Assessing the Impact of Twisting and Bending Deformations on Flexible Interconnect Performance

Abstract

Flexible interconnects are essential components for signal transmission for foldable and wearable electronics. As such they are exposed to a variety of mechanical deformations that can degrade their electromagnetic performance. This paper analyses the impact of bending and twisting deformations on the transmission properties of a variety of commercially available polymer and elastomer based interconnects and compares to the performance of flat interconnects fabricated on rigid substrates. The analysis of the impact of deformations also takes into account the degradation in the conductivity of the printed lines due to reported mechanical deformations.