journal article·2009-06

Stretchable active-matrix organic light-emitting diode display using printable elastic conductors

Tsuyoshi Sekitani, Hiroyoshi Nakajima, Hiroki Maeda, Takanori Fukushima, Takuzo Aida, Kenji Hata, Takao Someya

Nature Materials· Volume 8· Issue 6
Publisher page

Abstract

Stretchability will significantly expand the applications scope of electronics, particularly for large-area electronic displays, sensors and actuators. Unlike for conventional devices, stretchable electronics can cover arbitrary surfaces and movable parts. However, a large hurdle is the manufacture of large-area highly stretchable electrical wirings with high conductivity. Here, we describe the manufacture of printable elastic conductors comprising single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) uniformly dispersed in a fluorinated rubber. Using an ionic liquid and jet-milling, we produce long and fine SWNT bundles that can form well-developed conducting networks in the rubber. Conductivity of more than 100 S cm(-1) and stretchability of more than 100% are obtained. Making full use of this extraordinary conductivity, we constructed a rubber-like stretchable active-matrix display comprising integrated printed elastic conductors, organic transistors and organic light-emitting diodes. The display could be stretched by 30-50% and spread over a hemisphere without any mechanical or electrical damage.
Source: europepmc · Quality: candidate unverified · Source record ↗

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · Conducting polymers and applications · Advanced Materials and Mechanics

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

References (36)

