Elastically stretchable insulation and bilevel metallization and its application in a stretchable RLC circuit

Abstract

Stretchable electronics need stretchable wiring membranes that are equivalent to printed wiring boards but with elastically stretchable insulators and multilevel metallization. We have developed technology for elastically stretchable two-level metallization on an elastomeric membrane. Two levels of conductors were separated by a photopatternable elastomeric dielectric and connected through via holes. They were evaluated at uniaxial tensile strains of up to 30% and then used to create an elastomeric resistor-inductor-capacitor (RLC) circuit, whose alternating-current (AC) response was measured at biaxial tensile strains of up to 6%. We describe the fabrication process, morphology, and electrical performance of the bilevel metallization and the RLC circuit. © 2011 TMS.