• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.47-53
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• 2019

Stiffness-gradient stretchable electronic packages of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/PTFE structure were processed using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the base substrate and the more stiff polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as the island substrate, and their stretchable deformation-resistance characteristics were characterized. The flip-chip joints, formed by bonding the chip bumps of 50 ㎛-diameter onto the PDMS/PTFE substrate pads, exhibited an average contact resistance of 96 mΩ. When the stretchable package of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/PTFE structure was deformed to 30% elongation, the strain on the PTFE was restrained to 1%, resulting in a negligible resistance increase of 1% in the daisy-chain circuit formed on the PTFE island substrate. The circuit resistance increased for 1.7% after 2,500 cycles of 0~30% stretchable deformation.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.25-34
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• 2018

In this paper, we review the latest technical progress and commercialization of stretchable interconnectors, stretchable strain sensors, and stretchable substrates for stretchable electronics. The development of stretchable electronics can pave a way for new applications such as wearable devices, bio-integrated devices, healthcare and monitoring, and soft robotics. The essential components of stretchable electronic devices are stretchable interconnector and stretchable substrate. Stretchable interconnector should have high stretchability and high electrical conductivity as well as stability under severe mechanical deformation. Therefore several nanocomposite-based materials using CNT, graphene, nanowire, and metal flake have been developed. Geometric engineering such as wavy, serpentine, buckled and mesh structure has been well developed. Stretchable substrate should also pose high stretchability and compatibility with stretchable sensing or interconnecting material. We summarize the recent research results of new materials for stretchable interconnector and substrate as well as strain sensors. The Important challenges in development of the stretchable interconnector and substrate are also briefly discussed.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.117-123
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• 2015

In order to develop stretchable substrate technology for stretchable devices, locally stiffness-variant stretchable substrates were processed with two polydimethylsiloxane elastomers of different stiffnesses and their deformation behavior was characterized. Low-stiffness substrate matrix and embedded high-stiffness island of the stretchable substrate were formed by using Dragon Skin 10 of the elastic modulus of 0.09 MPa and Sylgard 184 of the elastic modulus of 2.15 MPa, respectively. A stretchable substrate was fabricated to a configuration of 6.5 cm length, 0.4 cm thickness, and 2.5 cm width. The elastic modulus of a stretchable substrate was increased from 0.09 MPa to 0.13~0.33 MPa by embedding a Sylgard 184 island of 1 cm width and 1~6 cm length into the center part of the Dragon Skin 10 substrate matrix. The elastic modulus of a stretchable substrate was improved to 0.16~0.2 MPa by embedding a Sylgard 184 island of 4 cm length and 0.5~1.5 cm width and to 0.1421~0.154 MPa by embedding a Sylgard 184 island of 2 cm length and 0.5~1.5 cm width. With increasing the tensile strain of a stretchable substrate, deformation restriction of the locally stiffness-variant Sylgard 184 island was further enhanced due to substantial increase in the strength difference between Sylgard 184 and Dragon 10 at large strain.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2017

Stretchable deformation-resistance characteristics of Au, Pt, and Cu films were measured for the stretchable packaging structure where a parylene F was used as an intermediate layer between a PDMS substrate and a metal thin film. The 150 nm-thick Au and Pt films, sputtered on the parylene F-coated PDMS substrate, exhibited the initial resistances of $1.56{\Omega}$ and $5.53{\Omega}$, respectively. The resistance increase ratios at 30% tensile strain were measured as 7 and 18 for Au film and Pt film, respectively. The 150 nm-thick Cu film, sputtered on the parylene F-coated PDMS substrate, exhibited a very poor stretchability compared to Au and Pt films. Its resistance was initially $18.71{\Omega}$, rapidly increased with applying tensile deformation, and finally became open at 5% tensile strain.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.39-46
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• 2019

A stiffness-gradient soft PDMS/hard PDMS/FPCB stretchable package of the island-bridge structure was processed using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the base substrate and the more stiff flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) as the island substrate, and its effective elastic modulus and stretchable deformation characteristics were analyzed. With the elastic moduli of the soft PDMS, hard PDMS, and FPCB to be 0.28 MPa, 1.74 MPa, and 1.85 GPa, respectively, the effective elastic modulus of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/FPCB package was analyzed as 0.58 MPa. When the soft PDMS of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/FPCB package was stretched to a tensile strain of 0.3, the strains occurring at hard PDMS and FPCB were found to be 0.1 and 0.003, respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.51-63
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• 2017

