Abdullah Obeidat

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Research

Research Title :The Preference Selection Index (PSI) in Multi-Criteria Decision-Making: A Systematic and Critical Review of Applications, Integrations, and Future Directions.

Authors :Mohammed Said Obeidat, Hala Al Sliti, Abdullah Obeidat

Abstract :This paper presents a systematic review of the performance of the Preference Selection Index (PSI) application in multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems based on PRISMA. This work extensively reviewed more than 100 studies to investigate the methodological bases of the PSI and its synergistic combination with other decision-making methodologies. Interestingly, the PSI is highly commended as one of the most straightforward applications with low computational effort, which implies that the PSI in this context is receiving wide attention for complex decisions and sensitive judgments, where assigning criteria weights is challenging. However, in some circumstances, the PSI mechanism in assigning weights becomes a drawback when the accuracy of the decision is crucial. However, despite the increased use of the PSI, there is still a lack of systematic evaluation of its methodological sensitivity of weighting assumptions, consistency, and comparative performance in the hybrid MCDM problems. Addressing these gaps will help make the PSI more accurate in the evolving landscape of decision-making techniques. This review underscores the wide use of the PSI, encouraging further research in terms of its applications and methodology enhancement, ensuring that the PSI remains a relevant option that evolves the complexity and sensitivity of decision-making in various areas.

Keywords : MCDM; PSI; decision making; sustainability; material selection; renewable energy; manufacturing system; healthcare and safety; PRISMA

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Research Title :Optimising Dentist Comfort: A Novel Ergonomic Arm Support for Musculoskeletal Wellness in Dental Practice—A Pilot Study

Authors :Mohammed Said Obeidat, Lubna Mazin Khasawneh, Nader Al Theeb, Abdullah Obeidat

Abstract :Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are an important health problem in dentistry. According to the literature, the back, neck, shoulders and wrist are the most common pain regions. This study assesses the effectiveness of a portable, lightweight arm support device designed to mitigate strain on the neck, shoulder and arms during dental procedures. Methods: Eight dentists operating private clinics in Jordan voluntarily participated in this study, utilising the proposed arm support device during their work of filling procedures. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) ergonomic approach was used to assess dentists' postures, supported by a questionnaire and a face-to-face interview to evaluate satisfaction, comfort and obtain feedback. Results: Results demonstrated that the proposed device significantly improved the ergonomic posture of dentists, and decreased MSD development, with the RULA score reducing from 7 to 4.25, at action level ‘2,’ aligning with an acceptable ergonomic position. Feedback from dentists reflected overall satisfaction with the device. Conclusions: Despite concerns about stability, most of participating dentists showed a preference for using the proposed arm support device in their clinics, strengthening its potential to decrease musculoskeletal discomfort and prevent MSD development

Keywords :Ergonomic, Human factors, MSD.

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Research Title :Additive Manufacturing of Passive Electronic Components Using Aerosol Jet Printing and Reliability Tests for Spaceborne Applications

Authors :Abdullah S Obeidat, Emuobosan Enakerakpo, Erik Busse, Ashraf Umar, Riadh Al-Haidari, Mohammad Alhendi, Mark D Poliks, Matthew Erdtmann, Adrian Pyke.

Abstract :The demand for cost-effective and advanced electronic systems is quickly growing for a wide range of applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques allow fabrication of not only complex structures and objects but also functional electrical components. Printed electronics enable the creation of lightweight components, better flexibility in design, lower cost, less material waste, more reliable device performance and a simplified assembly process compared to conventional electronics. In this work, aerosol jet printing (AJP) was used to fully additively manufacture passive electronic components, including resistors, capacitors, inductors and circuits made from these components directly on alumina ceramic substrates. A regression model was used to estimate the resistor lengths for three various resistivities; 100 and 10 and 1 were designed in a spiral pattern to achieve target inductance through optimizing the spiral inner and outer diameters. Three values of printed metal insulation metal (MIM) capacitors; 100 pF, 300 pF and 1000 pF were designed and fabricated on ceramic substrates. The optimized process obtained from printing the individual passive components were used to fabricate RLC circuits consisting of a resistor, inductor and capacitor connected in series with high tolerance. Various environmental tests, including thermal cycling and constant acceleration, were performed to evaluate the printed component and circuit performance and robustness under extreme environmental conditions. The passive component materials exhibited acceptable outgassing with appropriate postbake conditions, making them suitable for spaceborne applications. Resistors were printed with carbon nanostructure-based ink that has a sheet resistance of 15 resistors were achieved by printing 0.5 mm length and 0.5 mm width traces, 1 and 10 were obtained by printing 5 mm and 55 mm length traces, respectively. The capacitors were designed by having two conductors (top and bottom) separated by a dielectric layer with a dielectric constant of 4.04. All inductors (0.1 and 1 2., The resistance, capacitance and inductance of the printed passive components were measured at various temperatures: −55°C, −40°C, 25°C, 75°C and 125°C using a thermal forcing machine. The unit-to-unit variance of the printed passive electronic components was less than for resistors and inductors and less than for capacitors. This reproducibility indicates a good uniformity of the printing process and the selection of materials. The effect of temperature variation in the printed passive electronic components was investigated between −65°C and 150°C for 10 cycles for the resistors and inductors and 20 cycles for the capacitors. This thermal cycling test was followed directly by a constant acceleration test. The change of resistance, inductance and capacitance was less than 2% for individual components and the RLC circuits exhibited a change in resonant frequency of less than 5% at 100 KHz. Therefore, the printed components have good thermal stability, reliability and interaction between the ceramic substrate and printed inks with no change in the electrical properties.

