Towards fully green printed device with environmental perspectives

Abstract

Printed electronics (PE) is growing rapidly through innovation in several pathways: ink formulation, substrate improvement, printing and drying process optimization. All these developments are combining to enable the production of a new generation of PE devices that reduce e-waste. However, the main question of the recyclability of these devices is critical. This article is focused on (1) the industrial fabrication of recyclable substrates prepared by roll-to-roll printing using flexographic printing units to cover paper with shellac solution and (2) the environmental impact assessment of new development of PE. To investigate the performance of the produced substrate, a battery-less near-field communication antenna was printed with a flatbed screen printing using silver ink. The print quality, electrical resistance and the basic functional characterization of these paper-based antennas were investigated and reported. To validate the functionality of printed devices, a mm2 electronic chip was integrated onto the printed device. In order to predict the future perspectives and development of the PE, environmental challenges of the ink and substrates, during the production and end-of-life phases, are explored and discussed.