Stretchable Substrate Strain Control Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stretchable electronic devices face instability due to mismatched Young's modulus between substrates and electronic circuits or wirings, leading to physical damage and unstable operation under external forces.
Innovation Solution
A stretchable substrate with strain control patterns having a different Young's modulus than the substrate, arranged to manage strain distribution, formed by applying polymer materials like ETPTA or hydrogel on a stretchable support substrate and covered with a stretchable member, allowing for controlled stress distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If electrical wiring with low stretchability is formed on substrate with higher stretchability, then substrate can be extended, but electrical wiring cannot extend sufficiently and stress is exerted causing cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating strain control patterns with different Young's modulus values at different locations and orientations. These patterns have higher Young's modulus than the substrate and are strategically positioned to provide localized mechanical support to electrical wirings, allowing the substrate to stretch while preventing excessive strain on the wirings through the non-uniform distribution of mechanical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the stretchable substrate with strain control patterns made of materials having different mechanical properties (different Young's modulus). This composite structure allows the system to exhibit both the stretchability of the substrate and the structural support needed to protect electrical wirings from cracking during deformation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electronic circuits or wirings with different Young's modulus are formed on stretchable substrate, then substrate can deform under external force, but strain distribution becomes non-uniform causing physical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The strain control patterns are strategically positioned adjacent to or overlapping with electrical wirings to create localized zones of higher stiffness. This local quality modification ensures that stress is redistributed away from the wirings during substrate deformation, preventing stress concentration and physical damage while maintaining overall substrate deformability.
Solution Approach 2:
The strain control patterns act as intermediary elements between the stretchable substrate and the electrical wirings. These patterns mediate the mechanical stress transfer, absorbing and redistributing forces to prevent direct stress concentration on the wirings, thereby protecting them from damage during substrate deformation.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform material properties are used throughout substrate, then manufacturing is simplified, but strain distribution during deformation is non-uniform causing element damage
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using uniform material properties throughout the substrate, the patent introduces localized variations through strain control patterns with different Young's modulus values. These patterns are formed using standard photolithography and material deposition techniques, maintaining ease of manufacture while providing targeted mechanical support where needed to protect elements during deformation.
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 strain control patterns effectively distribute stress, reducing physical damage to elements and ensuring stable operation of electronic devices even under external forces by concentrating stress on the patterns and decreasing it as distance increases, thereby maintaining device functionality.
Implementation Method 1
strain control patterns having second Young's modulus and arranged on the substrate, in which strain due to an external force depends on arrangement of the strain control patterns
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a stretchable substrate including: a substrate having first Young's modulus and stretchability; and plurality of strain control patterns having second Young's modulus and arranged on the substrate, in which strain due to an external force depends on arrangement of the plurality of strain control patterns.