Deformable Electronics Interconnect with Suspended Curved Sections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flexible and stretchable circuit boards for portable electronic devices face challenges in accommodating strain without inducing significant stress, leading to potential delamination and mechanical failure, especially when used in devices that require repeated deformation like the Nokia 'Morph' concept phone.
Innovation Solution
An electrical interconnect with curved sections suspended over a deformable substrate via a support beam, allowing the interconnect to accommodate strain through the curved sections similar to a spring, reducing stress and the likelihood of delamination, and enabling the use of rigid conductors in stretchable circuit boards without straining other layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If flexible and stretchable circuit boards are used to accommodate substrate deformation, then the device can undergo operational deformation, but the electrical interconnect experiences significant stress leading to delamination and mechanical failure
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical interconnect incorporates curved sections instead of straight conductors. These curved sections act as strain-absorbing elements that can bend and deform elastically when the substrate undergoes operational deformation, thereby accommodating the substrate's shape changes while protecting the rigid conductor from excessive stress and preventing delamination and mechanical failure
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical interconnect changes its geometric parameters (curvature radius, arc angle) to accommodate substrate deformation. By designing specific curved geometries with optimized radius and angle parameters, the interconnect can absorb strain through elastic deformation of the curved sections while maintaining electrical connectivity and protecting against mechanical failure
2Manufacturing precision
If rigid conductors are used in stretchable circuit boards, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the conductors cannot accommodate strain without straining other layers
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid conductor is designed with curved sections that allow elastic deformation. The curved geometry enables the rigid material to accommodate substrate strain through bending of the curved paths rather than requiring the material itself to be flexible, thus maintaining manufacturing precision benefits of rigid conductors while gaining strain accommodation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical interconnect is segmented into different functional sections: rigid conductor portions for stable electrical connection and curved strain-absorbing portions for accommodating deformation. This segmentation allows the rigid conductor to maintain its manufacturing precision advantages while the curved sections provide the necessary adaptability to strain
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces strain within the electrical interconnect, minimizing the risk of delamination and mechanical failure, allowing for a broader range of applied strains and extended device lifetime by distributing operational stress evenly.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a deformable substrate, an electrical interconnect suitable for interconnecting one or more electronic components located on the deformable substrate to one another or to one or more electronic components located on another substrate, and a support beam configured to couple the electrical interconnect to the deformable substrate, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more curved sections and adjoining straight sections, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam via the adjoining straight sections such that the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation.