Metal oxide semiconductor 3D printing: preparation of copper(II) oxide by fused deposition modelling for multi-functional semiconducting applications

A CuO semiconductor was successfully prepared by fused deposition modeling (FDM) and sintering technique. A 1.75 mm high-loading Cu composite was extruded and printed into a desired size and shape. The sample was sintered and calcined to transform Cu powder to CuO semiconductor. The 3-dimensional (3D) printed CuO had a scaffold structure with a half density of bulk CuO. It had a mechanical characteristic like a scaffold ceramic although prepared by FDM machine. van der Pauw measurement and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy were used to determine the electrical and optical properties of the 3D printed CuO respectively. The 3D printed CuO was used as an example of a 3D semiconductor which has a response to light, pressure, and temperature. This technique has a potential to be applied in any FDM machine which might allow anyone to print semiconductor or other related materials.