3D Printing of Self-Wiring Conductive Ink with High Stretchability and Stackability for Customized Wearable Devices

Abstract

The progress in 3D printing research has led to significant developments ranging from customized printing to rapid prototyping. However, the 3D printing of electrodes, especially stretchable electrodes for the fabrication of 3D printable electronic devices, is challenging due to the inherent weakness with respect to the printing material. A novel preparation method is reported for a 3D printable conductive ink with a self-wiring effect during heat treatment, which pushes the silicone rubber outward and results in the accumulation of the conductors within the wire. This effect results in the formation of a polymer shell around the conductor, thus yielding conductors with larger stretchability and soft passivation characteristics. The conductive ink is prepared via the following steps: i) mixing of conductive filler, silicone rubbers, and solvent; followed by ii) soft heat treatment for soft curing and solvent evaporation. Furthermore, a capacitive sensor is fabricated using this dielectric polymer layer. As a demonstration, a mouse controller is fabricated using a capacitive sensor array prepared using the conductors developed in this study.