Work

Fully Printed 3D‐Thermoformed Electroluminescent Capacitive System for Human–Machine Interface Applications

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In‐mold electronics (IME) has emerged as a suitable approach to enable conformable electronics with improved integration and reduction of assembling parts. It also presents a lower environmental impact comparing with conventional electronics since it requires less material an energy during fabrication. The combination of screen‐printing and thermoforming to develop IME products has been used to manufacture sensors and conductive circuits. However, it has not been explored in more complex fields combining several functionalities, such as lighting and sensing. In this work, an electroluminescent capacitive interface by screen‐printing and thermoforming is developed. The morphology and electrical properties are analyzed before and after thermoforming to determine the impact of the fabrication process. It is found that the luminance of the thermoformed device is superior to the device before thermoforming. Moreover, the capacitance activity is also tested, obtaining a functional system by combining the sensing capacitance of one of the electrodes and the luminance of another one. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a completely functional screen‐printed and thermoformed device with electroluminescent activity and capacitive sensors is reported for the first time. Thus, this work strongly contributes to a broader understanding and application of IME technology.

Source: Advanced Materials Technologies

DOI: 10.1002/admt.202402116