• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.363.1-363.1
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• 2016

Transparent and stretchable conductors are expected to be an essential component in future stretchable optoelectronic devices. Until now, two main methods have been commonly employed to fabricate transparent and stretchable conductors by using metal nanomaterials: creating buckling configurations and creating network configurations. In this report, a novel strategy for obtaining transparent and stretchable conductors is presented, one that employs these two main approaches simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, this proposed configuration of a buckled long nanofiber network in this study has not yet been reported. In order to provide the transparent conductors with dual mode stretchability originating from simultaneous buckled and network configurations, a buckled Au@polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofiber network (hereafter referred to BANN for convenience) was fabricated by transferring Au-metallized electrospun PVP nanofibers onto a prestrained polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. Our BANN shows considerably lower strain sensitivity of resistance than that of straight Au@PVP nanofiber network. Durability tests conducted by performing cyclic tensile strain reveal that the relative change in resistance of BANN (prestrain = 20%) is quite small after 1000 cycles. We also demonstrate that this BANN exhibits superior performance over widely used indium tin oxide conductors with regard to high optical transmittance and low sheet resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.537-546
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• 2023

Intrinsically stretchable light-emitting diodes, composed of stretchable electrodes, charge transport layers, and luminescent materials, have garnered significant interest for enhancing human well-being and advancing the field of deformable electronics. Various luminescent materials, such as perovskites and organics, have been integrated with stretchable elastomers to function as the stretchable emissive layers in these intrinsically stretchable LEDs. Stretchable conductors including Ag nanowire based percolating structures and conducting polymers have been utilized as stretchable transparent electrode. Despite this progress, their performances in terms of efficiency and stability remain challenging compared to their structurally stretchable and rigid LED counterparts. This review offers a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in intrinsically stretchable LEDs, focusing on material innovations.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.117-123
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• 2021

Electronic skin (or E-skin) is an artificial smart skin composed of one or more than two sensors. E-skins detect external stimuli and convert them into electrical signals. Various types of E-skin sensors exist, including mechanical, physical, and chemical, depending on the detection signals involved. For wearable E-skins with superior sensitivity and reliability, developing conductors that possess both good elasticity and sensitivity is essential. Typical electrical conductors used in these sensors show very high sensitivity, but they have drawbacks such as non-linearity, irreversibility, and a narrow sensing range. To address these issues, stretchable and lightweight ionic conductors have been actively used in E-skin applications. This study summarizes the recent progress on various types of ionic conductors and ionic-conductor-based E-skin sensors.

• Nano
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1850146.1-1850146.9
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• 2018

The rapid development of smart textiles requires the large-scale fabrication of conductive fibers. In this study, we develop a simple, scalable and low-cost capillary-driven self-assembly method to prepare conductive fibers with uniform morphology, high conductivity and good mechanical strength. Fiber-shaped flexible and stretchable conductors are obtained by coating highly conductive and flexible silver nanowires (Ag NWs) on the surfaces of yarn and PDMS fibers through evaporation-induced flow and capillary-driven self-assembly, which is proven by the in situ optical microscopic observation. The density of Ag NWs and linear resistance of the conductive fibers could be regulated by tuning the assembly cycles. A linear resistance of $1.4{\Omega}/cm$ could be achieved for the Ag NWs-coated nylon, which increases only 8% after 200 bending cycle, demonstrating high flexibility and mechanical stability. The flexible and stretchable conductive fibers have great potential for the application in wearable devices.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.420-426
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• 2024

This study proposes an innovative methodology for developing flexible printed circuit boards (FPCBs) capable of conforming to three-dimensional shapes, meeting the increasing demand for electronic circuits in diverse and complex product designs. By integrating a traditional flat plate-based fabrication process with a subsequent three-dimensional thermal deformation technique, we have successfully demonstrated an FPCB that maintains stable electrical characteristics despite significant shape deformations. Using a modified polyimide substrate along with Ag flake-based conductive ink, we identified optimized process variables that enable substrate thermal deformation at lower temperatures (~130℃) and enhance the stretchability of the conductive ink (ε ~30%). The application of this novel FPCB in a prototype 3D-shaped sensor device, incorporating photosensors and temperature sensors, illustrates its potential for creating multifunctional, shape-adaptable electronic devices. The sensor can detect external light sources and measure ambient temperature, demonstrating stable operation even after transitioning from a planar to a three-dimensional configuration. This research lays the foundation for next-generation FPCBs that can be seamlessly integrated into various products, ushering in a new era of electronic device design and functionality.