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Needs and Enabling Technologies for Stretchable Electronics Commercialization

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Abstract

Stretchable electronics represent an emerging class of devices that can be compressed, twisted and conform to very complicated shapes. The mechanical and electrical compliances of the technology promise to open up applications for healthcare, energy and entertainment purposes. However, advancement in the field has been hindered by material related constraints. Moreover, the current microfabrication facilities are optimized for rigid substrates such as silicon, which have significant different properties compared to elastomers. In this paper, four categories of enabling technologies for stretchable electronics commercialization are critically reviewed, namely: the novel design of stretchable structures, use of non-conventional materials, state-of-art printing techniques and also the patterning of electrodes or metal interconnects via conventional manufacturing techniques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electrical Engineering Division, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, CB3 0FA, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Edward Tan & Luigi Occhipinti

  2. Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, CB3 0FS, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Qingshen Jing, Michael Smith & Sohini Kar-Narayan

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  1. Edward Tan
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  5. Luigi Occhipinti
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Tan, E., Jing, Q., Smith, M. et al. Needs and Enabling Technologies for Stretchable Electronics Commercialization. MRS Advances 2, 1721–1729 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2017.2

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