Using an inkjet to print out chips

Experiments at the University of Arizona, Tucson, have demonstrated moving images made out of organic LEDs and power generating arrays of plastic solar cells, with the potential for many more kinds of output.

The technology relies on two separate fields: the production of hyper-accurate inkjet printers and of organic liquids that form semiconducting polymers.

The researchers, professor Ghassan Jabbour and assistant Yuka Yoshioka, have found that by using standard inkjet printers and using different chemicals in place of the normal different colour inks, they can mix up a wide variety of components and print out complete circuits like they would print out a full-colour image, using standard printer drivers. Different resistances and other circuit features can be programmed by changes in the image file.

Unlike silicon circuits, no high temperatures, vacuum environments or million-dollar machinery is required, and as the chemicals are transparent the resultant images can be placed on clear plastic substrates and remain invisible until activated. The system, however, is still in the research stage and years away from being commercialised.