A Stretchable Form of Single-Crystal Silicon for High-Performance Electronics on Rubber Substrates

Abstract

We have produced a stretchable form of silicon that consists of submicrometer single-crystal elements structured into shapes with microscale, periodic, wavelike geometries. When supported by an elastomeric substrate, this "wavy" silicon can be reversibly stretched and compressed to large levels of strain without damaging the silicon. The amplitudes and periods of the waves change to accommodate these deformations, thereby avoiding substantial strains in the silicon itself. Dielectrics, patterns of dopants, electrodes, and other elements directly integrated with the silicon yield fully formed, high-performance "wavy" metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors, p-n diodes, and other devices for electronic circuits that can be stretched or compressed to similarly large levels of strain.

Fiber‐Type Solar Cells, Nanogenerators, Batteries, and Supercapacitors for Wearable Applications

“…Device design which includes the selection of flexible and bendable components such as the electrodes are the key factors that affect the stability and efficiency of these devices. Buckling or fracture structured metallic films or conducting polymers are used on elastic substrates as the electrodes to achieve ultimate stretchability 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56. Yang et al57 developed a unique method to develop elastic electrically conducting fibers for their stretchable, wearable photovoltaic devices which maintained a PCE as high as 7.13% under stretching.…”

Addition of silica nanoparticles to tailor the mechanical properties of nanofibrillated cellulose thin films

“…Whereas the thickness of polymer thin films increases with increasing relative humidity, due to moisture uptake, the Young's modulus of the film was found to decrease with increasing relative humidity [15]. SIEBIMM has been applied to different systems varying from polymer self-assembled multilayers and composites [16][17][18][19], semiconductors [20], metals [21] and carbon nanotubes [22].…”

Ultrastretchable Fiber Sensor with High Sensitivity in Whole Workable Range for Wearable Electronics and Implantable Medicine

“…In general, three configurations can be employed to produce stretchable electronics: i) rigid functional device islands and stretchable interconnects; ii) intrinsically stretchable functional device components; and iii) a combination of (i) and (ii) 4. Although conventional metals and silicon have a certain degree of deformability by combining with the various stretchable structural designs, such as buckling,5 a wavy shapes,6 and a serpentine architecture,7 these materials cannot withstand dramatic mechanical deformation. Moreover, when stretchable electronic devices are mounted on human skin or curved surfaces, the mechanical mismatches between the devices and soft human tissue will lead to response failure.…”