Self-Healing Wire for Stretchable Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current stretchable wires face limitations in achieving high conductivity and resistance to stretching, with conductive elastomer wires having low conductivity and metal wires being prone to fatigue failure and disconnection upon repeated stretching.
Innovation Solution
A self-healing wire structure is developed, where a metal wire is coated with a fluid containing conductive particles or metal ions, utilizing electric field trapping or electrolytic plating to heal cracks without the need for external heat, maintaining high conductivity and stretchability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conductive elastomer materials are used for stretchable wires, then the wire can be stretched, but the electric conductivity is low (about 10^1 S/m)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of a metal wire core (providing high conductivity) coated with a fluid layer containing conductive particles or metal ions (providing stretchability and self-healing capability). This composite structure combines the advantages of both materials to achieve high conductivity and stretchability simultaneously.
2Reliability
If metal wires are used for stretchable wires, then the electric conductivity is high, but the wire may be cracked by stretching and suffer fatigue failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a fluid coating layer containing conductive particles or metal ions around the metal wire core before stretching occurs. This pre-applied fluid layer acts as a cushion that can deform with the wire during stretching, preventing cracks in the metal core and enabling self-healing if cracks do occur.
3Ease of repair
If solder is used to heal cracks in metal wires, then the disconnection can be healed, but external heating to melting temperature is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a self-healing mechanism where the fluid coating containing conductive particles or metal ions automatically fills and heals cracks in the metal wire through electric field trapping or electrolytic plating, without requiring external heating or intervention. The system uses its own electrical properties to drive the healing process.
4Adaptability or versatility
If metal wires are formed into zig-zag shape to achieve stretchability, then the device does not disconnect upon stretching, but fatigue failure due to repeated stretching still occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a metal wire core with a fluid coating layer to create a composite structure. The metal core maintains high conductivity while the fluid layer provides flexibility and self-healing capability, preventing fatigue failure from repeated stretching that occurs in pure metal zig-zag structures.
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
The self-healing wire effectively bridges cracks in the metal wire, maintaining high conductivity and resistance to stretching, even after repeated deformation, without the need for external heating, thus addressing the limitations of existing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing electric field trapping or electrolytic plating to heal cracks without the need for external heat
Implementation Method 2
utilizing electric field trapping or electrolytic plating to heal cracks without the need for external heat
Data Source
AI summary
A self-healing wire includes, an electric wire arranged on a substrate, and a hybrid structure in which the electric wire is covered with at least one fluid selected from the group consisting of a fluid having conductive particles dispersed therein and a fluid having metal ions dissolved therein, formed on a healing portion for a crack to be generated in the electric wire. And a stretchable device includes the self-healing wire formed on a stretchable base material and an electric element mounted only on a base material higher in rigidity than the stretchable base material. Even when a crack is generated in the electric wire due to stretching of the substrate having flexibility, the crack is bridged by the conductive particles or a solid metal deposited from the metal ions in the fluid. Thus the self-healing wire and the stretchable device having both high conductivity and high stretchability are provided.