AM metal substrates for inkjet-printing of smart devices

A study to characterize surface and structural properties of 3D-printed metal substrates for multilayer inkjet-printing is presented. Such substrates can enable and alleviate the fabrication of smart and functional packages, implants or spare parts. For the characterization, a multilayer structure composed of an insulating layer and a superposed conductive layer is inkjet-printed onto the various 3D-printed metallic substrates. The printing is done using equivalent settings for all substrates. The characterization is based on microscopic and Focused Ion Beam (FIB) images, as well as profilometer and contact angle measurements of the substrates. Furthermore, microscopic images and four-point-probe resistance- and profilometer measurements are carried out, to gain insight into the quality of the multilayer print. We show the diversity in surface and structural properties of 3D-printed substrates, also for those fabricated using the same process. Also, the 3D-printed samples exhibit different wettability properties than metals processed using standard processes. Finally, we can also demonstrate the suitability of selected substrates for inkjet-printing.