Keywords : Additive manufacturing, passive electronic components, spaceborne application, aerosol jet printing, ceramic

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Research Title :Multichip SiC Power Module Packaging Using Direct Ink Writing

Authors : Riadh Al-Haidari, Dylan Richmond, Mohammed Alhendi, El Mehdi Abbara, Abdullah Obeidat, Firas Alshatnawi, Mark Schadt, Mark Poliks, Arun V Gowda, Jeff Erlbaum, Han Xiong, Collin Hitchcock

Abstract :The demand for compact, customized power devices is growing, driven by advancements in electric transportation and renewable energy. Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC), offer superior performance over traditional silicon (Si) due to their higher switching frequencies, improved efficiency, and greater voltage capabilities. However, conventional packaging methods often limit WBG adoption due to high costs and complexity. Additive manufacturing (AM) presents a promising alternative, enabling streamlined production, design flexibility, and reduced material waste. Leveraging AM processes and materials, significant improvements in size, weight, power density, and functionality can be realized. In this study, we demonstrated the first 1.7 kV low-profile, low-inductance multichip SiC module using direct ink writing. Finite element analysis of electrical stress defined the material requirements and design geometry, which facilitates the selection of candidate materials and processing techniques. Comprehensive testing of printed insulator and conductor materials validated their compatibility with SiC packaging requirements. Key SiC MOSFET parameters, such as on-resistance, leakage current, and threshold voltage, remained consistent with those of conventionally packaged modules and bare die performance, indicating minimal impact from AM processes. The printed modules passed a 4 kV AC isolation test, exhibited discharge-free operation up to 1.7 kV, withstood a double pulse test at 800 V / 105 A with inductance of 23.83 nH, and completed 50,000 power cycling cycles at 50 A without failure. Despite these achievements, high stress power cycling, thermal cycling and humidity bias tests revealed limitations in the current AM materials and processes, highlighting important areas for future improvement toward long-term reliability.

Keywords :Printed electronics, silicon carbide, additive manufacturing, direct ink writing, multi-chip power module, conformal packaging, printed interconnections

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Research Title :Additive electronics manufacturing of embedded RF die packaging and multi-chip phased array module

Authors :Abdullah S Obeidat, Ashraf Umar, Riadh Al-Haidari, WT Alshaibani, Zhi Dou, Firas Alshatnawi, Stephen Gonya, Mark D Poliks, Cathleen Hoel, Linda Boyd, Charles Bellows, Genaro Soto-Valle, Joe Iannotti, Thomas Budka, Kevin Duffel, Jason Case, Felippe Pavinatto

Abstract :The demand for high performance electronics is growing in advanced radio frequency (RF) systems. Additive manufacturing has become essential for developing high-density embedded electronics, enabling the integration of small components into a complex RF module and solving the space and interconnect constraints. This work focuses on developing and demonstrating additive manufacturing capabilities and processes that can be used to fabricate high-frequency RF multi-chip module (MCM) with embedded dies and low loss interconnects for weight, cost and size improvement. Firstly, alumina matrix was 3D printed to produce vias and a matrix of pockets for RF chips embedding. The aerosol jet-printed silver interconnects printability, stability and continuity on irregular surfaces were assessed and passed the thermal tests without losing its conductivity. The low noise amplifier (LNA) unit cell was fabricated, including vias filling, dielectric and coplanar waveguide line printing, obtaining RF gain of 10 dB and matching the simulation data. No physical or RF performance changes were observed on the LNA cells after aging at 70 °C/80 % relative humidity for 192 h, demonstrating excellent reproducibility of the additive manufacturing process. The MCM demonstrator including antenna board, 4 × 4 array of embedded LNA dies in alumina plate and control board was successfully assembled using low-temperature 52In48Sn solders. Over-the-air (OTA) test of the demonstrator showed RF gain of 18 dB at 29–30 GHz compared to the case with the amplifier powered off, and it closely aligned with simulation results. This study demonstrates the capability of AM in advancing complex RF module packaging as an alternative to conventional methods.

