Wafer-scale design of lightweight and transparent electronics that wraps around hairs

Giovanni A. Salvatore (), Niko Münzenrieder, Thomas Kinkeldei, Luisa Petti, Christoph Zysset, Ivo Strebel, Lars Büthe and Gerhard Tröster
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Giovanni A. Salvatore: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Niko Münzenrieder: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Thomas Kinkeldei: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Luisa Petti: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Christoph Zysset: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Ivo Strebel: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Lars Büthe: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Gerhard Tröster: Electronics Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Electronics on very thin substrates have shown remarkable bendability, conformability and lightness, which are important attributes for biological tissues sensing, wearable or implantable devices. Here we propose a wafer-scale process scheme to realize ultra flexible, lightweight and transparent electronics on top of a 1-μm thick parylene film that is released from the carrier substrate after the dissolution in water of a polyvinyl– alcohol layer. The thin substrate ensures extreme flexibility, which is demonstrated by transistors that continue to work when wrapped around human hairs. In parallel, the use of amorphous oxide semiconductor and high-K dielectric enables the realization of analogue amplifiers operating at 12 V and above 1 MHz. Electronics can be transferred on any object, surface and on biological tissues like human skin and plant leaves. We foresee a potential application as smart contact lenses, covered with light, transparent and flexible devices, which could serve to monitor intraocular pressure for glaucoma disease.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3982

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