[paper] Stretchable transistors

Yahao Dai, Huawei Hu, Maritha Wang, Jie Xu* and Sihong Wang

Stretchable transistors and functional circuits for human-integrated electronics

Nat Electron (2021) 

DOI:10.1038/s41928-020-00513-5

Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
*Nanotechnology and Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA

Abstract: Electronics with skin- or tissue-like mechanical properties, including low stiffness and high stretchability, can be used to create intelligent technologies for application in areas such as health monitoring and human–machine interactions. Stretchable transistors that provide signal-processing and computational functions will be central to the development of this technology. Here, we review the development of stretchable transistors and functional circuits, examining progress in terms of materials and device engineering. We consider the three established approaches for creating stretchable transistors: buckling engineering, stiffness engineering and intrinsic-stretchability engineering. We also explore the current capabilities of stretchable transistors and circuits in human-integrated electronics and consider the challenges involved in delivering advanced applications.

Fig: Stretchable sensor–amplifier system for pulse measurements [Nature 555] 

Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the start-up fund from the University of Chicago. J.X. acknowledges support from the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a US Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, and the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357.

REF:

[Nature 555] Wang, S. et al. Skin electronics from scalable fabrication of an intrinsically stretchable transistor array. Nature 555, 83–88 (2018).