Keywords : Additive electronics, 3D printed ceramic, Aerosol jet printing, Embedded electronics, Radio frequency, Multi-chip module

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Research Title :SiC power module packaging using printed electronics materials and processes

Authors :: Riadh Al-Haidari, Dylan Richmond, Abdullah Obeidat, Mohammed Alhendi, El Mehdi Abbara, Udara S Somarathna, Mark Poliks, Arun V Gowda, Jeff Erlbaum, Han Xiong, Collin Hitchcock

Abstract :: Advanced packaging solutions for wide bandgap power devices, such as silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, can help realize their full potential. Additively printed electronics present a promising solution to enable SiC packaging, providing an approach to reduce the parasitic inductance, miniaturize, and explore countless form factors. Although printed electronics have gained popularity in diverse electronic manufacturing fields, their application in high-power electronics remains largely unexplored. Herein, we aim to develop a planar high-power SiC module (>1.2 kV) using printed electronics materials and processes. Moreover, we aim to assess the feasibility and reliability of printed electronics for power packaging. The results of device-package simulations, materials testing, and processing showed promising potential in meeting requirements for SiC power modules. Functional testing of the power modules shows performance that is in line with traditionally packaged modules. The functional test vehicles also pass high voltage isolation and partial discharge (PD) tests. However, the high contact resistance between the printed conductors and module surfaces is a limiting factor in achieving low ON-resistance and high current capabilities. Tailored surfaces with pressure-assisted curing helped overcome this limit and achieve high current-carrying capacity and low ON-resistance. Finally, the stress testing shows mixed results, and further improvement is needed.

Keywords :Additive manufacturing, contact resistance, low-profile interconnections, power electronics, printed electronics, silicon carbide (SiC)

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Research Title :Embedded RF packaging via ceramic 3D printing and printed electronics additive manufacturing

Authors : Abdullah S Obeidat, Ashraf Umar, Zhi Dou, Firas Alshatnawi, Riadh Al-Haidari, Waleed Al-Shaibani, Mohammed Alhendi, Mohamed Y Abdelatty, Linda Boyd, Cathleen Hoel, Genaro Soto Valle Angulo, Thomas Budka, Jason Case, Joseph Iannotti, Felippe Pavinatto, Mark D Poliks

Abstract :The demand for advanced, high-performance radio frequency (RF) systems continues to rise in a wide range of applications, and embedded packaging is becoming a critical enabler for high-density electronics. Traditional RF packaging technologies are manufactured using various wafer fabrication lines, have various input/output (IO) pad metallization types, and/or are designed for probe station testing. As a result, it is often challenging to integrate these devices into a more complex module on a single RF substrate in a high-fidelity, low-parasitic way, which hinders the demonstration of next-generation communications architectures and concepts. In this work, we developed a fully additive manufacturing process for RF die packaging based on 3D printing for quick and flexible prototyping of embedded electronic modules and for improvements in size, weight, power, and cost. First, alumina 3D printing was used to produce a matrix for RF chip embedding and RF transmission line printing. Process conditions were optimized to fabricate small square pockets with lateral dimensions of 1 mm x 1 mm and depth of 150 microns. In addition, through plate holes with diameters as small as 300 microns and aspect ratio of ~2:1 were produced. Secondly, printed electronics methods like micro-dispensing (μDS) and aerosol jet printing (AJP) were employed to fabricate dielectric and conductive components. Custom RF test dies were manufactured and were pick-and-placed inside the pockets previously made in the alumina matrix. A conductive adhesive was micro-dispensed for die attachment, and PDS was also used to build a dielectric ramp bridging the die and the matrix. In the subsequent steps, AJP was used to print coplanar waveguide (CPW) transmission lines on the alumina surface and interconnects between those and the metalized pads on the test die. Printed components and RF die units were tested for mechanical and electrical performance and also for robustness and reliability under thermal cycling (-55°C to 125°C, 100 cycles) and aging (85°C, 85% relative humidity), showing excellent results. For conductive die-attach material, average adhesion strength was 13.5 Kgf before and 16.2 Kgf or 21.5 Kgf after aging or thermal cycling, respectively. Conductive vias in alumina presented a similar improvement in performance, with maximum DC resistance being 0.5 Ohms before and 0.35 Ohms after thermal cycling. CPW RF transmission lines with different geometries were simulated via electromagnetic (EM) modeling and a few variations with different pad sizes were printed for validation. Ink conductivity and 3D printed alumina roughness were used in the simulations, and good agreement between measured (0.22-0.29 dB/mm) and modeled (0.22-0.24 dB/mm) signal attenuation loss was observed. The integration of printed CPW lines with custom-manufactured microstrip lines on embedded silicon dies was also performed. This embedded unit exhibited low RF losses of 0.274 dB/mm at a frequency of 30 GHz. As conclusion, the combination of alumina 3D printing and printed electronic methods enabled highly customizable designs and easier prototyping for embedded RF circuits, as well as a path toward more complex RF multi-chip modules.

