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• Rice University researchers have found a way to 3D print using focused microwaves. Published in Science Advances, Professor Yong Lin Kong and his team believe the technology could be used...
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Rice University researchers have found a way to 3D print using focused microwaves. Published in Science Advances, Professor Yong Lin Kong and his team believe the technology could be used to 3D print electronics through heating inks without damaging substrates. By focusing the heating area precisely, only the electronic ink can be heated at one particular location.
Until now, this has been one of the biggest challenges in 3D printing electronics: the heat needed to make the ink functional often damages the material underneath it.
Professor Kong said,
“The ability to selectively heat the printed materials enables us to spatially program the ink’s functional properties, even when surrounded by temperature-sensitive material. This allows us to integrate freeform electronics onto a broad ra