Stretchable, Curvilinear Electronics Based on Inorganic Materials

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) Vol. 22; no. 19; pp. 2108 - 2124
• Main Authors: Kim, Dae-Hyeong, Xiao, Jianliang, Song, Jizhou, Huang, Yonggang, Rogers, John A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 18.05.2010; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley
• Subjects: Dimethylpolysiloxanes - chemistry; Electronics; Flexible electronics; Inorganic Chemicals - chemistry; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Nanomechanics; Nanotechnology; Plastic electronics; Semiconductor nanomaterials; Silicon - chemistry; Stretchable electronics
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.200902927

All commercial forms of electronic/optoelectronic technologies use planar, rigid substrates. Device possibilities that exploit bio‐inspired designs or require intimate integration with the human body demand curvilinear shapes and/or elastic responses to large strain deformations. This article reviews progress in research designed to accomplish these outcomes with established, high‐performance inorganic electronic materials and modest modifications to conventional, planar processing techniques. We outline the most well developed strategies and illustrate their use in demonstrator devices that exploit unique combinations of shape, mechanical properties and electronic performance. We conclude with an outlook on the challenges and opportunities for this emerging area of materials science and engineering. Certain structural forms of inorganic materials provide an effective level of mechanical stretchability when combined with elastomeric supports. These concepts make it possible to build electronic and optoelectronic devices that have the electrical/optical properties of counterparts formed on the rigid, planar surfaces of semiconductor wafers, but with the mechanical properties of a rubber band and the ability to conform to curvilinear shapes. In this article, fundamental and applied aspects of research in this emerging area of materials science, are reviewed and features of some system‐level device demonstrations are summarized.