Materials and Manufacturing Reliability for Extreme Environment Structural and Additive Electronics

Integrating electronics onto structural 3D objects for extreme environments poses many challenges, but doing so is necessary to meet requirements for NASA missions to Venus, solar probes, and propulsion applications. Contour Circuits, together with STTR partner Iowa State University, will provide both a material system and a manufacturing process capable of fabricating components for sustained operating temperatures of 500-800°C. Specifically, we will develop platinum nanoparticle inks with inorganic binders for aerosol jet printing (AJP). The selection of platinum is based on its favorable melting temperature, electrical conductivity, redox potential, and coefficient of thermal expansion, which closely matches structural materials such as alumina and titanium. The addition of inorganic binders is an established strategy to improve metal adhesion to ceramic substrates and mitigate CTE mismatch. The use of off-the-shelf platinum inks and binders will accelerate materials development, permitting more time to address the manufacturing challenges posed by AJP to de-risk implementation and scaling. Although well-suited for printing electronics onto 3D objects, industry acceptance of AJP has been slowed by shortcomings with manufacturing reliability and repeatability. The key personnel at Contour Circuits and Iowa State University have developed a real-time deposition rate monitoring system for AJP and demonstrated robust closed-loop process control to maintain stable deposition rate over shift-length prints. Addressing AJP’s core manufacturing challenges will speed development of this platinum-alumina material system and others relevant to NASA applications in extreme environments. At Contour Circuits, we will provide fabrication services for 3D structurally integrated electronics efficiently serving NASA and other stakeholders at varying TRL for materials development, prototyping, and eventually production of additively manufacturing electronics.

Electronics in space must withstand extreme environments, including mechanical, radiation, chemical, and thermal stressors. In this solicitation, NASA has expressed a need for continuous-use extreme temperature electronics for Venus missions and rovers, solar probes, and propulsion applications. To address this need, we will adapt previously studied material systems to aerosol jet printing, an additive method capable of integrating electronics onto 3D structural components. This will provide design flexibility to enable robust electronic systems within severe volume and weight constraints, such as sensors, antennas, and control circuits. NASA missions extend to widely varying extreme environments, with many applications requiring exotic or unconventional materials; this low-volume, high-mix manufacturing ecosystem aligns well with aerosol jet printing. By specializing in manufacturing services, Contour Circuits can broadly serve NASA’s needs by efficiently tailoring bespoke material systems for structurally integrated electronics and other niches suited for additive electronics manufacturing. Electronics operational at extreme temperatures are important across many high-value applications, including sensors within nuclear reactors, down-hole sensing for geothermal drilling, structural health monitoring for gas turbine blades, on-engine sensing and control electronics for automotive and aerospace applications, and hypersonics, among others. More broadly, 3D conformal sensors and communication devices enable weight and size reduction in automotive and aerospace applications. For the medical device industry, integrating electronics onto 3D surfaces to conform with the human body supports miniaturization, a priority for improving patient care. Circuits could even be patterned onto 3D geometries tailored for individual patients. Many of these uses match the low-volume, high-mix nature of NASA applications and a diversity of specific material requirements, demanding customizable solutions coupled with versatile fabrication capabilities. Our manufacturing-centric approach will allow us to tackle point-solutions and prototypes, with workflow standardization and automation to support higher volume production.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.