Multilayer Conductive Metallization with Offset Vias Using Aerosol Jet Technology

The transition of additive printed electronics into high-volume production requires process consistency to allow quality control of the manufactured product. Process recipes are needed for multilayer substrates with z-axis interconnects in order to enable complex systems. In this paper, process recipes have been developed through fundamental studies of the interactions between the process parameters and the mechanical-electrical performance achieved for multilayer substrates. The study reported in this paper focuses on printed vias also known as donut vias. Aerosol jet process parameters studied include carrier mass flow rate, sheath mass flow rate, exhaust mass flow rate, print speed, number of passes, sintering time and temperature, UV-intensity for UV-cure, and standoff height. The electrical performance has been quantified through the measurements of resistance. The mechanical performance has been quantified through measurement of shear load-to-failure. The effect of sequential build-up on the mechanical-electrical properties vs process parameters have been quantified for up to 8-layers designs. The performance of 5-layer and 8-layer additively printed substrate designs and effect of multiple vias has been compared to assess process consistency.