Electron. Mater., Volume 7, Issue 1 (March 2026) – 6 articles

Additive Manufacturing (AM) and printing-based fabrication technologies have emerged as powerful enablers for next-generation electronic integration and packaging, addressing the growing limitations of conventional subtractive manufacturing techniques. As electronic systems continue to scale toward higher operating frequencies (10–110 GHz and beyond) and increased functional density (>10⁴ interconnects/cm²), traditional packaging approaches struggle with rigid design constraints, complex processing steps (>15–25 fabrication steps), high tooling costs ($10,000–$100,000 for mask and molds) and limited compatibility with heterogeneous integration. In this review, a comprehensive and critical overview of major additive manufacturing and printing technologies including aerosol jet printing, inkjet printing, vat polymerization, fused filament fabrication (FFF) and nScrypt printing is presented from the perspective of electronic assembly and packaging. The fundamental working mechanisms, material compatibility, resolution limits, scalability, and reliability considerations of each technique are systematically discussed. From a manufacturing standpoint, AM reduces material waste by 50–90% compared to subtractive PCB processing and eliminates tooling costs, enabling low-volume prototyping with per-unit fabrication costs reduced by 30–70% for small batches (<100 units). Production throughput varies widely, from 1 to 20 cm²/min for high-resolution direct write systems to >100 cm²/min for scalable inkjet systems. Moreover, it is discussed how these technologies enable advanced packaging architectures such as printed signal crossovers, three-dimensional interconnects, ramps, and embedded chip assemblies. Recent research efforts and reported demonstrations are analyzed to highlight the advantages and current limitations of additive manufacturing for high-frequency, RF, and system-on-package (SoP) applications. Finally, future directions and remaining challenges are discussed, including advances in materials, custom and on-demand manufacturing, enhanced design freedom, integration of multifunctionality, cost-effectiveness, and smart packaging solutions. This review aims to serve as a reference for researchers and engineers seeking to leverage additive manufacturing for high-performance electronic integration and next-generation electronic packaging solutions. Full article

In this work, we consider the influence of antisite disorder, e.g., Fe ions on Mo sites, Fe_Mo, and vice versa, Mo_Fe, on the resistivity of strontium ferromolybdate ceramics fabricated by the solid-state reaction method. Strontium ferromolybdate ceramics fabricated via solid-state reactions exhibit a low-temperature minimum resistivity owing to the interplay between the bulk metallic resistivity of the grains, which increases with temperature and becomes dominant at higher temperatures, and an intergrain tunneling mechanism of charge carrier conduction, which leads to a decrease in conductivity with decreasing temperature in the low-temperature region. The parameters of the bulk metallic resistivity and fluctuation-induced intergrain tunneling were determined by fitting the experimental data to these resistivity models. The impact of antisite disorder on the resistivity parameters was considered. It turns out that antisite disorder affects the effective barrier height of intergrain tunneling and the effective values of the barrier width and the barrier area. Disorder increases the effective barrier height for intergrain tunneling, increases its barrier width, and decreases the effective barrier area of nanosized barriers. The results are discussed using experimental data available in the literature. Full article

Heavily doped metal oxide thin films combining high visible transmittance and low electrical resistance are used in a multitude of optoelectronic devices, where their performance is highly dependent on the structural defects and density of electronic states associated with doping. This study explores the structural, optical, and electronic properties of Sn-doped indium oxide (In₂O₃:Sn) and Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Al) thin films, which were prepared by sputtering on unheated glass substrates and subsequently annealed in N₂ at different temperatures between 250 °C and 450 °C. These samples reach free electron densities above 10²⁰ cm⁻³ due to the presence of extrinsic donors (mainly substitutional defects of Sn_In and Al_Zn) and also intrinsic donors (oxygen vacancies), which change with the annealing temperature due to oxygen desorption and/or cation migration processes. The volume of the crystal lattice expands (up to a maximum of 1.1%) and the band gap widens (up to a maximum of 17.9%) with respect to the undoped material, increasing with electron density. Additional absorption is due to band tail, at an energy ~10% below the undoped band gap, which varies slightly with the carrier concentration. The same general behavior is observed for both materials, with particularities in terms of crystal lattice and electronic states, which can be tuned by the heating temperature. Full article

