Circuit boards having side-mounted components ans additive manufacturingf methods thereof

A method for additively manufactured electronic (AME) circuit comprising at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), flexible printed circuit (FPC), and a high-density interconnect PCB (HDIPCB), the AME circuit comprising at least one of:

• a side-mounted component, and a plurality of side-mounted contacts using additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
• a. providing an ink jet printing system having:
• i. a first print head adapted to dispense a dielectric ink;
• ii. a second print head adapted to dispense a conductive ink;
• iii. a conveyor, operably coupled to the first and second print heads, configured to convey a substrate to each print heads;
• and
• iv. a computer aided manufacturing (“CAM”) module, in communication with each of the first, and second print heads, the CAM further comprising a central processing module (CPM) including at least one processor, in communication with a non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor cause the CAM to control the ink-jet printing system, by carrying out steps that comprise:
• receiving a 3D visualization file representing the AME circuit each comprising at least one side-mounted component;
• and generating a file library having a plurality of files, each file representing a substantially 2D layer for printing the AME circuit each comprising at least one side-mounted component, and a metafile representing at least the printing order;
• b. providing the dielectric inkjet ink composition, and the conductive inkjet ink composition;
• c. using the CAM module, obtaining the first layer file;
• d. using the first print head, forming the pattern corresponding to the dielectric inkjet ink;
• e. curing the pattern corresponding to the dielectric inkjet ink;
• f. using the second print head, forming the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink, the pattern further corresponding to the substantially 2D layer for printing of the AME circuit each comprising at least one side-mounted component;
• g. sintering the pattern corresponding to the conductive inkjet ink;
• h. using the CAM module, obtaining from the library a subsequent file representative of a subsequent layer for printing the AME circuit each comprising at least one side-mounted component;
• the subsequent file comprising printing instructions for a pattern representative of at least one of:
• the dielectric ink, and the conductive ink;
• i. repeating the steps of:
• using the first print head, forming the pattern corresponding to the dielectric ink, to the step of using the CAM module, obtaining from the 2D file library the subsequent, substantially 2D layer, wherein upon printing the final layer, the AME circuit each comprising at least one side-mounted component comprises a plurality of conductive side mounted contacts operable to mount at least one component;
• and
• j. optionally coupling at least one component to the plurality of printed side contacts.