Stretchable Light-Emitting Device Using a Film/Elastomer Bilayer System with Electrodes Patterned by Printed Electronics Technique

Abstract

Stretchable light-emitting sources have attracted attention for various applications such as deformable displays and health care devices that can be attached on non-flat shapes such as the human body. One conventional method of making stretchable devices is by designing stretchable wavy structures by attaching thin functional films on pre-stretched elastomers. However, this method requires a special apparatus to stretch the elastomer because of which printed electronics cannot be applied for film coating and patterning. In this study, we proposed a method that utilizes a plastic deformation, stretchable wrinkle structure consisting of conductive polymer electrodes which are patterned using printed electronics technique. Here, we present the fabrication method and the experimental results of the proposed material. Using this method, stretchable comb-shape electrodes were patterned on an elastomer/electroluminescent powder composite, and a light-emitting device stretchable up to an equi-biaxial stretch = 1.4 was fabricated. Our method will help in the fabrication of stretchable light sources.