3D Printing High Performance Electronic Components

Additive Manufacturing Technology (“3D Printing”) is finding its way into all corners of materials production and everyday life. Complex metal parts, ceramic parts, dental implants, even wood and concrete can be rapidly designed, prototyped and manufactured. Bioscience and healthcare is being revolutionized with 3D printed tissue, organs, and bone. Additive manufacturing is even a new platform for cuisine and art.

Vq Research is advancing Additive Manufacturing Technology to produce high-performance electronics using ceramics and thick film metals. For example: Perovskite ceramic-based capacitors, Ferrite-based inductors and circulators, as well as Cermet and ruthenium oxide-based resistors.

We 3D print high-performance ceramic passive components.

Passive components (such as capacitors, resistors, and inductors) are a vital part of every electronic device. From everyday items like mobile phones and appliances to advanced aerospace and medical technology, passive devices are integral and ubiquitous.

Using modern additive manufacturing technology, passive devices can be integrated into electronic packages. However, the vast majority of printed electronics solutions utilize organic resin based silver inks that are printed on plastic substrates. These platforms are relegated to packages and designs which require lower performance than that which can be achieved through more conventional manufacturing methods.

Vq Research has a proprietary formulation for Multi-Layer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) with the highest energy and power density in the industry, temperature-resistance to 300ºC and above, and very slow loss of stored energy (tera-ohms of internal resistance). The lifetime of these parts can be many decades without significant specification degradation. Unlike canister-type capacitors that contain toxic electrolytes, these MLCCs are solid-state, non-toxic, and mechanically strong.

Disruptive Technology

The objective of Vq Research is to pioneer the application of 3D printed electronic parts, thereby enabling low-cost and high-reliability methods of prototyping and manufacturing at any scale without massive capital expenditures or labor that manufacturing these products typically require.

It is a widely held belief, among industry experts and analysts, that 3D printing and similar methods of manufacturing will displace traditional methods and bring manufacturing back to the United States. Vq Research believes it is uniquely positioned to become a key player in this highly disruptive market shift.

Market Opportunity

Exciting Possibilities

The ability to “3D Print” high-performance passive electronic ceramics and metals opens a world of exciting possibilities for the future of manufacturing.

Direct printing into/onto ceramic based electronic packages
Accommodate novel packages with custom component shapes that transcend existing surface-mount technology designs rules
Move past 2-dimensional layouts and fabricate in 3-D
Increase surface area per unit volume for high energy density
Enable new high density packaging paradigms
Ability to control dielectric constant in 2 or 3 dimensions and enable less complex or new RF micro-strip geometries
Ability to quickly test new structures, designs, & prototypes
Allow rapid low-volume production

Applications

Intellectual Property

Vq Research is building an intellectual property portfolio specific to the additive manufacturing of passive electronic components. To date it holds 6 organic patents.

US 10,128,047 – Methods and systems for increasing surface area of multilayer ceramic capacitors.

US 10,236,123 – Methods and systems to minimize delamination of multilayer ceramic capacitors.

US 10,242,803 – Geometric optimization and printing closer to the edge, thereby reducing space between dielectric layer edge and conductive layer end while raising the breakdown voltage.

US 10,332,684 – 3D Printing for noble metal cladding of MLCCs to significantly reduce materials cost.

US 10,431,508 – Use of custom geometries in 3D printing MLCCs to increase surface area and thus increase performance.

US 10,685,892 – Manufacturing of all passive components as a single part, benefit to passives similar to the advent of IC for active components.