STRUCTURED MATERIAL SUBSTRATES FOR FLEXIBLE, STRETCHABLE ELECTRONICS

• US 20100330338A1
• Filed: 06/24/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinite Corridor Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Infinite Corridor Technology, LLC
• Inventors: Socrate, Simona, Greviskes, Brian P., Boyce, Mary C., Boyce, Christopher M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,883,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/156
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/009 Using laser curing using laser B29C2035/0838, welding using laser beams B29C65/16
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/00 Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/02 by mechanical means, e.g. pressing B29C59/007 takes precedence; embossing expanded porous articles B29C44/5627
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/16 by wave energy or particle radiation , e.g. infrared heating B29C59/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/266 characterised by an apertured layer, the apertures going through the whole thickness of the layer, e.g. expanded metal, perforated layer, slit layer regular cells B32B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0133 Elastomeric or compliant polymer elastomeric conductor H05K2201/0314
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/046 Planar parts of folded PCBs making an angle relative to each other assembling printed circuits perpendicularly to each other H05K3/366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24314 Slit or elongated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 including variation in thickness

Abstract

A flexible and stretchable patterned substrate is provided having a strain-permitting material comprising a patterned conformation that allows the flexible patterned substrate to experience local strain or local strain domains lower than the macroscopic strain of the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate.

Claims

1. A flexible and stretchable patterned substrate comprising a strain-permitting material having a patterned conformation that allows the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate to experience local strain or local strain domains lower than the macroscopic strain of the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate.

2. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1 further comprising one or more strain relief features that enable regions of local low strain.

3. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the local strain domains are connected to form a continuous region where local stretches are less than the macroscopic stretches applied to the integrated device.

4. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the patterned conformation comprises a hinging mechanism connecting large substrate domains that allows the substrate to stretch and flex macroscopically while experiencing lower levels of local stretches both in the large low strain domains and in the connecting hinges.

5. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the patterned conformation covers complex curvature surfaces by macroscopically stretching and contracting along the surface with only minor out-of-curvature deflections.

6. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the substrate material experiences low strain, allowing integrated circuits to be constructed on the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate.

7. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the patterned conformation can be tailored to achieve specific design criteria, including uniaxial and multi-axis stretchability and uniaxial and multi-axis flexibility.

8. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the patterned conformation is arranged to accommodate electronics, sensors, photovoltaics, displays, batteries, thermoelectric, or antennas constructed on the flexible and stretchable substrate.

9. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate demonstrates low strain throughout and is used to construct integrated circuits.

10. The flexible and stretchable patterned substrate of claim 1, wherein the strain-permitting material comprises unfilled or filled vulcanized rubbers, natural or synthetic rubbers, crosslinked polymers and elastomers, block copolymers, segmented copolymers, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic vulcanizates and epoxies, or thermoplastic polymers.

11. A method of forming a flexible and stretchable substrate comprising:

providing a strain-permitting material;

forming a patterned conformation on the strain-permitting material that allows the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate to experience local strain or local strain domains lower than the macroscopic strain of the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming one or more strain relief features that enable regions of local low strain.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the local strain domains are connected to form a continuous region where local stretches are less than the macroscopic stretches applied to the integrated device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the patterned conformation comprises a hinging mechanism connecting large substrate domains that allows the substrate to stretch and flex macroscopically while experiencing lower levels of local stretches both in the large low strain domains and in the connecting hinges.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the patterned conformation covers complex curvature surfaces by macroscopically stretching and contracting along the surface with only minor out-of-curvature deflections.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate material experiences low strain, allowing integrated circuits to be constructed on the flexible and stretchable patterned substrate.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the patterned conformation can be tailored to achieve specific design criteria, including uniaxial and multi-axis stretchability and uniaxial and multi-axis flexibility.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the patterned conformation is arranged to accommodate electronics, sensors, photovoltaics, displays, batteries, thermoelectric, or antennas constructed on the flexible and stretchable substrate.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the flexible substrate demonstrates low strain throughout and is used to construct integrated circuits.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the strain-permitting material comprises unfilled or filled vulcanized rubbers, natural or synthetic rubbers, crosslinked polymers and elastomers, block copolymers, segmented copolymers, thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic vulcanizates and epoxies, or thermoplastic polymers.