Stretchable biocompatible electronics by embedding electrical circuitry in biocompatible elastomers.
Stretchable and curvilinear electronics has been used recently for the fabrication of micro systems interacting with the human body. The applications range from different kinds of implantable sensors inside the body to conformable electrodes and artificial skins. One of the key parameters in biocompatible stretchable electronics is the fabrication of reliable electrical interconnects. Although very recent literature has reported on the reliability of stretchable interconnects by cyclic loading, work still needs to be done on the integration of electrical circuitry composed of rigid components and stretchable interconnects in a biological environment. In this work, the feasibility of a developed technology to fabricate simple electrical circuits with meander shaped stretchable interconnects is presented. Stretchable interconnects are 200 nm thin Au layer supported with polyimide (PI). A stretchable array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is embedded in biocompatible elastomer using this technology platform and it features a 50% total elongation.
Centre for Microsystems Technology (CMST), IMEC–Ghent University, Technologiepark 914a, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.
Amir
A
Jahanshahi
Pietro
P
Salvo
Jan
J
Vanfleteren
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004581:Electronics; D008853:Microscopy; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
D001672:Biocompatible Materials