Hybrid Printing of Copper Conductive Material

A method of printing electronic components comprising the steps of:

• printing a first PLA/composite layer;
• sintering a bottom electrode in the first layer;
• printing a bridge layer of PLA/composite and
• sintering a top electrode on the bridge layer.

A custom 3D printer comprising:

• a frame with two towers extending in a Z direction from a base, each tower having two vertical shafts extending in the Z directions and separated from each other in an X direction and having a horizontal rail extending between them in the X direction, the two towers being separated from each other in a Y direction, a printing bed is located on the base and is movable by a motor in the Y direction, a bar extending between the two towers in the Y direction, the rails and bar forming a subframe movable in the vertical direction by a second motor;
• a first FDM extrusion head being movable by a third motor along the rail of the first tower;
• a laser head and a second FDM extrusion head movable by a fourth motor along the bar between the towers,
• wherein the two extrusion heads move as they print PLA and copper composite, respectively, onto the printing bed as the printing bed moves in the Y direction;
• wherein the laser is used to selectively sinter the PLA and copper composite;
• and
• wherein as the sintered PLA and copper composite on the printing bed builds up to form a 3D object, the subframe is raised.