Collaborative Research: Understanding the Deformation-Morphology-Conductivity Relationship in Multistage Forming-based Manufacturing of Conformal Electronics

This grant supports research that contributes new knowledge related to a novel manufacturing process called Form-Fuse. This process creates electronics that geometrically conform to rigid 3D surfaces. Such conformal electronics are critical for emerging automotive, aerospace, robotics, biomedical, energy, and environmental applications.

Compared to existing manufacturing techniques Form-fuse can realize superior electrical performance for geometrically complex surfaces and access to a wider array of materials. This award supports fundamental research to understand key mechano-electrical phenomena in Form-Fuse. It can positively impact the production and performance of advanced electronics that are critical to the nation’s prosperity and security.

This multi-institutional project involves several disciplines including manufacturing, modeling, machine learning, and design and will further broaden the participation and education of diverse underrepresented groups in manufacturing.

A critical limitation of existing manufacturing techniques for conformal electronics is the inability to achieve high electrical performance for complex surface geometries without sacrificing size- and material-scalability. The Form-Fuse process involves printing of nanoparticles on flat polymer sheets, forming this assembly to match the shape of the targeted 3D surface, fusing the nanoparticles using light, and attaching this final assembly to the targeted 3D surface.

Using multiple intermediate forming stages overcomes the above limitations of the state-of-the-art manufacturing methods. This research will address key knowledge gaps on the physical mechanisms that drive electrical performance in Form-Fuse. The research team will perform experiments to characterize the impact of the polymer’s thermomechanical history on electrical performance, establish physics-based models to reveal and predict the deformation mechanisms that drive electrical performance, and create physics-guided techniques for rational and scalable design of process parameters and intermediate stage geometries.

These tasks will create the scientific foundation for understanding and scaling the Form-Fuse process in a cost-effective manner.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.