• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.386-390
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• 2023

Stiffness-engineered stretchable substrate technology has been widely used to produce stretchable displays, transistors, and integrated circuits because it is compatible with various flexible electronics technologies. However, the stiffness-engineering technology has never been applied to transistor-based stretchable strain sensors. In this study, we developed thin-film transistor-based strain sensors on stiffness-engineered stretchable substrates. We designed and fabricated strain-sensitive stretchable resistors capable of inducing changes in drain currents of transistors when subjected to stretching forces. The resistors and source electrodes of the transistors were connected in series to integrate the developed stretchable resistors with thin-film transistors on stretchable substrates by printing the resistors after fabricating transistors. The thin-film transistor-based stretchable strain sensors demonstrate feasibility as strain sensors operating under strains of 0%-5%. This strain range can be extended with further investigations. The proposed stiffness-engineering approach will expand the potential for the advancement and manufacturing of innovative stretchable strain sensors.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.351.1-351.1
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• 2016

While conventional electronic devices have been fabricated on the rigid and brittle Si based wafer as a semiconducting substrate, future devices are increasingly finding applications where flexibility and stretchability are further integrated to enable emerging and wearable devices. To achieve high flexibility and stretchability, various approaches are investigated such as polymer based conducting composite, thin metal films on the polymer substrate, and structural modifications for stretchable electronics. In spite of many efforts, it is still a challenge to identify a solution that offers both high stretchability and superior electrical properties. In this paper, we introduce a highly stretchable entangled-mesh graphene showing a potential to address such requirements as stretchability and good electrical performance. Entangle-mesh graphene was synthesized by CVD graphene on the Cu foil. To analyze the mechanical properties of entangled-mesh graphene, endurance and stretching tester have been used.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.29-29
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• 2008

Realization of electronics with performance equal to established technologies that use rigid semiconductor wafers, but in lightweight, foldable and stretchable formats would enable many new application possibilities. Examples include wearable systems for personal health monitoring, 'smart' surgical gloves with integrated electronics and electronic eye type imagers that incorporate focal plane arrays on hemispherical substrates. Circuits that use organic or certain classes of inorganic electronic materials on plastic or steel foil substrates can provide some degree of mechanical flexibility, but they cannot be folded or stretched. Also, with few exceptions such systems offer only modest electrical performance. In this talk, I will present a new approach to high performance, flexible and stretchable integrated circuits. These systems combine single-crystal silicon nanoribbons with thin plastic or elastomeric substrates using both "top-down" and "transfer-printing" technologies. The strategies represent promising routes to high performance, flexible and stretchable optoelectronic devices that can incorporate established, high performance inorganic electronic materials.

• 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 Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.23-36
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• 2019

Stretchable electronic systems have recently been gaining more and more attention because of their potential applications in various implements such as electronic skins and wearable/shape-deformable electronics. An essential factor of the stable stretchable device implementation is that all the elements constituting the system must have sufficient elasticity and exhibit stable performances even under repetitive stretching conditions. In this paper, we review the latest research results to secure the stable stretchability of electrodes among the various components of the system.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.272-281
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• 2012

Flexible/stretchable electronics have recently focused, since their applications extend to emerging flexible displays, sensors, dielectric elastomer actuator and generators, and smart surgical tools. Flexible/stretchable electrodes should be synchronized with employing mechanical deformations of either flexing or stretching modes. Thus, the research area is one of the tough subjects, since the electrodes should keep their basic functions of electrodes under various mode of mechanical deformations. In this review, we discuss the recent development in the preparation and properties of such flexible/stretchable electrodes.

• 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.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2023

Electronic skin (e-skin), devices that are mounted on or attached to human skin, have advanced in recent times. Yet, the development of a power supply for e-skin remains a challenge. A stretchable thermoelectric generator is a promising power supply for the e-skin patches. It is a safe and semi-permanent energy harvesting device that uses body heat for generating power. Carbon nanotube (CNT) clays are used in energy-harvesting e-skin patches. In this study, we report improved thermoelectric performance of CNT clays by using chemical doping and physical blending of thermoelectric enhancers. The n-type and p-type thermoelectric enhancers increase electrical conductivity, leading to increased power factors of the thermoelectric CNT clays. The blend of CNT clays and enhancers is intrinsically stretchable up to 50% while maintaining its thermoelectric property.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.91-98
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• 2015

In order to apply to stretchable electronics packaging, locally stiffness-variant stretchable substrates consisting of island structure were fabricated by combining two polydimethylsiloxane elastomers of different stiffnesses and their elastic moduli were characterized as a function of the width of the high-stiffness island. The low-stiffness substrate matrix and the 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 be a configuration of 6.5-cm length, 0.4-cm thickness, and 2.5-cm width, in which a high-stiffness Sylgard 184 island, of 4-cm length, 0.2-cm thickness, and 0.5~1.5-cm width, was embedded. The elastic modulus of a stretchable substrate was increased from 0.09 MPa to 0.16 MPa by incorporating the Sylgard 184 island of 0.5-cm width to Dragon Skin 10 substrate matrix. The elastic modulus was further improved to 0.18 MPa and 0.2 MPa with increasing the Sylgard 184 island width to 1.0 cm and 1.5 cm, which were in good agreement with values estimated by combining the Voigt structure of isostrain and the Reuss structure of isostress.

• 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.