A 1.3-micrometre-thick elastic conductor for seamless on-skin and implantable sensors

Zhi Jiang; Nuan Chen; Zhigao Yi; Junwen Zhong; Feilong Zhang; Shaobo Ji; Rui Liao; Yan Wang; Haicheng Li; Zhihua Liu; Yang Wang; Tomoyuki Yokota; Xiaogang Liu; Kenjiro Fukuda; Xiaodong Chen; Takao Someya

doi:10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x

A 1.3-micrometre-thick elastic conductor for seamless on-skin and implantable sensors

Zhi Jiang, Nuan Chen, Zhigao Yi, Junwen Zhong, Feilong Zhang, Shaobo Ji, Rui Liao, Yan Wang, Haicheng Li, Zhihua Liu, Yang Wang, Tomoyuki Yokota, Xiaogang Liu, Kenjiro Fukuda^*, Xiaodong Chen^*, Takao Someya^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

59 Scopus citations

Abstract

On-skin and implantable electronics require elastic conductors that are only a few micrometres thick and soft enough to form a seamless contact with three-dimensional structures. However, fabricating thin conductors that are mechanically durable and have consistent electrical properties with stretching is challenging. Here we report polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–gold conductors that are around 1.3 µm thick and have a controlled morphology of microcracks in the gold film. The microcracks are formed by evaporating a 50-nm-thick gold film onto a 1.2-µm-thick PDMS film that is supported during fabrication by a 100-µm-thick PDMS film on glass; thermal expansion of the thick PDMS film causes the evaporated gold to form a microcracked structure on the thin PDMS. The resulting conductors can be stretched by up to 300% and remain highly conductive after strain release. We use them to create on-skin electrodes that are breathable and water resistant, and can continuously record electrocardiogram signals. We also use the conductors to create on-skin sensors with less than 3 µm thickness that can detect small mechanical forces and create implantable nerve electrodes that can provide signal recording and stimulation.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Electronics
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x
State	Published - 21 Nov 2022
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Electrical and electronic engineering
Electronic devices
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical properties

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10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x

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title = "A 1.3-micrometre-thick elastic conductor for seamless on-skin and implantable sensors",

abstract = "On-skin and implantable electronics require elastic conductors that are only a few micrometres thick and soft enough to form a seamless contact with three-dimensional structures. However, fabricating thin conductors that are mechanically durable and have consistent electrical properties with stretching is challenging. Here we report polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–gold conductors that are around 1.3 µm thick and have a controlled morphology of microcracks in the gold film. The microcracks are formed by evaporating a 50-nm-thick gold film onto a 1.2-µm-thick PDMS film that is supported during fabrication by a 100-µm-thick PDMS film on glass; thermal expansion of the thick PDMS film causes the evaporated gold to form a microcracked structure on the thin PDMS. The resulting conductors can be stretched by up to 300% and remain highly conductive after strain release. We use them to create on-skin electrodes that are breathable and water resistant, and can continuously record electrocardiogram signals. We also use the conductors to create on-skin sensors with less than 3 µm thickness that can detect small mechanical forces and create implantable nerve electrodes that can provide signal recording and stimulation.",

keywords = "Electrical and electronic engineering, Electronic devices, Mechanical engineering, Mechanical properties",

author = "Zhi Jiang and Nuan Chen and Zhigao Yi and Junwen Zhong and Feilong Zhang and Shaobo Ji and Rui Liao and Yan Wang and Haicheng Li and Zhihua Liu and Yang Wang and Tomoyuki Yokota and Xiaogang Liu and Kenjiro Fukuda and Xiaodong Chen and Takao Someya",

year = "2022",

month = nov,

day = "21",

doi = "10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x",

language = "英语",

journal = "Nature Electronics",

issn = "2520-1131",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - A 1.3-micrometre-thick elastic conductor for seamless on-skin and implantable sensors

AU - Jiang, Zhi

AU - Chen, Nuan

AU - Yi, Zhigao

AU - Zhong, Junwen

AU - Zhang, Feilong

AU - Ji, Shaobo

AU - Liao, Rui

AU - Wang, Yan

AU - Li, Haicheng

AU - Liu, Zhihua

AU - Wang, Yang

AU - Yokota, Tomoyuki

AU - Liu, Xiaogang

AU - Fukuda, Kenjiro

AU - Chen, Xiaodong

AU - Someya, Takao

PY - 2022/11/21

Y1 - 2022/11/21

N2 - On-skin and implantable electronics require elastic conductors that are only a few micrometres thick and soft enough to form a seamless contact with three-dimensional structures. However, fabricating thin conductors that are mechanically durable and have consistent electrical properties with stretching is challenging. Here we report polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–gold conductors that are around 1.3 µm thick and have a controlled morphology of microcracks in the gold film. The microcracks are formed by evaporating a 50-nm-thick gold film onto a 1.2-µm-thick PDMS film that is supported during fabrication by a 100-µm-thick PDMS film on glass; thermal expansion of the thick PDMS film causes the evaporated gold to form a microcracked structure on the thin PDMS. The resulting conductors can be stretched by up to 300% and remain highly conductive after strain release. We use them to create on-skin electrodes that are breathable and water resistant, and can continuously record electrocardiogram signals. We also use the conductors to create on-skin sensors with less than 3 µm thickness that can detect small mechanical forces and create implantable nerve electrodes that can provide signal recording and stimulation.

AB - On-skin and implantable electronics require elastic conductors that are only a few micrometres thick and soft enough to form a seamless contact with three-dimensional structures. However, fabricating thin conductors that are mechanically durable and have consistent electrical properties with stretching is challenging. Here we report polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)–gold conductors that are around 1.3 µm thick and have a controlled morphology of microcracks in the gold film. The microcracks are formed by evaporating a 50-nm-thick gold film onto a 1.2-µm-thick PDMS film that is supported during fabrication by a 100-µm-thick PDMS film on glass; thermal expansion of the thick PDMS film causes the evaporated gold to form a microcracked structure on the thin PDMS. The resulting conductors can be stretched by up to 300% and remain highly conductive after strain release. We use them to create on-skin electrodes that are breathable and water resistant, and can continuously record electrocardiogram signals. We also use the conductors to create on-skin sensors with less than 3 µm thickness that can detect small mechanical forces and create implantable nerve electrodes that can provide signal recording and stimulation.

KW - Electrical and electronic engineering

KW - Electronic devices

KW - Mechanical engineering

KW - Mechanical properties

U2 - 10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x

DO - 10.1038/s41928-022-00868-x

M3 - 文章

SN - 2520-1131

JO - Nature Electronics

JF - Nature Electronics

ER -

A 1.3-micrometre-thick elastic conductor for seamless on-skin and implantable sensors

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Keywords

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