Mechanics designs for stretchable inorganic electronics

Abstract

Conventional electronic devices based on inorganic semiconductor materials (e.g., silicon) are hard, rigid, and flat. Recent advances in mechanics have enabled development of stretchable inorganic electronics on compliant substrates, offering the performance of conventional electronic devices and the ability to deform such electronics into arbitrary shapes and making possible numerous applications ranging from wearable electronics to bio-integrated electronics. This article reviews the two main mechanics strategies used to produce stretchable inorganic electronics in recent years, namely, wavy design and island-bridge design. Specifically, this article reveals the deformation mechanisms used in each strategy and provides design guidelines for the development of stretchable electronics.