Bonding chips using inkjet printers

Today in electronics there are two main approaches to building circuits: the rigid one (silicon circuits) and the new, more appealing, flexible one based on paper and polymeric substrates that can be combined with 3-D printing. To date, chips are used to reach the reliable and high electrical performance needed for sophisticated specialized functions. However, for higher complexity systems such as computers or mobile phones, the chips must be bonded together. A team of Spanish researchers at the University of Barcelona have demonstrated a new bonding technique for such chips, called SMD or surface mounted devices, that uses an inkjet printer with ink that incorporates silver nanoparticles.