Facile Fabrication of Multilayer Stretchable Electronics via a Two-mode Mechanical Cutting Process

A time- and cost-effective fabrication methodology via a two-mode mechanical cutting process for multilayer stretchable electronics has been developed without using the conventional photolithography-based processes. A commercially available vinyl cutter is used for defining complex patterns on designated material layers by adjusting the applied force and the depth of the cutting blade. Two distinct modes of mechanical cutting can be achieved and employed to establish the basic fabrication procedures for common features in stretchable electronics, such as the metal interconnects, contact pads, and openings by the "tunnel cut" mode, and the flexible overall structure by the "through cut" mode. Three robust and resilient stretchable systems have been demonstrated, including a water-resistant, omnidirectionally stretchable supercapacitor array, a stretchable mesh applicable in sweat extraction and sensing, and a skin-mountable human breathing monitoring patch. Results show excellent electronic performances of these devices made of multilayer functional materials after repetitive large deformations.