Future Thread: Printing Electronics on Fibers

This article introduces a methodology to increase
the integration density of functional electronic features on fibers/
threads/wires through additive deposition of functional materials
via printed electronics. It opens the possibility to create a
multifunctional intelligent system on a single fiber/thread/wire
while combining the advantages of existing approaches, i.e., the
scalability of coating techniques and the microfeatures of
semiconductor-based fabrication. By directly printing on threads
(of diameters ranging from 90 to 1000 μm), micropatterned
electronic devices and multifunctional electronic systems could be
formed. Contact and noncontact printing methods were utilized to create various shapes from serpentines and meanders to planar
coils and interdigitated electrodes, as well as complex multilayer structures for thermal and light actuators, humidity, and
temperature sensors. We demonstrate the practicality of the method by integrating a multifunctional thread into a FFP mask for
breath monitoring. Printing technologies provide virtually unrestricted choices for the types of threads, materials, and devices used.
They are scalable via roll-to-roll processes and offer a resource-efficient way to democratize electronics across textile products.