Optimized Structural Designs for Stretchable Silicon Integrated Circuits

Materials and design strategies for stretchable silicon integrated circuits that use non‐coplanar mesh layouts and elastomeric substrates are presented. Detailed experimental and theoretical studies reveal many of the key underlying aspects of these systems. The results shpw, as an example, optimized mechanics and materials for circuits that exhibit maximum principal strains less than 0.2% even for applied strains of up to ≈90%. Simple circuits, including complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor inverters and n‐type metal–oxide–semiconductor differential amplifiers, validate these designs. The results suggest practical routes to high‐performance electronics with linear elastic responses to large strain deformations, suitable for diverse applications that are not readily addressed with conventional wafer‐based technologies. Experimental and theoretical investigations of materials and system designs for ultrathin single crystal silicon based stretchable electronics are presented (see image). Device geometries and encapsulation strategies with non‐coplanar serpentine mesh structures can provide extremely high (≈100%) levels of stretchability. Circuit demonstrations including CMOS inverters and NMOS differential amplifiers as well as mechanical modeling through FEM analysis illustrate the principles.