STRETCHABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120052268A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMEC International, Universiteit GENT
• Original Assignee: IMEC International, Universiteit Gent Vzw
• Inventors: Axisa, Fabrice, Vanfleteren, Jan, Bossuyt, Frederick
• Granted Patent: US 9,418,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/212
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 Geometry or layout
• 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: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0133 Elastomeric or compliant polymer elastomeric conductor H05K2201/0314
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09263 Meander
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09727 Varying width along a single conductor; Conductors or pads having different widths
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0271 Mechanical force other than pressure, e.g. shearing or pulling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0032 of organic insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/007 Manufacture or processing of a substrate for a printed circuit board supported by a temporary or sacrificial carrier H05K1/187, H05K3/20 and H05K3/4682 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/06 the conductive material being removed chemically or electrolytically, e.g. by photo-etch process semi-additive methods H05K3/108
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree

Abstract

A stretchable electronic device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device includes at least one combination of a stretchable electronic structure having a first young modulus and a rigid or flexible electronic structure having a second young modulus higher than the first young modulus. The stretchable electronic structure and the rigid or flexible electronic structure may be electrically connected to each other by a semi-transition structure having a third young modulus with a value in a range between the first and the second young modulus.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

at least one combination of a stretchable electronic structure having a first young modulus and a rigid or flexible electronic structure having a second young modulus higher than the first young modulus, the stretchable electronic structure and the rigid or flexible electronic structure being electrically connected to each other, wherein the at least one combination further comprises a semi-transition structure located between an end part of the stretchable electronic structure and an end part of the rigid or flexible electronic structure and configured to establishing the electrical connection therebetween, the semi-transition structure having a third young modulus with a value in a range between the first and the second young modulus.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the value of the third young modulus is constant along the semi-transition structure.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the value of the third young modulus increases along the semi-transition structure from a first value for a part of the semi-transition structure adjacent the end part of the at least one stretchable electronic structure towards a second value for a part of the semi-transition structure adjacent the end part of the at least one rigid or flexible electronic structure.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises at least one cut in an edge of the rigid or flexible structure near its end part.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises at least one notch located on the end part of the rigid or flexible structure.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises a meander shaped structure between the end part of the stretchable structure and the end part of the rigid or flexible structure.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the stretchable structure is a meander shaped structure with a width smaller than a width of the meander shaped structure of the semi-transition structure.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the meander shaped structure of the semi-transition structure has a width which increases gradually from the end part of the stretchable structure towards the end part of the rigid or flexible structure.

9. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

(a) manufacturing a rigid or flexible electronic structure with a first young modulus;

(b) manufacturing a stretchable electronic structure with a second young modulus;

(c) manufacturing a semi-transition structure with a third young modulus having a value in a range between the first and the second young modulus;

(d) electrically connecting a first end part of the semi-transition structure to an end part of the rigid or flexible electronic structure; and

(e) electrically connecting a second end part of the semi-transition structure opposite the first end part to an end part of the stretchable electronic structure.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the process (c) comprises:

(i) providing a supporting structure;

(ii) providing a substrate on top of the supporting structure;

(iii) laminating an electrically conductive layer on top of the substrate;

(iv) patterning the substrate and the electrically conductive layer to obtain a semi-transition structure; and

(v) removing the supporting structure.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises a process (f) of embedding the rigid or flexible structure, the stretchable structure, and the semi-transition structure in an additional material.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the value of the third young modulus is constant along the semi-transition structure.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the value of the third young modulus increases along the semi-transition structure from a first value for a part of the semi-transition structure adjacent the end part of the stretchable electronic structure towards a second value for a part of the semi-transition structure adjacent the end part of the rigid or flexible electronic structure.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises at least one cut in an edge of the rigid or flexible structure near its end part.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises at least one notch located on the end part of the rigid or flexible structure.

16. The method according to claim 9, wherein the semi-transition structure comprises a meander shaped structure between the end part of the stretchable structure and the end part of the rigid or flexible structure.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein the stretchable structure is a meander shaped structure with a width smaller than a width of the meander shaped structure of the semi-transition structure.

18. An electronic device manufactured by the method according to claim 9.

19. A method of manufacturing an electronic device, the method comprising:

(a) providing a flexible substrate;

(b) applying an electrically conductive material on the substrate;

(c) patterning a first part of the electrically conductive material and the substrate so as to obtain a stretchable structure;

(d) patterning a second part of the electrically conductive material and substrate adjacent the first part so as to obtain a semi-transition structure, wherein the patterning is performed such that an end part of the stretchable structure is electrically connected to a first end part of the semi-transition structure;

(e) providing a rigid/flexible structure; and

(f) electrically connecting a second end part of the semi-transition structure, opposite the first part, to an end part of the rigid/flexible structure.

20. An electronic device manufactured by the method according to claim 19.