Stretchable electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247648-B2
Application number	US-201113193551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2011
Priority date	Jan 30, 2009
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A stretchable electronic device is disclosed. In one aspect, the device has a stretchable interconnection electrically connecting two electronic components. The stretchable interconnection includes an electrically conductive channel having a predetermined first geometry by which the channel is stretchable up to a given elastic limit and a first flexible supporting layer provided for supporting the electrically conductive channel and having a predetermined second geometry by which the first supporting layer is stretchable. The predetermined second geometry has a predetermined deviation from the predetermined first geometry chosen for restricting stretchability of the electrically conductive channel below its elastic limit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stretchable electronic device comprising:
a first stretchable interconnection electrically connecting two electronic components of the device, the first stretchable interconnection comprising:
a first electrically conductive channel having a predetermined first geometry by which the channel is stretchable up to a given elastic limit, wherein the first geometry includes a first meandering shape, and
a first patterned flexible supporting layer directly supporting the first electrically conductive channel and having a predetermined second geometry by which the first supporting layer is stretchable, wherein the second geometry includes a second meandering shape,

wherein the predetermined second geometry of the first flexible supporting layer has a first predetermined deviation from the predetermined first geometry of the first electrically conductive channel, the first predetermined deviation being chosen so as to restrict stretchability of the first electrically conductive channel below its elastic limit.

2. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a second stretchable interconnection comprising a second electrically conductive channel crossing the first electrically conductive channel, wherein the first flexible supporting layer is an electrically insulating layer providing an electrical insulation between the first electrically conductive channel and the second electrically conductive channel.

3. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the first electrically conductive channel is formed in a first conductor layer and wherein the second electrically conductive channel is formed partially in the first conductor layer and partially in a second conductor layer.

4. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 3 , further comprising vias through the first flexible supporting layer, the vias being configured to provide an electrical contact between the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer.

5. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the second electrically conductive channel has a predetermined third geometry by which the second electrically conductive channel is stretchable up to a given elastic limit, wherein the first flexible supporting layer is provided for supporting the second electrically conductive channel, wherein the first flexible supporting layer has a predetermined fourth geometry by which the first supporting layer is stretchable, wherein the predetermined fourth geometry has a second predetermined deviation from the predetermined third geometry of the second electrically conductive channel, the second predetermined deviation being chosen for restricting the stretchability of the second electrically conductive channel below its elastic limit.

6. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the second predetermined deviation takes the form of an increased width of at least part of the predetermined fourth geometry of the first flexible supporting layer compared to that of the predetermined third geometry of the second electrically conductive channel.

7. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the second predetermined deviation of the predetermined fourth geometry of the first flexible supporting layer is formed at stress sensitive parts of the second electrically conductive channel.

8. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 2 , wherein the third predetermined geometry of the second electrically conductive channel is a repeated third meandering shape being defined by a third angle with respect to a 0°-baseline, a third width and a third diameter and in that the fourth predetermined geometry of the first flexible supporting layer is a repeated fourth meandering shape being defined by a fourth angle with respect to a 0°-baseline, a fourth width and a fourth diameter, at least one of the fourth angle, width or diameter differing from respectively the third angle, width or diameter along at least a part of the second stretchable electronic interconnection.

9. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein at stress sensitive parts of the meandering shape of the second electrically conductive channel, the fourth width of the meandering shape of the first flexible supporting layer is larger than the third width of the meandering shape of the second electrically conductive channel.

10. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined deviation takes the form of an increased width of at least part of the predetermined second geometry of the first flexible supporting layer compared to that of the predetermined first geometry of the first electrically conductive channel.

11. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined deviation of the predetermined second geometry of the first flexible supporting layer is formed at stress sensitive parts of the first electrically conductive channel.

12. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first flexible supporting layer comprises a support part at an end of the first and/or stretchable interconnection for supporting at least one of the electronic components.

13. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stretchable electronic device comprises a layer of stretchable material in which the stretchable electronic device is embedded.

14. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrically conductive channel and/or the second electrically conductive channel comprises a first layer and a second layer, provided on top of the first layer, the first and the second layer being made of a different first and second electrically conductive material.

15. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stretchable interconnection comprises a second flexible supporting layer configured to support the first electrically conductive channel and/or the second electrically conductive channel at an opposite side compared to the first flexible supporting layer and having a predetermined fifth geometry by which the second supporting layer is stretchable.

16. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined geometry of the first electrically conductive channel is a repeated first meandering shape being defined by a first angle with respect to a 0°-baseline, a first width and a first diameter, and wherein the second predetermined geometry of the first flexible supporting layer is a repeated second meandering shape being defined by a second angle with respect to a 0°-baseline, a second width and a second diameter, at least one of the second angle, width or diameter differing from respectively the first angle, width or diameter along at least a part of the first stretchable electronic interconnection.

17. The stretchable electronic device according to claim 16 , wherein at stress sensitive parts of the meandering shape of the first electrically conductive channel, the second width of the meandering shape of the first flexible supporting layer is larger than the first width of the meandering shape of the first electrically conductive channel.

18. A stretchable electronic device comprising:
a stretchable interconnection electrically connecting two electronic components of the device, the stretchable interconnection comprising:
an electrical conductor having a plurality of first curvatures and elastically stretchabl

Assignees

• Vanfleteren Jan
• Bossuyt Frederick
• Axisa Fabrice
• Imec
• Univesiteit Gent

Inventors

• Vanfleteren Jan
• Bossuyt Frederick
• Axisa Fabrice

Classifications

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title

• H05K2201/0133

  Elastomeric or compliant polymer · CPC title

• H05K2203/016

  Temporary inorganic, non-metallic carrier, e.g. for processing or transferring · CPC title

• Y10T29/49169

  Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor · CPC title

• H05K2201/09263

  Meander · CPC title