• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.77-82
• /
• 2014

Stretchable electrodes are focused due to many demands for soft electronics. One of the candidates, carbon black composites have advantages of low cost, easy processing and decreasing resistivity in a certain range during stretching. However, the electrical conductivity of carbon black composites is not enough for electronic devices. Graphene is 2-dimensional nanostructured carbon based material which shows good electrical properties and flexibility. They may help to improve electrical conductivity of the carbon black composites. In this study, graphene was added to a carbon black electrode to enhance electrical properties and investigated. Electrical resistivity of graphene added carbon electrode decreased comparing with that of carbon black electrode because graphene bridged non-contacting carbon black aggregates to strengthen the conductive network. Also graphene reduced an increase in the resistance of the carbon black electrode applied to strain because they connected gap of separated carbon black aggregates and aligned along the stretching direction at the same time. In conclusion, an addition of graphene to carbon black gives two benefits on the electrical properties of carbon black composite as a stretchable electrode.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.272-281
• /
• 2012

Flexible/stretchable electronics have recently focused, since their applications extend to emerging flexible displays, sensors, dielectric elastomer actuator and generators, and smart surgical tools. Flexible/stretchable electrodes should be synchronized with employing mechanical deformations of either flexing or stretching modes. Thus, the research area is one of the tough subjects, since the electrodes should keep their basic functions of electrodes under various mode of mechanical deformations. In this review, we discuss the recent development in the preparation and properties of such flexible/stretchable electrodes.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.36 no.5
• /
• pp.525-530
• /
• 2023

Stretchable piezoelectric energy harvester (S-PEHs) based on composite materials are considered one of the potential candidates for realizing wearable self-powered devices for smart clothing and electronic skin. However, low energy conversion performance and expensive stretchable electrodes are major bottlenecks hindering the development and application of S-PEHs. Here, we fabricated the S-PEH by adopting the piezoelectric composites with enhanced stress transfer properties and kirigami-patterned textile electrodes. The optimum contents of piezoelectric BaTiO₃ nanoparticles inside the carbon nanotube/ecoflex composite were selected as 30 wt% considering the trade-off between stretchability and energy harvesting performance of the device. The final S-PEH shows an output voltage and mechanical stability of ~5 V and ~3,000 cycles under repeated 150% of tensile strain, respectively. This work presents a cost-effective and scalable way to fabricate stretchable piezoelectric devices for self-powered wearable electronic systems.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.133-137
• /
• 2011

Gold have been used as an electrode materials having a good mechanical flexibility as well as electrical conductivity, however the stretchability of the gold on a flexible substrate is poor because of its small elastic modulus. To overcome this mechanical inferiority, the reinforcing gold is necessary for the stretchable electronics. Among the reinforcing materials having a large elastic modulus, carbon nanotube (CNT) is the best candidate due to its good electrical conductivity and nanoscale diameter. Therefore, similarly to ferroconcrete technology, here we demonstrated gold electrodes mechanically reinforced by inserting fabrics of CNTs into their bodies. Flexibility and stretchability of the electrodes were determined for various densities of CNT fabrics. The roles of CNTs in resisting electrical disconnection of gold electrodes from the mechanical stress were confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscope and optical microscope. The best mechanical stability was achieved at a density of CNT fabrics manufactured by 1.5 ml spraying. The concept of the mechanical reinforced metal electrode by CNT is the first trial for the high stretchable conductive materials, and can be applied as electrodes materials in various flexible and stretchable electronic devices such as transistor, diode, sensor and solar cell and so on.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 2016.11a
• /
• pp.183.1-183.1
• /
• 2016

Due to the latest research trend toward wearable energy devices, transparent and stretchable supercapacitors which can sustain their performance even under physical deformation have steadily attracted huge attention. Despite the Ag NW is the most promising candidate for fabrication of transparent and stretchable electronics, the electrochemical instability interrupts its application to development of the energy device. Here, we introduce a transparent and highly stretchable supercapacitor made by Au-Ag core shell NW network percolation electrode. The Au-Ag core shell NW synthesized by a simple solution process not only shows excellent electrical conductivity but also greatly enhanced chemical and electrochemical stability compare to pristine Ag NW. These outstanding properties of the Au-Ag core shell NW are attributed both to the core Ag NW and the Au protecting sheath layer. The proposed Au-Ag core shell NW based supercapacitor exhibits optical transmittance with outstanding mechanical stability withstanding 60% strain without any decrease of the performance. The supercapacitors connected in series are charged and discharged stable in 30% strain turning on a red LED. These notable results demonstrate the potential of the Au-Ag core shell NW as a strong candidate for development of wearable energy devices.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.335-339
• /
• 2023