Show source-provided references
1. Khang, D. Y., Jiang, H. Q., Huang, Y. & Rogers, J. A. A stretchable form of single-crystal silicon for high-performance electronics on rubber substrates. Science 311, 208–212 (2006).10.1126/science.1121401 ↗
2. Sun, Y. G. et al. Controlled buckling of semiconductor nanoribbons for stretchable electronics. Nature Nanotech. 1, 201–207 (2006).10.1038/nnano.2006.131 ↗
3. Kim, D. H. et al. Stretchable and foldable silicon integrated circuits. Science 320, 507–511 (2008).10.1126/science.1154367 ↗
4. Kim, D. H. et al. Materials and noncoplanar mesh designs for integrated circuits with linear elastic responses to extreme mechanical deformations. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 105, 18675–18680 (2008).10.1073/pnas.0807476105 ↗
5. Ko, H. C. et al. A hemispherical electronic eye camera based on compressible silicon optoelectronics. Nature 454, 748–753 (2008).10.1038/nature07113 ↗
6. Lacour, S. P, Wagner, S., Huang, Z. Y. & Suo, Z. Stretchable gold conductors on elastomeric substrates. Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2404–2406 (2003).10.1063/1.1565683 ↗
7. Lacour, S. P., Jones, J., Wagner, S., Li, T. & Suo, Z. G. Stretchable interconnects for elastic electronic surfaces. Proc. IEEE 93, 1459–1467 (2005).10.1109/JPROC.2005.851502 ↗
8. Sekitani, T. et al. A rubberlike stretchable active matrix using elastic conductors. Science 321, 1468–1472 (2008).10.1126/science.1160309 ↗
9. Rogers, J. A. et al. Large-area rubber-stamped plastic sheets of electronics and microencapsulated electrophoretic inks. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 98, 4835–4840 (2001).10.1073/pnas.091588098 ↗
10. Gelinck, G. H. et al. Flexible active-matrix displays and shift registers based on solution-processed organic transistors. Nature Mater. 3, 106–110 (2004).10.1038/nmat1061 ↗
11. Andersson, P. et al. Active matrix displays based on all-organic electrochemical smart pixels printed on paper. Adv. Mater. 14, 1460–1464 (2002).10.1002/1521-4095(20021016)14:20<1460::AID-ADMA1460>3.0.CO;2-S ↗
12. Klauk, H., Gundlach, D. J., Nichols, J. A. & Jackson, T. N. Pentacene organic thin-film transistors for circuit and display applications. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 46, 1258–1263 (1999).
13. Zhou, L. S. et al. All-organic active matrix flexible display. Appl. Phys. Lett. 88, 083502 (2006).10.1063/1.2178213 ↗
14. Someya, T. et al. A large-area, flexible pressure sensor matrix with organic field-effect transistors for artificial skin applications. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 101, 9966–9970 (2004).10.1073/pnas.0401918101 ↗
15. Someya, T. et al. Conformable, flexible, large-area networks of pressure and thermal sensors with organic transistor active matrixes. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 102, 12321–12325 (2005).
16. Sekitani, T. et al. A large-area wireless power-transmission sheet using printed organic transistors and plastic MEMS switches. Nature Mater. 6, 413–417 (2007).10.1038/nmat1903 ↗
17. Kato, Y. et al. Sheet-type Braille displays by integrating organic field-effect transistors and polymeric actuators. IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 54, 202–209 (2007).10.1109/TED.2006.888678 ↗
18. Kim, K. S. et al. Large-scale pattern growth of graphene films for stretchable transparent electrodes. Nature 457, 706–710 (2009).10.1038/nature07719 ↗
19. Iijima, S. & Ichihashi, T. Single-shell carbon nanotube of 1-nm diameter. Nature 363, 603–605 (1993).10.1038/363603a0 ↗
20. Hata, K. et al. Water-assisted highly efficient synthesis of impurity-free single-walled carbon nanotubes. Science 306, 1362–1364 (2004).10.1126/science.1104962 ↗
21. Welton, T. Room-temperature ionic liquids. Solvents for synthesis and catalysis. Chem. Rev. 99, 2071–2083 (1999).10.1021/cr980032t ↗
22. Fukushima, T. et al. Molecular ordering of organic molten salts triggered by single-walled carbon nanotubes. Science 300, 2072–2074 (2003).10.1126/science.1082289 ↗
23. Fukushima, T. & Aida, T. Carbon nanotubes encounter ionic liquids to create new soft materials. Chem. Eur. J. 13, 5048–5058 (2007).10.1002/chem.200700554 ↗
24. Dimitrakopoulos, C. D. & Malenfant, P. R. L. Organic thin film transistors for large area electronics. Adv. Mater. 14, 99–117 (2002).10.1002/1521-4095(20020116)14:2<99::AID-ADMA99>3.0.CO;2-9 ↗
25. Garnier, F., Hajlaoui, R., Yassar, A. & Srivastava, P. All-polymer field-effect transistor realized by printing techniques. Science 265, 1684–1686 (1994).10.1126/science.265.5179.1684 ↗
26. Briseno, A. L. et al. Patterning organic single-crystal transistor arrays. Nature 444, 913–917 (2006).10.1038/nature05427 ↗
27. Klauk, H., Zschieschang, U., Pflaum, J. & Halik, M. Ultralow-power organic complementary circuits. Nature 445, 745–748 (2007).10.1038/nature05533 ↗
28. Friend, R. H. et al. Electroluminescence in conjugated polymers. Nature 397, 121–128 (1999).10.1038/16393 ↗
29. Park, C. et al. Dispersion of single wall carbon nanotubes by in situ polymerization under sonication. Chem. Phys. Lett. 364, 303–308 (2002).10.1016/S0009-2614(02)01326-X ↗
30. Spinks, G. M. et al. Carbon-nanotube-reinforced polyaniline fibers for high-strength artificial muscles. Adv. Mater. 18, 637–640 (2006).10.1002/adma.200502366 ↗
31. Shim, B. S. et al. Integration of conductivity, transparency, and mechanical strength into highly homogeneous layer-by-layer composites of single-walled carbon nanotubes for optoelectronics. Chem. Mater. 19, 5467–5474 (2007).10.1021/cm070442a ↗
32. Mukai, K. et al. Highly conductive sheets from millimetre-long single-walled carbon nanotubes and ionic liquids: Application to fast-moving, low-voltage electromechanical actuators operable in air. Adv. Mater. 21, 1582–1585 (2009).10.1002/adma.200802817 ↗
33. Lo, S. C. et al. Green phosphorescent dendrimer for light-emitting diodes. Adv. Mater. 14, 975–979 (2002).10.1002/1521-4095(20020705)14:13/14<975::AID-ADMA975>3.0.CO;2-D ↗
34. Park, J. U. et al. High-resolution electrohydrodynamic jet printing. Nature Mater. 6, 782–789 (2007).10.1038/nmat1974 ↗
35. Noh, Y. Y., Zhao, N., Caironi, M. & Sirringhaus, H. Downscaling of self-aligned, all-printed polymer thin-film transistors. Nature Nanotech. 2, 784–789 (2007).10.1038/nnano.2007.365 ↗
36. Sekitani, T. et al. Organic transistors manufactured using inkjet technology with subfemtoliter accuracy. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA. 105, 4976–4980 (2008).10.1073/pnas.0708340105 ↗