The field of printed electronics is rapidly evolving, producing low cost applications with enhanced performances with transparent, stretchable properties and higher reliability. Due to the versatility of printed electronics, industry can consider the implementation of electronics in a way which was never possible before. However, a post-processing step to achieve conductive structures—known as sintering—limits the production ease and speed of printed electronics. This study addresses the issues related to fast sintering without scarifying important properties such as conductivity and surface roughness. A drop-on-demand inkjet printer is employed to deposit silver nanoparticle-based inks. The post-processing time of these inks is reduced by replacing the conventional oven sintering procedure with the state-of-the-art method, named near-infrared sintering. By doing so, the post-processing time shortens from 30–60 min to 6–8 s. Furthermore, the maximum substrate temperature during sintering is reduced from 200 °C to 120 °C. Based on the results of this study, one can conclude that near-infrared sintering is a ready-to-industrialize post-processing method for the production of printed electronics, capable of sintering inks at high speed, low temperature and with low complexity. Furthermore, it becomes clear that ink optimization plays an important role in processing inkjet printable inks, especially after being near-infrared sintered.

This paper aims to present an overview of the state-of-the-art materials and technologies that can be used to create electronic circuits on 3D plastic carriers also known as 3D electronics. Strategies for print-based and laser-based 3D electronics will be discussed as well as the techniques to apply the circuit carrier and the way interconnection technology can be used to combine electronic components on top of the circuit carrier. A basic explanation of the functional principles, materials, and applications is given for different substrate and interconnection technologies. The aim is to make it easier to compare different technologies and its required materials to make the right decisions on what technology is best suited for the job. For this purpose, comparison tables for 3D plastic circuit carrier technologies and substrate materials considering their temperature stability were created. It can be concluded that there are a lot of influencing factors that determine which technologies are best suited for application. The most important factors are the 3D complexity and the field of application, the required structure size of the circuit, and the required production quantity.

Spaceflight has become more accessible than ever due to increased launch reliability and significant advances in electronics. Among these advancements are small-sized PocketQubes, which are small satellites (5 × 5 × 5 cm for 1P) that can be built using commercial off-the-shelf components. A critical subsystem in these satellites is the communication system, which requires compact and deployable antennas. This work focuses on the design of deployable antennas for TU Delft’s upcoming Delfi-Twin PocketQube mission, operating in the 10 m and 6 m amateur bands. The Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) nitinol was selected as the antenna material due to its favorable mechanical and deployment characteristics. However, its high electrical resistivity limits antenna efficiency. This study investigates multiple conductive coating techniques for nitinol antenna wires, aiming to improve electrical performance while maintaining mechanical flexibility. The coatings are evaluated through electrical resistance measurements and mechanical bending tests. Among them, a DuPont ME164 ink showed the most promising performance, significantly reducing wire resistance compared to bare nitinol while preserving mechanical integrity. These results address a novel conductive coating for efficient SMA-based antennas and demonstrate a valid approach for improving deployable antennas in small-satellite applications.