Suspended Wire Circuit for Flexible Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible electronic products face structural strength issues when subjected to bending or pulling, leading to potential damage of circuits on flexible substrates, which compromises their reliability.
Innovation Solution
A circuit structure is designed with a flexible substrate, pads, and wires where each wire has a first end, a second end, and an intermediate segment, with the intermediate segment suspended over the substrate, allowing 3-D freedom of movement and enhancing the circuit's ability to withstand horizontal and vertical deformations by connecting pads in series.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If circuits are fabricated on a flexible substrate to enable bending and pulling effects, then the product achieves light-thin-short-small appearance and flexibility, but the circuit structure strength is insufficient and the circuit may suffer damage under stress
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit wire is divided into multiple segments: fixed first end, fixed second end, and intermediate segment(s) that can move freely. This segmentation allows the circuit to maintain electrical connectivity while accommodating deformation through relative movement of segments, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate segment of the wire is positioned at a distance from the flexible substrate, creating a three-dimensional structure. This vertical dimension allows the wire to absorb stress through vertical displacement rather than horizontal stretching, maintaining circuit integrity while enabling substrate flexibility.
2Ease of manufacture
If the circuit wire is fixed closely to the flexible substrate, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the circuit cannot withstand horizontal and vertical deformations effectively
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the intermediate segment at a vertical distance from the substrate surface, the design introduces a third dimension to the otherwise planar circuit layout. This 3D configuration enables the wire to accommodate both horizontal and vertical deformations while maintaining manufacturability through standard wire bonding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate segment is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing dynamic adjustment during deformation. This dynamic capability enables the circuit to adapt to various deformation scenarios while maintaining reliable electrical connection, improving both reliability and deformation resistance.
3Strength
If traditional rigid substrate is used, then the circuit structure strength is sufficient, but the product cannot achieve flexible electronic product requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit wire is segmented into fixed ends and movable intermediate segments, creating a hybrid structure that combines the strength of fixed connections with the flexibility of movable segments. This allows the circuit to maintain structural integrity while adapting to flexible substrate deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit design incorporates dynamic intermediate segments that can move relative to the substrate, transforming the static rigid circuit into a dynamic flexible circuit. This dynamic capability enables the circuit to maintain electrical connectivity under various deformation conditions while preserving structural strength through fixed endpoint connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit structure and a fabrication method thereof manly use a plurality of wires to connect in series a plurality of pads to form a stretchable circuit. Each of the wires has a first end, a second end and an intermediate segment located between the first end and the second end, wherein the first end and the second end are respectively connected to different pads, and the position of the intermediate segment is higher than the positions of the first end and the second end. Since the connection manner of the wires and the pads has 3-D freedoms, the circuit structure can withstand both horizontal and vertical deformations and has an outstanding reliability.