Lorenzo Agostini | AdapTronics: How do you design flexible electronics that survive the vacuum, radiation, and atomic oxygen of space?
00:16:49 - 00:18:36
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Summary of the clip:
How do you design flexible electronics that survive the vacuum, radiation, and atomic oxygen of space?
Developing flexible electro-adhesives for in-orbit applications requires a rigorous material selection process to withstand the harsh space environment. The discussion centers on the use of space-grade silicones and polyimides as the primary substrate and insulating materials. These materials must exhibit low outgassing properties to avoid contaminating sensitive spacecraft components in a vacuum.
Initial testing has focused on vacuum compatibility, with selected materials successfully passing outgassing tests according to European Space Agency (ESA) ECSS standards. While polyimide is a common choice for space applications, its mechanical flexibility can be a limitation compared to elastomers for a conformable gripper. The challenge is to find or formulate a material that offers the conformability of silicone while meeting all space-grade requirements.
The development roadmap includes further environmental testing beyond vacuum and thermal cycling. The next critical phases will assess the materials' resilience to radiation and atomic oxygen, both of which can severely degrade polymers and compromise the electronic device's long-term performance and reliability in orbit. This requires access to specialized facilities and represents a key step toward in-orbit demonstration.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The importance of using certified space-grade materials like specific silicones and polyimides.
* The process of qualifying materials for space, including outgassing tests based on ECSS standards.
* The future challenges of testing for resilience against radiation and atomic oxygen.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip explores the unique material science challenges of creating flexible electronics for space applications. It covers the selection and testing of space-grade polymers, focusing on passing critical outgassing tests and the future work needed to validate performance against radiation and atomic oxygen.
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#FlexibleElectroAdhesives, #SpaceGradePolymers, #ECSSOutgassingTests, #SpaceRadiationAOX, #FlexibleElectronics, #SpaceElectronics
This is a highlight of the presentation:
Thin-layer electro-adhesive gripper technology with printed flexible electronics
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00:09:40 - 00:11:42
Inkjet vs. Laser Ablation: Which is the best process for fabricating high-performance electro-adhesives?
Inkjet vs. Laser Ablation: Which is the best process for fabricating high-performance electro-adhesives?
Inkjet printing offers high accuracy and a contactless deposition method, which is critical for avoiding mechanical stress on delicate, thin substrates. This precision is essential for creating the fine-featured electrode architecture required for the electro-adhesive effect. However, inkjet has limitations regarding substrate compatibility, particularly with elastomers like silicones, and faces challenges in depositing high-density materials efficiently.
A more scalable alternative combines blade casting a conductive layer followed by laser ablation for patterning. This method is excellent for rapid prototyping with minimal calibration time and is compatible with a wider range of materials. The primary drawback is the significant thermal and mechanical stress the laser imparts on the substrate, which can compromise the performance and integrity of the final multilayer device.
The ideal manufacturing solution lies somewhere between these two methods, balancing precision, substrate compatibility, scalability, and process-induced stress. The company is actively developing a hybrid or new approach to optimize the fabrication of their electro-adhesive layers. For the insulating layer, blade casting is currently used across both processes to precisely control thickness, which is critical for the device's electrostatic performance and flexibility.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The pros and cons of using inkjet printing for fine-featured flexible electronics.
* How laser ablation offers scalability but introduces substrate stress.
* The trade-offs between precision, material compatibility, and speed in prototyping vs. production.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip details the two primary fabrication methods used to create thin-film electro-adhesive grippers: inkjet printing and laser ablation. It provides a technical comparison, weighing the benefits of inkjet's precision against the scalability of laser patterning, while highlighting the inherent challenges of each.
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#InkjetPrinting, #LaserAblation, #BladeCasting, #ElectroAdhesives, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics
00:15:14 - 00:16:36
Can you print 50-micron features on a 10-micron substrate that can withstand kilovolts?
Can you print 50-micron features on a 10-micron substrate that can withstand kilovolts?
The fabrication of the electro-adhesive architecture requires high-resolution printing to create an effective electrostatic system. The current process targets conductive lines with a minimum feature size of 50 microns, with an equivalent 50-micron gap between traces. The goal is to push these dimensions even smaller to further enhance the device's performance and force density.
The entire device is built on an extremely thin and flexible foundation, with substrate thicknesses ranging from just 10 to 25 microns. This ultra-thin profile is essential for the gripper's ability to conform to irregular surfaces. Maintaining the integrity of such a thin substrate throughout the multi-step printing and deposition process is a significant manufacturing challenge.
Beyond the physical dimensions, a critical material property for the entire multilayer stack is its ability to withstand a high electric field. The chosen substrate, conductive ink, and dielectric insulation must work in concert to prevent electrical breakdown under high voltage operation. This requires careful material selection and process optimization to ensure high dielectric strength across the entire flexible and conformable structure.
In this short video, you can learn:
* The specific dimensional targets for conductive traces: 50-micron lines and gaps.
* The use of ultra-thin substrates, between 10 and 25 microns, for maximum flexibility.
* The critical importance of high dielectric strength for all materials in the stack to sustain high electric fields.
📋 **Clip Abstract** This clip reveals the precise technical specifications required for AdapTronics' electro-adhesive technology. It details the challenging dimensional requirements, including 50-micron conductive features on 10-micron substrates, and emphasizes the critical need for high dielectric strength across the entire thin-film architecture.
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#HighResolutionPrinting, #UltraThinSubstrates, #DielectricStrength, #ElectroAdhesive, #PrintedElectronics, #FlexibleElectronics