Abstract
In order to make conductors with large cross sections for low impedance radio frequency (RF) electronics, while still retaining high stretchability, liquid-alloy-based microfluidic stretchable electronics offers stretchable electronic systems the unique opportunity to combine various sensors on our bodies or organs with high-quality wireless communication with the external world (devices/systems), without sacrificing enhanced user comfort. This microfluidic approach, based on printed circuit board technology, allows large area processing of large cross section conductors and robust contacts, which can handle a lot of stretching between the embedded rigid active components and the surrounding system. Although it provides such benefits, further development is needed to realize its potential as a high throughput, cost-effective process technology. In this paper, tape transfer printing is proposed to supply a rapid prototyping batch process at low cost, albeit at a low resolution of 150 μm. In particular, isolated patterns can be obtained in a simple one-step process. Finally, a stretchable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is demonstrated. The measured results show the robustness of the hybrid integrated system when the tag is stretched at 50% for 3000 cycles.
Highlights
Elastic electronics provides a new medical technology for wireless sensing and communication, with extraordinary mechanical adaptability when attached to our skin or organs
The tape mask’s minimum cut line width produced by the mechanical cutting plotter was 200 μm and the corresponding printed line width produced by tape transfer printing was 150 μm
The difference between the printed patterns and the cut adhesive mask patterns may be caused by the wetting of the liquid alloy to the PDMS surface and the tape mask’s sidewall, Figure 4
Summary
Elastic electronics provides a new medical technology for wireless sensing and communication, with extraordinary mechanical adaptability when attached to our skin or organs. Independent of the size of their cross section, gallium (Ga)-indium (In)-based liquid alloys provide high compliance and the contact to rigid components will not break when they are stretched. This technology needs to be adapted to batch technology for rapid prototyping and potential future high throughput production. This simple approach offers a reliable and fast patterning technique at reasonable resolution [20] By combining this newly developed tape transfer technique and our previous liquid alloy printing technique, we present here one further step toward the goal of a low-cost, high throughput rapid prototyping technology for stretchable printed circuits. The limitations of this batch technology are discussed and a printed stretchable radio frequency identification (RFID) tag is demonstrated
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