Digital Light Processing Method to Fabricate Conductive Polymer on Various Substrates for Microelectrode and Physical Sensing Application

Abstract

This research introduces a novel method for manufacturing polymer microelectrodes via DLP 3D printing on various substrates, including PDMS, PMMA, and glass. Simple and rapid fabrication processes are described herein by allowing a single exposure of UV light to print the electrode within minutes. Digital masks define the UV light pattern, eliminating the need for physical masks. A polyacrylate resin-CNT nanocomposite was employed as the electrode material, exhibiting a sheet conductivity of 3.52×10-2 S/cm on various substrates. The microelectrode achieved a resolution of ~130µm in width and 150µm in thickness. As a proof of concept, a flexible tactile sensor with microstructural features was fabricated using the proposed method, incorporating multi-material printing and sequential digital masks. The sensors enabled a broad pressure detection range (80 to 800,000 Pa), high stability, and durable sensing performance under high-pressure dynamic loading for over 30 minutes. The manufacturing process did not involve physical optical masks, an annealing process, or harmful chemicals, making it more time-efficient and environmentally friendly.