![]() ![]() TPU also has a high abrasion resistance, which makes a textile-integrated application comfortable to wear. TPU was chosen as substrate mainly for its thermoformability, which may be exploited to integrate stretchable electronics into textiles. ![]() Samples were screen-printed on 50-μm thick thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and conductors were made of a commercially available, flexible and conductive silver-flake based ink. A strain test pattern was used for the stretchable interconnects. In this study, three lots, each of ten samples, were manufactured by screen-printing. In this paper, we characterize an intrinsically stretchable conductor based on silver flakes in polymer matrix. Intrinsically stretchable conductor materials simplify design and printing technologies enables large area cost effective manufacturing. In addition to above mentioned solutions based on stiff metals, liquid metal alloys have been studied as potential stretchable conductive material 25, 26, 27. For example, a proper geometry makes metal interconnects highly reliable (>100 000 cycles) even at 40% elongation 24. An alternative way is to plane-pattern conductors into sinusoidal, zig-zag, horseshoe, or mesh-shaped patterns 11. Most techniques (e.g., wavy ribbons 22 and popup structures 23) involve pre-stretching the substrate to produce buckling in the attached conductor. Intrinsically stretchable materials, such as polymers (e.g., PEDOT:PSS 20) and CNT compounds 21, generally permit high elongations but suffer from high resistance, whereas metal interconnects are less resistant yet usually not suitable for high elongation. ![]() Conductive patterns have been fabricated, e.g., by etching 17, screen-printing and stencil printing 18, and inkjet printing 19. This sets the requirement for strains that stretchable interconnects should be able to withstand.Ĭonductive traces can be embedded in elastomer substrates in various ways. In skin-affixed and textile-integrated applications, about 15-to−20% strains occur throughout the life cycle of the product 16. In addition, stretchable electronics can be integrated into textiles to add functionality to clothing 14, 15. #Silkscreen screen skin#Stretchable electronics can be used, e.g., in applications where their functionality is embedded in human skin 12, 13. In contrast to conventional electronics manufactured on rigid circuit boards, such as silicon, or flexible electronics manufactured on flexible circuit boards, such as polyimide (PI), stretchable electronics are manufactured on ultra-thin elastomer substrates, such as polyurethane (PU) or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) 11. A key technology to minimize obtrusiveness is stretchable electronics. One is the unobtrusiveness of the device. However, wearable electronics applications are facing numerous challenges. Concurrently, RFID-inspired wireless sensing empowered by enhanced ambient energy harvesting capabilities and textile-integration of wearable electronics have emerged as major research themes 9, 10. In this area, demonstrations related to stretchable electronics include uni- and bi-axial strain gauge tags 7, 8 comprising antennas built from stretchable electro-textiles. ![]() In an effort to achieve wireless and battery-free sensors, passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags equipped with antennas designed to function as sensing elements have been found a compelling approach 6. In addition, data shows that diseases can be diagnosed remotely and patients invited for examination based on set alarm limits of various vital signs. These applications may well revolutionize the healthcare industry, which is in urgent need to monitor patients remotely 5 to improve the quality of patient life and to promote efficient use of hospital facilities and services. In the healthcare industry, similar wearables have been studied for unobtrusive monitoring of vital signs, such as blood pressure and electrocardiography (ECG) 3, 4. In addition, wearables are making an impact in the sports industry with wrist-worn activity trackers helping users to measure their physical activities gaining popularity. Over the past few years, numerous applications of wearable electronics have emerged in the consumer market, applications such as smart watches 1, which extend the functionality and potential of traditional watches, and head-mounted displays 2, which provide augmented reality vision. ![]()
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