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“Cut-and-paste” method for the rapid prototyping of soft electronics

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Abstract

Unlike wafer-based rigid electronics, soft electronics have many unique advantages including thinness, flexibility, stretchability, conformability, lightweight, large area, as well as low cost. As a result, they have demonstrated many emerging capabilities in healthcare devices, soft robotics, and human-machine interface. Instead of conventional microfabrication, there is an evergrowing interest in the freeform or digital manufacture of soft electronics. This review provides a survey for a cost- and timeeffective subtractive manufacturing process called the “cut-and-paste” method. It employs a mechanical cutter plotter to form patterns on various electronically functional membranes such as sheets of metals, functional polymers, and even two-dimensional (2D) materials, supported by a temporary tape. The patterned membranes can then be pasted on soft substrates such as medical tapes or even human skin. This process is completely dry and desktop. It does not involve any rigid wafers and is hence capable of making large-area electronics. The process can be repeated to integrate multiple materials on a single substrate. Integrated circuits (ICs) and rigid components can be added through a “cut-solder-paste” process. Multilayer devices can also be fabricated through lamination. We therefore advocate that the “cut-and-paste” method is a very versatile approach for the rapid prototyping of soft electronics for various applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, USA

    XiangXing Yang, YiFu Huang, Jamie Barber & NanShu Lu

  2. Center for Mechanics of Solids, Structures and Materials, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, USA

    ZhaoHe Dai & NanShu Lu

  3. Stretch Med Inc., Austin, 78750, USA

    PuLin Wang

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, USA

    NanShu Lu

  5. Texas Materials Institute, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, USA

    NanShu Lu

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  1. XiangXing Yang
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Yang, X., Huang, Y., Dai, Z. et al. “Cut-and-paste” method for the rapid prototyping of soft electronics. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 62, 199–208 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-018-9400-9

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