| Electronics that can be stretched and/or conformal to curvilinear surfaces has recently attracted broad attention. Success of stretchable electronics depends on the availability of electronic materials and structures that can be highly stretched, compressed, bent, and twisted. One-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials are expected to aid the development of the stretchable electronic systems by improving performance, expanding integration possibilities, and potentially lowering cost, due to their superior mechanical/electronic/optical properties, high aspect ratios, and compatibility with bulk synthesis. This dissertation is primarily focused on the application of 1D nanomaterials, including silicon nanowires (SiNWs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver nanowires (AgNWs) for stretchable electronics.;The mechanical properties of SiNWs, grown by the vapor-liquid-solid process, were first studied with in situ tensile tests inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that the fracture strain increased from 2.7% to about 12% when the NW diameter decreased from 60 to 15 nm. The Young’s modulus decreased while the fracture strength increased up to 12.2 GPa, as the nanowire diameter decreased. The fracture strength also increased with the decrease of the side surface area. Repeated loading and unloading during tensile tests demonstrated that the nanowires are linear elastic until fracture without appreciable plasticity. Then, SiNW coils were fabricated on elastomeric substrates by a controlled buckling process. SiNWs were first transferred onto prestrained and ultraviolet/ozone (UVO)-treated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates and buckled upon release of the prestrain. Two buckling modes (the in-plane wavy mode and the three-dimensional coiled mode) were found; a transition between them was achieved by controlling the UVO treatment of PDMS. Structural characterization revealed that the NW coils were oval-shaped. The oval-shaped NW coils exhibited very large stretchability up to the failure strain of PDMS (∼104% in our study). Such a large stretchability relies on the effectiveness of the coil shape in mitigating the maximum local strain, with a mechanics that is similar to the motion of a coil spring. Single NW devices based on coiled NWs were demonstrated with a nearly constant electrical response in a large strain range. In addition to the wavy shape, the coil shape represents an effective architecture in accommodating large tension, compression, bending, and twist, which may find important applications for stretchable electronics and other stretchable technologies.;For CNTs, wavy CNT ribbons coated with a thin layer of Au/Pd film were fabricated on PDMS substrates through mechanical buckling. Covered with a top layer of PDMS, the wavy CNT ribbons are able to accommodate large stretching (up to 100%) with little change in resistance. Significantly, a new manufacturing strategy for buckling of aligned CNTs was developed, which does not involve prestretching the substrate but relies on the interface interaction between the CNTs and the substrate. More specifically, upon stretching the substrate the CNTs slide on the substrate, but upon releasing the CNTs buckle. Following this manufacturing strategy, stretchable conductors based on aligned CNTs were demonstrated.;At last, a highly conductive and stretchable conductor with AgNWs embedded just below the surface of PDMS was fabricated. Stable conductivity of 5,285 S cm-1 was achieved in a large range of tensile strain (0-50%) after a few cycles of stretching/releasing of the substrate. This stable electric response is due to buckling of the AgNW/PDMS thin layer, which is attributed to irreversible sliding of the AgNWs in the PDMS matrix. AgNWs can be printed to fabricate patterned stretchable conductors with feature size as small as 50 µm. Furthermore, a stretchable light emitting diode (LED) circuit and a capacitive strain sensor were demonstrated using the AgNW-based stretchable conductors as interconnects or electrodes. |