We present a fresh perspective on the mixed halogen-ion effect (MHE) in lead silicate glasses containing a mixture of halogen ions with a correlative study of optical spectroscopy and halogen ion transport. PbO was partially substituted by either PbCl₂ or PbF₂ in the ternary glass system: (65 − x) − x(PbF₂ or PbCl₂)-35SiO₂ (where 0 ≤ x ≤ 20 mol%) and by a mixture of PbF₂ and PbCl₂ in the quaternary glass series: 45PbO − xPbF_{2 −} (20 − x)PbCl₂–35SiO₂ (where 0 ≤ x ≤ 20 mol%). A suite of improved characterization techniques, including 4-probe van der Pauw resistivity measurements, optical absorption spectroscopy, differential thermal analysis, etc., was employed to correlate composition with physical properties. Replacing PbO with small quantities of PbF₂ or PbCl₂ in binary 65PbO-35SiO₂ glass resulted in a dramatic increase in conductivity by 3–4 orders of magnitude, confirming a shift from Pb²⁺-mediated to halide ion-mediated conduction and, within the mixed-halogen series, a profound MHE was observed. Contrary to previously reported data, the activation energy for conduction and the resistivity both exhibited maxima at the mixed halogen-ion ratio, MHR = (F/(F + Cl), of 0.5. The glass transition temperature (T_g) exhibited a non-monotonic trend, peaking at 506 °C for the MHR = 0.5 composition. Optical absorption measurements have revealed that the MHR = 0.5 glass has the broadest absorption edge and also exhibits certain features in the near IR region of the Urbach tail, which are suggestive of maximum electronic disorder. Full article

The increasing demand for next-generation rechargeable batteries that offer high energy density, a long lifespan, high safety, and low cost has led to a need for better electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. This also involves developing alternative storage systems using common resources such as sodium-ion batteries, beryllium-ion batteries, or magnesium-ion batteries. Tin carbide (SnC) is highly promising as an anode material for lithium, sodium, beryllium, and magnesium ion batteries due to its ability to form nanoclusters like Sn(Li₂)C, Sn(Na₂)C, Sn(Be₂)C, and Sn(Mg₂)C. A detailed study was done using computational methods, including analysis of charge density differences, total density of states, and electron localization function for these hybrid clusters. This research suggests that SnC could be useful in multivalent-ion batteries using Be²⁺ ions because its properties can match or even exceed those of monovalent ions. The study also shows that the maximum capacity, stability energy, and ion movement in these materials can be understood by looking at atomic-level properties like the coordination between host atoms and ions. Recent findings on using tin carbide in these types of batteries and methods to improve their performance have been discussed. Full article

Recent studies show that titanium (Ti)-based alloys combine established mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility with emerging electrical and electrochemical properties relevant to bioelectronics. The main goal of the present manuscript is to give a wide-ranging overview on the use of Ti-alloys in electronics and biomedicine, focusing on a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of the existing literature to identify gaps and future directions. Concurrently, the identification of possible correlations between the effects of the manufacturing process, alloying elements, and other degrees of freedom influencing the material characteristics are put in evidence, aiming to establish a global view on efficient interdisciplinary efforts to realize high-added-value smart devices useful in the field of biomedicine, such as, for example, implantable apparatuses. This review mostly summarizes advances in surface modification approaches—including anodization, conductive coatings, and nanostructuring that improve conductivity while maintaining biological compatibility. Trends in applications demonstrate how these alloys support smart implants, biosensors, and neural interfaces by enabling reliable signal transmission and long-term integration with tissue. Key challenges remain in balancing electrical performance with biological response and in scaling laboratory modifications for clinical use. Perspectives for future work include optimizing alloy composition, refining surface treatments, and developing multifunctional designs that integrate mechanical, biological, and electronic requirements. Together, these directions highlight the potential of titanium alloys to serve as foundational materials for next-generation bioelectronic medical technologies. Full article