Aerosol jet printing toward advanced electronics: Versatile, facile, additive processes for 2D/3D structuring

Aerosol jet printing (AJP) is an emerging noncontact additive direct printing process that aims to create microscale, precise features on a variety of substrates. Originally developed for the manufacture of electronic circuits by coating metallic materials, this novel technology has been explored for a wide range of applications, including active and passive electronic components, actuators, and sensors. In addition, various application studies on flexible/stretchable electronic devices using polymer printing and 3D structuring have been conducted. This is preeminent because of the advantages engendered by the AJP process. AJP Not only allows high-resolution deposition of microstructures but also accommodates a wide range of ink viscosities. This chapter puts forward a comprehensive framework including the basic principles of AJP, the materials used in the AJP process, and recent research works carried out in the area of smart and connected wearable electronics which include printed interconnects, sensors, circuits, and flexible electronics.