Transparent functional oxide stretchable electronics: Micro-tectonics enabled high strain electrodes

Philipp Gutruf; Charan M. Shah; Sumeet Walia; Hussein Nili; Ahmad S. Zoolfakar; Christian Karnutsch; Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh; Sharath Sriram; Madhu Bhaskaran

doi:10.1038/am.2013.41

Transparent functional oxide stretchable electronics: Micro-tectonics enabled high strain electrodes

Philipp Gutruf, Charan M. Shah, Sumeet Walia, Hussein Nili, Ahmad S. Zoolfakar, Christian Karnutsch, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, Sharath Sriram, Madhu Bhaskaran

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fully transparent and flexible electronic substrates that incorporate functional materials are the precursors to realising nextgeneration devices with sensing, self-powering and portable functionalities. Here, we demonstrate a universal process for transferring planar, transparent functional oxide thin films on to elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. This process overcomes the challenge of incorporating high-temperature-processed crystalline oxide materials with low-temperature organic substrates.The functionality of the process is demonstrated using indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films to realise fully transparent and flexible resistors. The ITO thin films on PDMS are shown to withstand uniaxial strains of 15%, enabled by microstructure tectonics. Furthermore, zinc oxide was transferred to display the versatility of this transfer process. Such a ubiquitous process for the transfer of functional thin films to elastomeric substrates will pave the way for touch sensing and energy harvesting for displays and electronics with flexible and transparent characteristics.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e62
Journal	NPG Asia Materials
Volume	5
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/am.2013.41
State	Published - Sep 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

ITO
PDMS
ZnO
flexible electronics
functional oxides
high-temperature oxides
transparent materials

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Modeling and Simulation
General Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics

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10.1038/am.2013.41

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title = "Transparent functional oxide stretchable electronics: Micro-tectonics enabled high strain electrodes",

abstract = "Fully transparent and flexible electronic substrates that incorporate functional materials are the precursors to realising nextgeneration devices with sensing, self-powering and portable functionalities. Here, we demonstrate a universal process for transferring planar, transparent functional oxide thin films on to elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. This process overcomes the challenge of incorporating high-temperature-processed crystalline oxide materials with low-temperature organic substrates.The functionality of the process is demonstrated using indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films to realise fully transparent and flexible resistors. The ITO thin films on PDMS are shown to withstand uniaxial strains of 15%, enabled by microstructure tectonics. Furthermore, zinc oxide was transferred to display the versatility of this transfer process. Such a ubiquitous process for the transfer of functional thin films to elastomeric substrates will pave the way for touch sensing and energy harvesting for displays and electronics with flexible and transparent characteristics.",

keywords = "ITO, PDMS, ZnO, flexible electronics, functional oxides, high-temperature oxides, transparent materials",

author = "Philipp Gutruf and Shah, {Charan M.} and Sumeet Walia and Hussein Nili and Zoolfakar, {Ahmad S.} and Christian Karnutsch and Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh and Sharath Sriram and Madhu Bhaskaran",

note = "Funding Information: PG acknowledges an Australian Government Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. SS and MB acknowledge Australian PostDoctoral Fellowships from the Australian Research Council through Discovery Projects DP110100262 and DP1092717, respectively. They acknowledge the facilities and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility at the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility at RMIT University.",

year = "2013",

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doi = "10.1038/am.2013.41",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "5",

journal = "NPG Asia Materials",

issn = "1884-4049",

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AU - Gutruf, Philipp

AU - Shah, Charan M.

AU - Walia, Sumeet

AU - Nili, Hussein

AU - Zoolfakar, Ahmad S.

AU - Karnutsch, Christian

AU - Kalantar-Zadeh, Kourosh

AU - Sriram, Sharath

AU - Bhaskaran, Madhu

N1 - Funding Information: PG acknowledges an Australian Government Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. SS and MB acknowledge Australian PostDoctoral Fellowships from the Australian Research Council through Discovery Projects DP110100262 and DP1092717, respectively. They acknowledge the facilities and technical assistance of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility at the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility at RMIT University.

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - Fully transparent and flexible electronic substrates that incorporate functional materials are the precursors to realising nextgeneration devices with sensing, self-powering and portable functionalities. Here, we demonstrate a universal process for transferring planar, transparent functional oxide thin films on to elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. This process overcomes the challenge of incorporating high-temperature-processed crystalline oxide materials with low-temperature organic substrates.The functionality of the process is demonstrated using indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films to realise fully transparent and flexible resistors. The ITO thin films on PDMS are shown to withstand uniaxial strains of 15%, enabled by microstructure tectonics. Furthermore, zinc oxide was transferred to display the versatility of this transfer process. Such a ubiquitous process for the transfer of functional thin films to elastomeric substrates will pave the way for touch sensing and energy harvesting for displays and electronics with flexible and transparent characteristics.

AB - Fully transparent and flexible electronic substrates that incorporate functional materials are the precursors to realising nextgeneration devices with sensing, self-powering and portable functionalities. Here, we demonstrate a universal process for transferring planar, transparent functional oxide thin films on to elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. This process overcomes the challenge of incorporating high-temperature-processed crystalline oxide materials with low-temperature organic substrates.The functionality of the process is demonstrated using indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films to realise fully transparent and flexible resistors. The ITO thin films on PDMS are shown to withstand uniaxial strains of 15%, enabled by microstructure tectonics. Furthermore, zinc oxide was transferred to display the versatility of this transfer process. Such a ubiquitous process for the transfer of functional thin films to elastomeric substrates will pave the way for touch sensing and energy harvesting for displays and electronics with flexible and transparent characteristics.

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KW - high-temperature oxides

KW - transparent materials

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Transparent functional oxide stretchable electronics: Micro-tectonics enabled high strain electrodes

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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