Free standing interconnects for stretchable electronics

Advancements in stretchable electronic systems have changed the way modern electronics interact with their target systems, by their conformability to more complex shapes as compared to conventional rigid or flexible electronics. By utilizing this, limitless applications in the field of healthcare can be realized, such as wearable and implantable...

A Platform for Mechano(-Electrical) Characterization of Free-Standing Micron-Sized Structures and Interconnects

A device for studying the mechanical and electrical behavior of free-standing micro-fabricated metal structures, subjected to a very large deformation, is presented in this paper. The free-standing structures are intended to serve as interconnects in high-density, highly stretchable electronic circuits. For an easy, damage-free handling and...

Investigation of "fur-like" residues post dry etching of polyimide using aluminum hard etch mask

The authors found that oxygen plasma etching of polyimide (PI) with aluminum (Al) as a hard-etch mask results in lightly textured arbitrary shaped “fur-like” residues. Upon investigation, the presence of Al was detected in these residues. Ruling out several causes of metal contamination that were already reported in literature, a new theory for...

Novel Method for Adhesion between PI-PDMS Using Butyl Rubber for Large Area Flexible Body Patches

This paper reports the use of rubber—Polybutadiene as an intermediate adhesive layer for improving the adhesion between polyimide (PI) and silicone polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) which is required for a reliable fabrication of flexible/stretchable body patches for various applications. The adhesive bond initiated by the butyl rubber (BR), apart...

Ultra-Stretchable Interconnects for High-Density Stretchable Electronics

The exciting field of stretchable electronics (SE) promises numerous novel applications, particularly in-body and medical diagnostics devices. However, future advanced SE miniature devices will require high-density, extremely stretchable interconnects with micron-scale footprints, which calls for proven standardized (complementary metal-oxide...

Substrate Transfer Technology for Stretchable Electronics

This paper focuses on the implementation of a new technique for the fabrication of stretchable electronic patches that can be used for medical applications. The technique is based on the Electronics on Plastics by Laser Release (EPlaR) technology which enables a one-step release of a stack of flexible/stretchable layers incorporating the active...

Hands-Free Image Capture, Data Tagging and Transfer Using Google Glass: A Pilot Study for Improved Wound Care Management

Chronic wounds, including pressure ulcers, compromise the health of 6.5 million Americans and pose an annual estimated burden of $25 billion to the U.S. health care system. When treating chronic wounds, clinicians must use meticulous documentation to determine wound severity and to monitor healing progress over time. Yet, current wound...