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Stretchable Electronic: History
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Contributor: Eng Editorial Office

Stretchable electronics is a class of electronic devices fabricated on elastomeric or flexible substrates that can sustain large tensile strain, bending, twisting, and out-of-plane deformation without loss of electrical functionality, in contrast to conventional rigid silicon-wafer electronics that fracture under even modest mechanical strain [1]. The devices are commonly constructed using inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials—such as silicon nanoribbons, ultrathin membranes, or wavy and serpentine interconnect structures—bonded to pre-strained elastomeric substrates so that buckling and out-of-plane wrinkling accommodate the applied strain while the active material itself remains well within its elastic deformation limit [2]. Alternatively, organic field-effect transistors embedded in soft elastomeric matrices and metallic nanowire networks are used to build large-area, conformable pressure and thermal sensor arrays and electronic-skin systems that can be stretched, twisted, bent, and conformally wrapped over arbitrary three-dimensional curvilinear surfaces while maintaining stable electrical conductivity and consistent electronic device performance under repeated mechanical cycling and deformation [3].

  • elastomer
  • nanoribbon
  • electronic skin
  • organic transistor
  • serpentine interconnect

Semiconductor materials and devices •  Electrical and Electronic Engineering •  Engineering •  Physical Sciences

References

  1. John A. Rogers; Takao Someya; Yonggang Huang; Materials and Mechanics for Stretchable Electronics. Science 2010, 327, 1603-1607, 10.1126/science.1182383.
  2. Takao Someya; Tsuyoshi Sekitani; Shingo Iba; Yusaku Kato; Hiroshi Kawaguchi; Takayasu Sakurai; A large-area, flexible pressure sensor matrix with organic field-effect transistors for artificial skin applications. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2004, 101, 9966-9970, 10.1073/pnas.0401918101.
  3. Tsuyoshi Sekitani; Takao Someya; Stretchable, Large‐area Organic Electronics. Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 2228-2246, 10.1002/adma.200904054.
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