Keywords :Additive manufacturing, additive manufacturing, printed electronics, ceramic 3D printing, embedded RF components, direct-write printing

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Research Title :Effect of thermal and mechanical stresses on novel microstrip lines printed on flexible substrates

Authors : Abdullah S Obeidat, Emuobosan Enakerakpo, Ashraf Umar, Waleed Al-Shaibani, Mohamed Abdelatty, Sara Lieberman, Olya Noruz Shamsian, Riadh Al-Haidari, Mohammed Alhendi, Mark D Poliks

Abstract :Direct writing methods created a revolution in the electronic industry due to their lower cost, fast processing, and lower wasted material. Microstrip line is an important electronic component that transfers the signal and the foundation for the communication between multiple components in any circuit board. Therefore, studying its electromechanical behavior against thermal and mechanical stresses is necessary for real-life applications. In this research, novel microstrip lines were printed on “polyethylene terephthalate” (PET) and “polyimide” (PI) flexible substrates using an aerosol jet printer (AJP) and dispensing system (DS). An advanced posttreatment technique was used to enhance the conductivity of the microstrip lines printed on low glass transition flexible PET substrate. Different microstrip line designs with various mesh ground planes were tested under mild and harsh mechanical bending and different environmental conditions and their losses were characterized. The results showed that the photonic curing enhanced the microstrip lines conductivity by 65% compared to the convectional curing. The in situ resistance measurements during harsh bending demonstrated conclusively that the robustness of the printed microstrip lines increased as the filling percentage of the ground plane became lower. The aging at C/85% RH had a significantly stronger effect on the microstrip lines conductivity compared to the aging at C without humidity due to the changes in the printed ink’s microstructure and the increment in ionic conductivity. Thermal aging led to a reduction in the microstrip line’s ductility and the cracking became easier in the microstructure of the printed films. The resistance of a sample aged at C increased by 81.7% after 10000 bending cycles compared to only 20.5% for a sample without thermal aging. Such findings provide important guidelines for those designing flexible hybrid electronics and for manufacturers who seek the assurance of these technologies for both maturing and reliable products.

Keywords :Aerosol jet printing, flexible substrate, mechanical bending test, microstrip lines, photonic curing, thermal aging

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Research Title :Empirical model and experimental validation of meshed ground impact on RF performance of flexible microstrip lines for bending applications

Authors :Mohamed Y Abdelatty, Mohammed Alhendi, Abdullah S Obeidat, Ashraf Umar, Emuobosan Enakerakpo, Riadh Al-Haidari, Mark D Poliks

Abstract :Meshing of conventional printed circuit board (PCB) grounds refers to a process in which certain ground planes appear as copper lattices; regular openings are placed at regular intervals. The need for ground meshing for rigid PCBs has become minor with the development of micro-etching approaches. However, for flexible hybrid electronics (FHEs), meshed grounds could offer some benefits, such as being unsusceptible to bending and conserving material and time. In this article, we study how meshed ground planes affect the radio frequency (RF) performance of straight microstrip lines. Simulations show meshed grounds with more than 50% filling produce good RF performance. When the filling percentage of the meshed grounds is less than 50%, ripples in the insertion loss start to appear. To confirm the simulation results, dispensing and aerosol jet printing (AJP) systems were used to fabricate silver ink microstrip lines on PET substrates with different meshed ground patterns. The experimental measurement confirmed the simulation results. Bend testing was carried out to investigate the impact of mesh grounds on the RF performance of the microstrip lines after bending. The results demonstrate that the less-filled meshed ground samples are less susceptible to bending. As an extension of the work, we developed an empirical model to modify the microstrip line’s width to smoothen the insertion loss ripples while maintaining the bending superiority. To experimentally validate the model, predictions from this empirical model were used to fabricate and measure some samples.

Keywords :Bending, circuit simulation, flex, flexible electronics, microstrip lines, printed circuits, radio frequency (RF)

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Dr. Abdullah Obeidat

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19
May

scientific visit to PETRA Engineering Industries