The touch panel was developed decades ago and has become a popular input device in daily life. Because human-computer interaction is becoming more important, the next generation of touch panels require stretchability and bio-compatibility to allow integration with the human body. However, because most touch panels were developed based on stiff, brittle electrodes, electronic touch panels face difficulties to achieve such requirements. In this paper, for the first time, we demonstrate an ionic touch panel based on polyacrylamide hydrogel containing LiCl ions. The panel is soft and stretchable and thus, can sustain a large deformation. The panel can freely transmit light information through it because the hydrogel is transparent, with 99 % transmittance for visible light. A 1-dimensional touch strip was investigated to reveal the basic mechanism of sensing, and a 2-dimensional touch panel was developed to demonstrate its functionalities. The ionic touch panel was operated under high deformation with more than 1000% areal strain without sacrificing its functionalities. Furthermore, an epidermal touch panel on the skin was developed to demonstrate the mechanical and optical invisibility of the ionic touch panel through writing words, playing the piano and playing games.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2016.11a
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• pp.183.1-183.1
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• 2016

Due to the latest research trend toward wearable energy devices, transparent and stretchable supercapacitors which can sustain their performance even under physical deformation have steadily attracted huge attention. Despite the Ag NW is the most promising candidate for fabrication of transparent and stretchable electronics, the electrochemical instability interrupts its application to development of the energy device. Here, we introduce a transparent and highly stretchable supercapacitor made by Au-Ag core shell NW network percolation electrode. The Au-Ag core shell NW synthesized by a simple solution process not only shows excellent electrical conductivity but also greatly enhanced chemical and electrochemical stability compare to pristine Ag NW. These outstanding properties of the Au-Ag core shell NW are attributed both to the core Ag NW and the Au protecting sheath layer. The proposed Au-Ag core shell NW based supercapacitor exhibits optical transmittance with outstanding mechanical stability withstanding 60% strain without any decrease of the performance. The supercapacitors connected in series are charged and discharged stable in 30% strain turning on a red LED. These notable results demonstrate the potential of the Au-Ag core shell NW as a strong candidate for development of wearable energy devices.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.55-62
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• 2019

Stiffness-gradient stretchable electronic packages of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/FPCB structure were processed using the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the base substrate and the more stiff flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) as the island substrate. The elastic characteristics of the stretchable packages were estimated and their long-term reliabilities on stretching cycles and bending cycles were characterized. With 0.28 MPa, 1.74 MPa, and 1.85 GPa as the elastic moduli of the soft PDMS, hard PDMS, and FPCB, respectively, the effective elastic modulus of the soft PDMS/hard PDMS/FPCB package was estimated as 0.6 MPa. The resistance of the stretchable packages varied for 2.8~4.3% with stretching cycles ranging at 0~0.3 strain up to 15,000 cycles and for 0.9~1.5% with 15,000 bending cycles at a bending radius of 25 mm.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.27-34
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• 2017

We investigated the feasibility of parylene F usage as an intermediate layer between a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate and an Au thin-film interconnect as well as the swelling effect of PDMS substrate on the stretchable deformability of an Au thin film. The 150-nm-thick Au film, which was sputtered on a PDMS substrate without a parylene F layer, exhibited an initial resistance of $11.7{\Omega}$ and an overflow of its resistance at a tensile strain of 12.5%. On the other hand, the Au film, which was formed with a 150-nm-thick parylene F layer, revealed an much improved resistance characteristics: $1.21{\Omega}$ as its initial resistance and $246{\Omega}$ at its 30% elongation state. With swelling of PDMS substrate, the resistance of an Au film substantially decreased to $14.4{\Omega}$ at 30% tensile strain.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.389.2-389.2
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• 2014

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based electronic devices are widely used for various applications in large area electronics, biomedical wearable interfaces and implantable circuitry where flexibility and/or stretchability are required. A few fabrication methods of electronic devices directly on PDMS substrate have been reported. However, it is well known that micro-cracks appear in the metal layer and in the lithography pattern on a PDMS substrate. To solve the above problems, a few studies for fabrication of stiff platform on PDMS substrate have been reported. Thin-film islands of a stiff region are fabricated on an elastomeric substrate, and electronic devices are fabricated on these stiff islands. When the substrate is stretched, the deformation is mainly accommodated by the substrate, and the stiff islands and electronic devices experience relatively small strains. Here, we report a new method to achieve stiff islands structures on an elastomeric substrate at a various thickness, as the platform for stretchable electronic devices. The stiff islands were defined by conventional photolithography on a stress-free elastomeric substrate. This technique can provide a practical strategy for realizing large-area stretchable electronic circuits, for various applications such as stretchable display or wearable electronic systems.