Hyperelastic binder for printed, stretchable electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143081-B2
Application number	US-201715820284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2017
Priority date	Nov 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are compositions, devices, systems and fabrication methods for stretchable composite materials and stretchable electronics devices. In some aspects, an elastic composite material for a stretchable electronics device includes a first material having a particular electrical, mechanical or optical property; and a multi-block copolymer configured to form a hyperelastic binder that creates contact between the first material and the multi-block copolymer, in which the elastic composite material is structured to stretch at least 500% in at least one direction of the material and to exhibit the particular electrical, mechanical or optical property imparted from the first material. In some aspects, the stretchable electronics device includes a stretchable battery, biofuel cell, sensor, supercapacitor or other device able to be mounted to skin, clothing or other surface of a user or object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stretchable battery, comprising:
a stretchable substrate including an elastic and electrically insulative material structured to conform to an outer surface of an object;
a current conductor layer attached to the stretchable substrate, wherein the current conductor layer includes a first elastic composite material comprising a first electrical conductor and a multi-block copolymer configured to form a first hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the first electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer;
an anode attached to the current conductor layer and arranged over the stretchable substrate, wherein the anode includes a second elastic composite material comprising a second electrical conductor and the multi-block copolymer configured to form a second hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the second electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer; and
a cathode arranged over the stretchable substrate, wherein the cathode includes a third elastic composite material comprising a third electrical conductor and the multi-block copolymer configured to form a third hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the third electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer,
wherein the stretchable battery is operable to store energy while undergoing stretching.

2. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the current conductor layer, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 500% in at least one direction and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity.

3. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the current conductor layer, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 1000% in at least one direction and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity.

4. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the current conductor layer, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 500% in at least two directions and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity, and the at least two directions are perpendicular.

5. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the multi-block copolymer of the elastic composite material includes polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene (SIS).

6. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical conductor of the current collector layer includes carbon black, the second electrical conductor of the anode includes zinc, and the third electrical conductor of the cathode includes silver oxide.

7. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the % wt of at least one of the first, second or third electrical conductors is at least 60% and the % wt of the block copolymer is at most 40%.

8. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode are stacked vertically over the stretchable substrate, the stretchable battery further comprising:
an electrolyte material arranged in between the anode and the cathode; and
a second current collector layer attached to the cathode on a side opposite the electrolyte.

9. The stretchable battery of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the current collector layer and a second electrical contact electrically coupled to the second current collector layer.

10. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protective sheet over at least a portion of the stretchable battery.

11. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode and the cathode are spaced horizontally over the stretchable substrate, the stretchable battery further comprising:
an electrolyte material arranged in between the anode and the cathode,
wherein the current collector layer includes two separate portions including a first portion attached to the anode and a second portion attached to the cathode on a side opposite the electrolyte.

12. The stretchable battery of claim 1 , further comprising: a first electrical contact electrically coupled to the current collector layer and a second electrical contact electrically coupled to the second current collector layer.

13. A stretchable battery, comprising:
a stretchable substrate including an elastic and electrically insulative material structured to conform to an outer surface of an object;
a first electrical interconnection structure and a second electrical interconnection structure each attached to the stretchable substrate and having a periodic curved horseshoe geometry configured to connect unit cell regions positioned on the electrical interconnection structure, wherein the first and the second interconnection structures include a first elastic composite material comprising a first electrical conductor and a multi-block copolymer configured to form a first hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the first electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer;
a plurality of current conductor components attached to the electrical interconnection structure at the unit cell regions, wherein the current conductor layer includes a second elastic composite material comprising a second electrical conductor and a multi-block copolymer configured to form a second hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the second electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer;
a plurality of anodes attached to the current conductor component over the unit cell regions of the first electrical interconnection structure, wherein the anodes include a third elastic composite material comprising a third electrical conductor and the multi-block copolymer configured to form a third hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the third electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer; and
a plurality of cathodes attached to the current conductor component over the unit cell regions of the second electrical interconnection structure, wherein the cathodes include a fourth elastic composite material comprising a fourth electrical conductor and the multi-block copolymer configured to form a fourth hyperelastic binder that creates contacts between particles of the fourth electrical conductor within a network formed by the multi-block copolymer,
wherein the stretchable battery is operable to store energy while undergoing stretching.

14. The stretchable battery of claim 13 , wherein the first and second electrical interconnection structures, the current conductor component, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 500% in at least one direction and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity.

15. The stretchable battery of claim 13 , wherein the first and second electrical interconnection structures, the current conductor component, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 1000% in at least one direction and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity.

16. The stretchable battery of claim 13 , wherein the first and second electrical interconnection structures, the current conductor component, the anode and the cathode are structured to stretch at least 500% in at least two directions and concurrently exhibit electrical conductivity, and the at least two directions are perpendicular.

17. The stretchable battery of claim 13 , wherein the multi-block copolymer of the elastic composite material includes polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene (SIS).

18. The stretchable battery of claim 13 , wherein the first electrical conductor of the electrical interconnec

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Wang Joseph
• Kumar Rajan
• Meng Ying Shirley
• Shin Jae Wook
• Yin Lu

Classifications

• H05K1/0283 Primary

  Stretchable printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K2201/0133

  Elastomeric or compliant polymer · CPC title

• A61B2562/164

  the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier · CPC title

• H05K3/326

  the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits (H05K3/365 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08F297/046

  polymerising vinyl aromatic monomers and isoprene, optionally with other conjugated dienes · CPC title