ELASTIC PRINTED CONDUCTORS

• Main Authors: CHUNG, Hyun-Joong, SCOTT, Dylan, RIEGER, Jana, LA, Thanh-Giang, QIU, Shide
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 03.03.2021
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; BRAIDING; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; CHEMISTRY; COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES ORLACQUERS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; COTTON-WOOL; DYES; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS,NON-WOVEN FABRICS; FILLING PASTES; INKS; KNITTING; LACE-MAKING; MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARYMATERIAL; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; NON-WOVEN FABRICS; PAINTS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; POLISHES; PRINTED CIRCUITS; TEXTILES; TRIMMINGS; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR; WADDING; WOODSTAINS

The development of stretchable, mechanically and electrically robust interconnects by printing an elastic, silver-based composite ink onto stretchable fabric. Such interconnects can have conductivity of 3000-4000 S/cm and are durable under cyclic stretching. In serpentine shape, the fabric-based conductor is enhanced in electrical durability. Resistance increases only ˜5 times when cyclically stretched over a thousand times from zero to 30% strain at a rate of 4% strain per second due to the ink permeating the textile structure. The textile fibers are 'wetted' with composite ink to form a conductive, stretchable cladding of the silver particles. The e-textile can realize a fully printed, double-sided electronic system of sensor-textile-interconnect integration. The double-sided e-textile can be used for a surface electromyography (sEMG) system to monitor muscles activities, an electroencephalography (EEG) system to record brain waves, and the like.