In this article, we report the development of a new method for the 3D printing of dielectrics. An aerosol-jet printer is used to deposit overlapping layers of photopolymer material under ultraviolet floodlight in the assembly of ramping microstructures in situ without the need for supporting structures. Printing is conducted using an in-house photodielectric ink, the development of which is presented with an emphasis on dielectric and mechanical bulk material characterization. Low dielectric loss at the X-band and structural strength are demonstrated, followed by print characterization wherein the driving mechanisms of the new method are explored, tied to print conditions, and related to specific material properties. Finally, a complex structure in the form of a 3D flower is printed to demonstrate the controlled and repeatable performance of the proposed technique.

Here, we report a previously un-reported printed electronics/additive manufacturing (AM) approach to fabricate conductive/resistive features on novel insulating silver–barium strontium titanate (Ag–BST) printed composite films. Ag–BST composite functional ink was formulated by blending a conductive Ag nanoparticle ink and an insulating BST nanoparticle ink. The blending ratio of Ag and BST inks was optimized to obtain the insulating phase after the initial curing and the conductive/resistive phase following selective laser sintering under ambient conditions. Selective laser sintered Ag–BST resistors showed an ohmic behavior and the resistivity could be adjusted by varying the laser sintering parameters, such as the wavelength, power and the rastering speed/pitch of the laser. This insulator to conductor/resistor transitioning Ag–BST ink paves a new path for direct write printed electronics/AM applications. Proofs of concept for potential applications utilizing this functional ink are demonstrated. Also, this Ag–BST ink can be used as a conventional resistive ink for dispensing printers. Thermally sintered Ag–BST resistors showed less than 8% variation in resistance between −50 °C and 150 °C.