Resilient Hybrid Electronics for Extreme/Harsh Environments

<p>The success of future innovative technology relies upon a community with a shared vision. Here we present an overview of the latest technological progress in the field of printed electronics for use in harsh or extreme environments. Each chapter unlocksscientific and engineering discoveries that will undoubtedly lead to progression from proof of concept to device creation.</p><p>The main topics covered in this book include some of the most promising materials methods and the ability to integrate printed materials with commercial components to provide the basis for the next generation of electronics that are dubbed “survivable” in environments with high g?forces corrosion vibration and large temperature fluctuations. A wide variety of materials are discussed that contribute to robust hybrid electronics including printable conductive composite inks ceramics and ceramic matrix composites polymer?erived ceramics thin metal films elastomers solders and epoxies to name a few. Collectively these materials and associated components are used to construct conductive traces interconnects antennas pressure sensors temperature sensors power inducting devices strain sensors and gauges soft actuators supercapacitors piezo ionic elements resistors waveguides filters electrodes batteries various detectors monitoring devices transducers and RF systems and graded dielectric or graded index (GRIN) structures. New designs that incorporate the electronics as embedded materials into channels slots and other methods to protect the electronics from the extreme elements of the operational environment are also envisioned to increase their survivability while remaining cognizant of the required frequency of replacement reapplication and integration of power sources. Lastly the ability of printer manufacturers software providers and users to work together to build multi?axis multi?material and commercial?off?the?shelf (COTS) integration into user?friendly systems will be a great advancement for the field of printed electronics.</p><p>Therefore the blueprint for manufacturing resilient hybrid electronics consists of novel designs that exploit the benefits of advances in additive manufacturing that are then efficiently paired with commercially available components to produce devices that exceed known constraints. As a primary example metals can be deposited onto polymers in a variety of ways including aerosol jetting microdispensing electroplating sintering vacuum deposition supersonic beam cluster deposition and plasma?based techniques to name a few. Taking these scientific discoveries and creatively combining them into robotic multi?material factories of the future could be one shared aim of the printed electronics community toward survivable device creation.</p>