The Real Printed Electronics

摘要

Our industry has become very skilled at printing circuits, but we've had about 80 years of practice actually printing conductors and dielectrics. In the 1920s, circuit pioneers printed conductive inks made with graphite and, later, powdered metals such as copper and silver. But a visionary dream of many who worked on printing conductors was to print all of the electronics, including components. Printed passive devices, like resistors and capacitors, were relatively simple, and methods were developed during WWII. The idea of printing active devices was not even a consideration until the advent of solid-state electronics. Printing active electronics components would prove to be a greater challenge that would require special and complex materials, and newer printing processes for commercial viability.