Selective Electroplating for 3D-Printed Electronics

Creating 3D-printed parts with embedded circuitry is the next frontier in additive manufacturing, but printing of conductors with performance comparable to bulk metals such as copper is a difficult challenge. A hybrid process based on 3D printing followed by electroplating on highly conductive thermoplastic filament is used to manufacture 3D circuit boards and electronic packaging. Dual extruder heads on a standard fused filament fabrication printer are used to selectively define regions for electroplating, allowing distinct traces and multiple materials to be patterned in the same 3D-printed parts. Using this approach, a 3D-printed surface-mount package and a 555 timer oscillator circuit are demonstrated, including soldering of components onto the electroplated copper surface.

Duke Scholars

Author Benjamin J. Wiley Chemistry