Flexible embedded interconnects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9822470-B2
Application number	US-201213714990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 14, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

Flexible electronically functional fibers are described that allow for the placement of electronic functionality in traditional fabrics. The fibers can be interwoven with natural fibers to produce electrically functional fabrics and devices that can retain their original appearance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flexible electrically functional fiber comprising:
a core portion;
a first conductive layer surrounding the core portion;
a dielectric layer surrounding and in direct contact with the first conductive layer;
a functional layer also surrounding and in direct contact with the first conductive layer and abutted to the dielectric layer, such that the dielectric layer and the functional layer occupy different locations along a longitudinal length of the fiber;
a second conductive layer surrounding the dielectric layer and the functional layer; and
an insulative layer surrounding the second conductive layer.

2. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises a low-K dielectric material selected from the group consisting of porous silicon dioxide, silicon dioxide doped with fluorine, silicon dioxide doped with carbon, hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), methyl silsesquioxane (MSQ), polyimide, polynorbornene, benzocyclobutene, PTFE, and cyclic carbosilane.

3. The functional fiber of claim 2 , wherein the functional layer comprises a low-K dielectric material selected from the group consisting of porous silicon dioxide, silicon dioxide doped with fluorine, silicon dioxide doped with carbon, hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ), methyl silsesquioxane (MSQ), polyimide, polynorbornene, benzocyclobutene, PTFE, and cyclic carbosilane, with one or more functional materials embedded within the low-K dielectric material.

4. The functional fiber of claim 2 , wherein the functional layer comprises a high-K dielectric material selected from the group consisting of hafnium oxide, hafnium silicon oxide, nitride hafnium silicate, lanthanum oxide, lanthanum aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, zirconium silicon oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, barium strontium titanium oxide, barium titanium oxide, strontium titanium oxide, yttrium oxide, aluminum oxide, lead scandium tantalum oxide, and lead zinc niobate.

5. The functional fiber of claim 2 , wherein the functional layer comprises a piezoelectric material selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), apatite, aluminum nitride, potassium sodium tartrate, lead zirconate titanate, zinc oxide composite, barium titanate, lithium tantalite, lanthanum gallium silicate, bismuth ferrite, lead scandium tantalate, and gallium phosphate.

6. The functional fiber of claim 2 , wherein the functional layer comprises a piezoluminescent material selected from the group consisting of an alkali halide, a ferroelectric polymer, and quartz.

7. The functional fiber of claim 2 , wherein the functional layer comprises at least one of a piezoelectric material and a piezoluminescent material and is configured such that a charge or current can be applied to the functional fiber to at least one of reset and reactivate the functional layer, providing for at least one of programming and un-programming of the functional fiber.

8. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer and the functional layer comprise the same dielectric material and the functional layer further includes a functional material.

9. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer and the functional layer comprise different dielectric materials.

10. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the core portion comprises at least one of a textile fiber, a liquid, and a gas.

11. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the core portion is at least partially hollow.

12. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers comprises at least one of tin-doped indium-oxide, aluminum-doped zinc-oxide (AZO), indium-doped cadmium-oxide, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), PEDOT with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), and poly(4,4-dioctylcyclopentadithiophene).

13. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers has a resistance of less than 10 −7 Ω·m.

14. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second conductive layers has a resistance of less than 10 −4 Ω·m.

15. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the insulative layer comprises at least one of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, PTFE, rayon, nylon, acrylic, polyester, and aramid.

16. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber includes a plurality of alternating first and second segments along the longitudinal length of the fiber, the first segments including the dielectric layer and the second segments including the functional layer.

17. The functional fiber of claim 16 , wherein the first segments are of the same length as the second segments.

18. The functional fiber of claim 16 , wherein the first segments are of different length from the second segments.

19. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein each of the first conductive layer, dielectric layer, functional layer, second conductive layer, and insulative layer is less than 1 μm in thickness.

20. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein each of the first conductive layer, dielectric layer, functional layer, second conductive layer, and insulative layer is less than 100 nm in thickness.

21. The functional fiber of claim 1 , wherein the functional fiber has an average diameter of less than 5 μm.

22. The functional fiber of claim 1 further comprising a textile fiber twisted therewith.

23. A device comprising:
a functional fiber configured as in claim 1 ; and
at least one of an input device, a power source, a memory cell, a communication channel, an interconnect, a capacitor, and an output device operably coupled with the functional fiber.

24. A twisted pair of functional fibers configured as in claim 1 .

25. A woven or non-woven fabric comprising a functional fiber configured as in claim 1 .

26. The fabric of claim 25 , wherein the fabric is configured as a touch interface configured to communicate with a computing device.

27. A garment comprising the fabric of claim 25 .

28. A crash test dummy comprising the fabric of claim 25 .

29. A woven or non-woven fabric comprising:
a first functional fiber configured as in claim 1 ; and
a second functional fiber configured as in claim 1 , wherein the first and second functional fibers are oriented substantially perpendicular to one another.

30. The fabric of claim 29 , wherein one of the first and second functional fibers is configured to carry at least one of current and a control signal.

31. The fabric of claim 29 , wherein the fabric is configured to output at least one of an electromagnetic signal and an optomagnetic signal to a computing device communicatively coupled with the fabric.

32. An electrically functional fiber comprising:
a fiber core portion; and
a plurality of layers surrounding the fiber core portion in a concentric arrangement, the plurality comprising:
a first conductive layer surrounding the fiber core portion;
a dielectric layer surrounding a first region of the first conductive layer along a length of the fiber;
a functional layer surrounding a second region of the first conductive layer along the length of the fiber, such that the dielectric layer and the functional layer occupy different locations along the length of the fiber and abut one another, wherein the functional layer comprises at

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Manipatruni Sasikanth
• Doyle Brian S
• Liff Shawna M
• Singh Vivek K

Classifications

• D10B2401/18

  including electronic components · CPC title

• B21C37/042

  Manufacture of coated wire or rods · CPC title

• D01D5/34

  Core-skin structure; Spinnerette packs therefor · CPC title

• D01D5/00

  Formation of filaments, threads, or the like · CPC title

• D10B2401/16

  antistatic; conductive · CPC title