World first as researchers 3D print capacitors straight into PCB’s
Our ability to 3D print electronics in a variety of forms is increasing all the time, and that brings a ton of benefits for future gadgets and products.
Key takeaways
- The technology uses the same dielectric and metal traces as in the additively manufactured PCB yielding capacitors with a capacitance range from 0.1nF to 3.2nF.
- The successful results are based on over 260 tests with 30 different additively manufactured capacitors dimensions.
- With extra space, designers may pack more functionality on the circuit board and shrink component size, for example, all without compromising reliability.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'World first as researchers 3D print capacitors straight into PCB’s', 311 Institute, 23 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/world-first-as-researchers-3d-print-capacitors-straight-into-pcbs/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Using multi-material 3D printers we can not only 3D print soft robots, but we can also 3D print embedded electronics into objects, like this 3D printed autonomous electric car, and now in our quest to 3D print everything and anything for the first time ever researchers have managed to 3D print capacitors – the workhorse of the electronics world.
The capacitors in the photo below are, even if they don’t look it, revolutionary, because they are the first ever capacitors to be successfully 3D printed and embedded into the body of 3D printed Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), which not only saves space on the PCB’s but also eliminates the need for post manufacturing assembly.
During their research Nano Dimension, the company behind the breakthrough managed to use their DragonFly printer to repeat their results over 300 times with less than 1 percent variance meaning that the results are repeatable which is very important if this is going to be scaled up.
The technology uses the same dielectric and metal traces as in the additively manufactured PCB yielding capacitors with a capacitance range from 0.1nF to 3.2nF. The successful results are based on over 260 tests with 30 different additively manufactured capacitors dimensions.
By integrating capacitors into 3D printed PCB’s in this way electronics designers and manufacturers can avoid what is often a time consuming, multi-step assembly process, as the DragonFly prints the entire capacitor and PCB in one print job.
This also allows companies to reduce the fabrication time and overcome many of the challenges imposed by traditional production techniques.
Additively manufacturing capacitors within the inner layers of circuits also can free space to meet the ever-increasing trend towards miniaturization and flatness of electronic devices for consumer, industrial and military applications. With extra space, designers may pack more functionality on the circuit board and shrink component size, for example, all without compromising reliability.
Capacitors of this kind are primarily used to filter electrical noise and ripple voltage for a wide range of applications, including RF transmission lines, audio processing, radio reception and power circuit conditioning and this development gets us another step closer to being able to 3D print all manner of electronics into anything and everything anywhere putting yet another nail in the coffin of traditional manufacturing.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Our ability to 3D print electronics in a variety of forms is increasing all the time, and that brings a ton of benefits for future gadgets and products.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
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Sources and further reading
- Nano Dimension nano-di.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 23 January 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). World first as researchers 3D print capacitors straight into PCB’s. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/world-first-as-researchers-3d-print-capacitors-straight-into-pcbs/
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