Laser Sintering of Zn Microparticles and Its Application in Printable Biodegradable Electronics

The rapid expansion of electronic technology and short lifespan of consumer devices create a huge amount of electronic waste. The disposal of discarded devices represents a serious environmental challenge. Biodegradable devices are able to decompose into benign components after a period of stable operation during its service life, which represents a potential solution to reduce the environmental footprint of electronic technology. The widespread applications of biodegradable electronics are still hampered by the lack of facile manufacturing approach for high quality devices. Here, a laser sintering technique to weld naturally oxidized Zn microparticles into biodegradable conductors is reported. The sintering process is carried out under ambient conditions and compatible with various biodegradable substrates. A low-cost fabrication procedure involving stencil printing and laser treatment is established to create conductive features with excellent conductivity and mechanical durability. The practical suitability of printed Zn conductor is demonstrated by fabricating near-field communication tags, which are flexible and fully functional with the transient behavior modulated by the choice of packaging materials. The printed biodegradable conductor may find potential applications in eco-friendly sensors, transient printed circuit boards, and implantable medical devices.