Laser-Induced Graphene on Additive Manufacturing Parts.

Lishi Jiao,Seung Moon,Hongyu Zheng,Byunghoon Lee,Zhong Chua,Jie Song,Jamyeong Koo,Guijun Bi

doi:10.3390/nano9010090

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) has become more prominent in leading industries. Recently, there have been intense efforts to achieve a fully functional 3D structural electronic device by integrating conductive structures into AM parts. Here, we introduce a simple approach to creating a conductive layer on a polymer AM part by CO2 laser processing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze laser-induced modifications in surface morphology and surface chemistry. The results suggest that conductive porous graphene was obtained from the AM-produced carbon precursor after the CO2 laser scanning. At a laser power of 4.5 W, the lowest sheet resistance of 15.9 Ω/sq was obtained, indicating the excellent electrical conductivity of the laser-induced graphene (LIG). The conductive graphene on the AM parts could serve as an electrical interconnection and shows a potential for the manufacturing of electronics components. An interdigital electrode capacitor was written on the AM parts to demonstrate the capability of LIG. Cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and cyclability testing demonstrated good electrochemical performance of the LIG capacitor. These findings may create opportunities for the integration of laser direct writing electronic and additive manufacturing.

Highlights

Additive manufacturing (AM), known as 3D printing, is playing an increasingly significant role in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and biomedical areas
The ULTEM 9085 is a new commercial 3D printing material that is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in aerospace applications [12]
Conductive laser-induced graphene (LIG) lines were produced on the 3D-printed ULTEM sample

Summary

Introduction

Additive manufacturing (AM), known as 3D printing, is playing an increasingly significant role in various industries, including automotive, aerospace, and biomedical areas. The as-deposited pattern usually requires undergoing a 200-◦ C sintering process to remove the organic solvent and increase the electrical conductivity This heat treatment may cause thermal damage to the support structures [5]. It has been shown that laser processing offers a top-to-bottom, noncontact, and highly selective method that produces graphene with high electrical conductivity properties. The ULTEM 9085 is a new commercial 3D printing material that is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use in aerospace applications [12] It is famous for its excellent mechanical properties and chemical resistance. Conductive LIG lines were produced on the 3D-printed ULTEM sample This finding creates possibilities for the integration of LIG-made electronics and AM components in a single process

Experiments

Discussion

Raman of LIG

Conclusions