Tips for Realizing the Advantages of High-Resolution Printing for Flexible Electronics

Printing techniques are now routinely used in the manufacture of flexible electronic components. There are many readily available printing technologies, making it difficult to access which technology is the best fit to manufacture a given product. This talk will build on previous presentations, not only looking at the high-level difference between print technologies but providing insights on how to get the best performance from print systems. Working examples will be primarily taken from Kodak's high-resolution flexographic functional printing system, however, broader insights will be shared. We will explore how best to take full advantage of “addressable resolution and print speed in print systems, with attention to various process elements that must be considered and controlled. We have previously reported on our additive, roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing process to produce transparent RF devices, such as antennas and EMI shields, on flexible substrates focusing on the ability of Kodak's copper micro-wire technology to deliver low sheet resistance in combination with high transparency. This ability to achieve high transparency is directly linked to the use of high-resolution flexographic printing. In this talk, we will dive even deeper into the particulars of the flexographic printing process that enable these sub-10-micron features.