Highly stretchable polymer semiconductor films through the nanoconfinement effect

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 355; no. 6320; pp. 59 - 64
• Main Authors: Xu, Jie, Wang, Sihong, Wang, Ging-Ji Nathan, Zhu, Chenxin, Luo, Shaochuan, Jin, Lihua, Gu, Xiaodan, Chen, Shucheng, Feig, Vivian R., To, John W. F., Rondeau-Gagné, Simon, Park, Joonsuk, Schroeder, Bob C., Lu, Chien, Oh, Jin Young, Wang, Yanming, Kim, Yun-Hi, Yan, He, Sinclair, Robert, Zhou, Dongshan, Xue, Gi, Murmann, Boris, Linder, Christian, Cai, Wei, Tok, Jeffery B.-H., Chung, Jong Won, Bao, Zhenan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 06.01.2017; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; AAAS
• Subjects: Amorphous silicon; Chain dynamics; Chain mobility; Charge transport; Conducting polymers; Cracks; Crystallization; Deformation; Elastomers; Electronics; Electronics industry; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Mobility; Nanostructure; Photovoltaic cells; Polymer films; Polymers; Rubber; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductors; Strain; Stretchability; Thin films; Transistors; Trapping; Tubes; Wearable technology
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aah4496

Soft and conformable wearable electronics require stretchable semiconductors, but existing ones typically sacrifice charge transport mobility to achieve stretchability. We explore a concept based on the nanoconfinement of polymers to substantially improve the stretchability of polymer semiconductors, without affecting charge transport mobility. The increased polymer chain dynamics under nanoconfinement significantly reduces the modulus of the conjugated polymer and largely delays the onset of crack formation under strain. As a result, our fabricated semiconducting film can be stretched up to 100% strain without affecting mobility, retaining values comparable to that of amorphous silicon. The fully stretchable transistors exhibit high biaxial stretchability with minimal change in on current even when poked with a sharp object. We demonstrate a skinlike finger-wearable driver for a light-emitting diode.