Skin-Adherable Electronic Device With Porous Flexible Patch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skin sensors with polymer substrates have poor air permeability, causing skin irritation and inflammation due to blocked pores, and low adhesive strength due to mismatched elastic moduli with skin, leading to inefficient long-term adhesion and re-adhesion issues.
Innovation Solution
A skin-adherable electronic device with a semiconductor circuit unit integrated onto a flexible patch featuring through-holes for high air permeability and strong adhesiveness, where the flexible patch is bonded to the circuit unit using a sacrificial layer and etching process, allowing for efficient skin attachment without obstructing skin functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a polymer substrate (PI or PET) is used for skin sensors, then the structural integrity and ease of manufacture are improved, but air permeability deteriorates, blocking skin pores and causing inflammation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by forming an insulating layer with through-holes that correspond to the through-holes in the flexible patch. This allows air and moisture to pass through the substrate, maintaining skin breathability while providing structural support for the semiconductor circuit unit. The porous structure resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and air permeability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a polymer substrate with elastic modulus 1000 times higher than skin is used, then structural stability is improved, but adhesive strength deteriorates, failing to adhere to skin for long term
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating regions of different mechanical properties within the substrate. The flexible patch provides structural stability, while the insulating layer with through-holes creates compliant regions that can deform with skin movement. This local variation in quality allows the substrate to maintain overall stability while adapting locally to skin dynamics, improving adhesive strength.
3Strength
If chemical adhesive is added for strong adhesion between skin sensor and skin, then adhesive strength is improved, but skin inflammation worsens due to blocked pores
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses porous materials with through-holes that extend through the flexible patch and insulating layer, allowing chemical adhesives to be applied while maintaining skin breathability. The porous structure enables the adhesive to bond strongly to skin while air and moisture can still pass through the openings, preventing inflammation caused by blocked pores.
4Strength
If micro structure (octopus suckers or gecko feet) is created on elastomer surface, then adhesive strength is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the adhesive function into two parts: the flexible patch provides mechanical compliance and the insulating layer with through-holes provides the adhesive interface. This segmentation simplifies the overall device complexity compared to creating complex micro structures like octopus suckers or gecko feet, while still achieving strong adhesion through the compliant substrate design.
Data Source
AI summary
Exemplary embodiments relate to a skin-adherable electronic device including a semiconductor circuit unit including a circuit element including an electrode and an interconnect, and a semiconductor device including an insulating layer and an active layer; and a flexible patch that can adhere to skin and including a plurality of through-holes, wherein the insulating layer includes a plurality of through-holes corresponding to the plurality of through-holes of the flexible patch, and a method of manufacturing the same. When the active layer is made of a piezoelectric material, the electronic device may be used as a skin sensor that can acquire skin deformation and/or elasticity information.