Fabrication and characterization of low-sheet-resistance and stable stretchable electrodes employing metal and metal nanowire hybrid structure

Abstract Stretchable electrodes with high stretching capability and low sheet resistance were developed using a metal/silver nanowires (AgNWs)/metal hybrid structure on a poly-dimethylsiloxane substrate. A low sheet resistance around 100 mΩ square ⁻¹ was achieved using the hybrid structures of Ag/AgNWs/Ag and Cu/AgNWs/Cu electrodes. The stretching capability under single and multi-cycling strain conditions was greatly improved due the AgNWs in-between top and bottom metal electrodes. The random connection of AgNWs generates new current path over the various cracks and wavy structures of the metal electrodes, which improve the initial resistance, the stretching capability under single strain up to 16%, and the resistance stability under 100 times cycling strain for the electrodes. Using a simple resistor model, it was shown that the hybrid structure is effective to improve the stretching capability of the stretchable metal electrodes due to the random connection of AgNWs in-between the metal electrodes.