Skin-compatible electronics have evolved to achieve both conformality and stretchability for stable contact with deformable biological skin. While existing research has largely concentrated on alternative materials, the potential of Parylene-based thin-film electrodes for stretchable on-skin applications remains relatively untapped. This study proposes an engineering strategy to achieve stretchability using the Parylene thin-film electrode. Unlike the conventional Parylene thin-film electrode, we introduce morphological adaptability via controlled microscale slits in the Parylene electrode structure. The slits-containing device enables unprecedented stretchability while maintaining critical electrical insulation properties during mechanical deformation. Finally, the demonstration on human skin shows the mechanical adaptability of these Parylene-based bioelectrodes while their electrical characteristics remain stable during various stretching conditions. Owing to the ultra-thinness of the Parylene coating, the wearable bioelectrode not only achieves stretchability but also conforms to the skin. Our findings broaden the practical use of Parylene thin-film bioelectrodes.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.49-54
• /
• 2020

To attach a stretchable/flexible electrode to something or something to on electrode, conductive adhesives must be stretchable/flexible to suit the properties of the electrode. In particular, conductive adhesive require durability and heat resistance, and unlike conventional adhesives, they should also have conductivity. To this end, Epoxy, which has good strength and adhesion, was selected as an adhesive, and a plasticizer and a reinforcement were mixed instead of a two-liquid material consisting of a conventional theme and a hardener, and a four-liquid material was used to give stretchability/flexibility to high molecules. The conductive filler was selected as silver, a material with low resistance, and for high conductivity, three shapes of Ag particles were used to increase packing density. Conductivity was compared with these developed conductive adhesives and two epoxy-based conductive adhesives being sold in practice, and about 10 times better conductivity results were obtained than products being actually sold. In addition, conductivity, mechanical properties, adhesion and strength were evaluated according to the presence of plasticizers and reinforcement agent. There was also no problem with 60% tensile after 5 minutes of curing at 120℃, and pencil hardness was excellently measured at 6H. As a result of checking the adhesion of electrodes through 3M tape test, all of them showed excellent results regardless of the mixing ratio of binders. After attaching the Cu sheet on top of the electrode through conductive adhesive, the contact resistance was checked and showed excellent performance with 0.3 Ω.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.20 no.12
• /
• pp.79-85
• /
• 2022

Recently, a smartphone manufactured on a flexible substrate has been released as an electronic device, and research on a stretchable electronic device is in progress. In this paper, a silicon-based stretchable material is made and used as a substrate to implement and evaluate an optical sensor device using oxide semiconductor. To this end, a substrate that stretches well at room temperature was made using a silicone-based solution rubber, and the elongation of 350% of the material was confirmed, and optical properties such as reflectivity, transmittance, and absorbance were measured. Next, since the surface of these materials is hydrophobic, oxygen-based plasma surface treatment was performed to clean the surface and change the surface to hydrophilicity. After depositing an AZO-based oxide film with vacuum equipment, an Ag electrode was formed using a cotton swab or a metal mast to complete the photosensor. The optoelectronic device analyzed the change in current according to the voltage when light was irradiated and when it was not, and the photocurrent caused by light was observed. In addition, the effect of the optical sensor according to the folding was additionally tested using a bending machine. In the future, we plan to intensively study folding (bending) and stretching optical devices by forming stretchable semiconductor materials and electrodes on stretchable substrates.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.35-40
• /
• 2022

In this study, the average particle size of silver powder was 2㎛, 7㎛, and a mixture of these (50:50wt%), three kinds of silver pastes were prepared. In addition, as a result of examining the viscosity and viscoelasticity of the three silver pastes, TGA measurement, resistance change according to strain, and change in surface structure of the electrode, the following conclusions were obtained. Summarizing these results, it was found that it is most desirable to have a particle size of about 2㎛ in order to minimize the change in resistance due to strain.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.181-184
• /
• 2021

Interest in healthcare and wearable devices has been increasing recently. A strain sensor is required in various wearable devices. With respect to such devices, studies on resistance changes in strain sensors using flexible materials are in progress. However, the resistance of the rest area in a strain sensor should not change according to the applied strain. So, an electrode with resistance to stretching, bending, and torsion is required in such strain sensors. Tension, bending, and torsion can be realized through structural shape control, rather than by using flexible materials. Further, such an electrode that maintains electrical properties has been developed and manufactured. This electrode can be used in various applications such as foldable devices, e-papers, batteries, and multifunctional wearable devices.