectronics   #SustainableElectronics   #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration: https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa 🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🛑🛑 In addition to the early bird rates, there is a special one-time promotion offering an additional 200 USD discount. Get your coupon here . The early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025. 🛑🛑 R2R pilot hybrid electric manufacturing line for wearable sensors? Here you can see the VTT pilot line including pre-cut, bonding and SMT assembly stage. This pilot line - together with the deep expertise to operate the line - is an essential for the development for flexible hybrid electronics and wearable applications, in particular in reaching prototyple and pilot production level. Video duration: 50s #PrintedElectronics #R2RManufacturing #WearableElectroncis #WearablePatches What are the real applications of ACFs (anisotropic conductive films)? ACFs (anisotropic conductive films) are a critical technology in the FHE space. But have you ever wondered what the actual applications and use cases might be? Here,  CondAlign AS  outlines specific use cases in this short video including biofuel cells, logistic and tracking smart labels, printed segmented OLED displays, and printed electronic signage. Video Duration: 1m46s #Interconnects #SoftToRigidInterconnects #FlexibleInterconnects #LowTemperatureInterconnects #Adhesives #FlexibleHybridElectronics How is micro-dispensing positioned and how fast can it print? Micro-dispensing can achieve both very high resolutions (down to 1um) and handle very high viscosity levels (1 000 00 cP) addressing critical shortcomings of inkjet without requiring an external electric field. Furthermore this technology can also print on 2.5D and 3D surfaces. Here   Ludovic SCHNEIDER  from  XTPL  demonstrates examples of printed profiles, showcasing that they can print millions of dots at speeds approaching 10 drops per second for 10 um microdot (micro-bump) printing Video Duration: 30s #MicroDispensing #UltrafinePrinting #3DPrintedElectronics #3DElectronics #BeyondInkjet How to print silver lines finer than human hair on Si photovoltaics? The narrowing of printed metallisation lines to reduce silver consumption per watt is one of the most successful technology development stories in printed electronics, going from 80um or so in 2010 to now 14um in record state-of-art results! But how to achieve ultra fine-line (14um) and high aspect ratio (15um) printed Ag metallisation lines on silicon photovoltaics? here researchers from Fraunhofer ISE show examples of paste optimisation for different screens and also screen optimisation (mesh doubt, opening diameter, etc) to achieve these record results Video Duration: 1m30s #ScreenPrinting #Photovoltaics #Metallisation #FineLinePrinting #StateofArtResults How does the 3D additive lithography for additive electronic work? This is a novel approach developed at the Holst Centre. You can learn how the process work. A key point of this additive lithography is what determines the ultimate resolution of the printed parts, is it the printer or the maskless photolithography of the resin? This technology has use cases in microelectronics and semiconductor packaging Video Duration: 30s #AdditiveElectronics #MasklessLithography #SemiconductorPackaging #Resin #AdditiveLithography Why is there a need for direct gravure printing of manufacturing solder bumps? Here you can learn about the relationship between solder type, particle size, and application including in the emerging area of microLEDs and you can then understand where gravure printing seeks to play. Video Duration: 30s Komori America Corporation #GravurePrinting #PrintedElectronics #MicroLED #AdditveElectronics #MicroBumps #Interconnects The Future of Electronics RESHAPED USA   Conference and Exhibition #AdditiveElectronics   #3DElectronics   #PrintedElectronics   #WearableElectronics   #FlexibleHybridElectronics   #WearableElectronics   #SustainableElectronics   #ElectronicTextiles 🗓️ 11 & 12 June 2025 📍 Boston, USA 🔗 Agenda & Registration: https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa 🎤 70+ World-Class Speakers 🏢 75+ Global Exhibitors 👥 550+ Participants from Around the World 🛑🛑 In addition to the early bird rates, there is a special one-time promotion offering an additional 200 USD discount. Get your coupon here . The early bird rates expire on 25 April 2025. 🛑🛑