Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Imperceptible organic electronics

  • Stretchable and Ultraflexible Organic Electronics
  • Published:
MRS Bulletin Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A wide range of materials and material combinations, from hard and brittle to soft and elastic, is now available for the design of ultraflexible organic electronic circuits. Potential applications range from large-area active-matrix sensor arrays to displays, usable in next-generation smart appliances for mobile health, sports, and well-being. Weight and flexibility dominate the mechanical response and perception of such electronic skins, and have been developed into key figures of merit in circuit design. We review the design of thin (0.3–3 µm), ultralight (0.7–6 g/m2) large-area “imperceptible” electronic foils employing low-cost fabrication techniques compatible with mass production.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S. Wagner, S. Bauer, MRS Bull. 37 (3), 207 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  2. D.H. Kim, N. Lu, R. Ma, Y.S. Kim, R.H. Kim, S. Wang, J. Wu, S.M. Won, H. Tao, A. Islam, K.J. Yu, Science 333 (6044), 838 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  3. S.W. Hwang, H. Tao, D.H. Kim, H. Cheng, J.K. Song, E. Rill, M.A. Brenckle, B. Panilaitis, S.M. Won, Y.S. Kim, Y.M. Song, Science 337 (6102), 1640 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  4. M. Kaltenbrunner, T. Sekitani, J. Reeder, T. Yokota, K. Kuribara, T. Tokuhara, M. Drack, R. Schwödiauer, I. Graz, S. Bauer-Gogonea, S. Bauer, Nature 499 (7459), 458 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Z. Suo, E.Y. Ma, H. Gleskova, S. Wagner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 (8), 1177 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  6. P.K. Weimer, Proc. IRE 50 (6), 1462 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  7. T.P. Brody, D.J. Page, Electronics 41, 100 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  8. T.P. Brody, IEEE Trans. Electron Devices 31 (11), 1614 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  9. K.A. Ray, IEEE Trans. Aerosp. Electron. Syst. 3, 107 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  10. E.Y. Ma, S. Wagner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 74, 2661 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  11. T. Sekitani, S. Iba, Y. Kato, Y. Noguchi, T. Someya, T. Sakurai, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87 (17), 173502 (2005).

    Google Scholar 

  12. D.H. Kim, J.H. Ahn, W.M. Choi, H.S. Kim, T.H. Kim, J. Song, Y.Y. Huang, Z. Liu, C. Lu, J.A. Rogers, Science 320 (5875), 507 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  13. T. Sekitani, U. Zschieschang, H. Klauk, T. Someya, Nat. Mater. 9, 1015 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  14. M. Kaltenbrunner, M.S. White, E.D. Glowacki, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, N.S. Sariciftci, S. Bauer, Nat. Commun. 3, 770 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  15. M. Drack, I. Graz, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, M. Kaltenbrunner, S. Bauer, Adv. Mater. 27, 34 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  16. D.Y. Khang, H.Q. Jiang, Y. Huang, J.A. Rogers, Science 311, 208 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  17. J.A. Rogers, M.G. Lagally, R.G. Nuzzo, Nature 477, 45 (2011).

    Google Scholar 

  18. H.C. Ko, M.P. Stoykovich, J. Song, V. Malyarchuk, W.M. Choi, C.-J. Yu, J.B. Geddes III, J. Xiao, S. Wang, Y. Huang, J.A. Rogers, Nature 454, 748 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  19. D.-H. Kim, R. Ghaffari, N. Lu, J.A. Rogers, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng. 14, 113 (2012).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. D.-H. Kim, N. Lu, Y. Huang, J.A. Rogers, MRS Bull. 37, 226 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  21. G.A. Salvatore, N. Münzenrieder, T. Kinkeldei, L. Petti, C. Zysset, I. Strebel, L. Büthe, G. Tröster, Nat. Commun. 5, 2982 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  22. N. Münzenrieder, G. Cantarella, C. Vogt, L. Petti, L. Büthe, G.A. Salvatore, Y. Fang, R. Andri, Y. Lam, R. Libanori, D. Widner, Adv. Electron. Mater. 1 (3), 2199–160x (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  23. D. Karnaushenko, N. Münzenrieder, D.D. Karnaushenko, B. Koch, A.K. Meyer, S. Baunack, L. Petti, G. Tröster, D. Makarov, O.G. Schmidt, Adv. Mater. 27 (43), 6797 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  24. L. Petti, N. Münzenrieder, C. Vogt, H. Faber, L. Büthe, G. Cantarella, F. Bottacchi, T.D. Anthopoulos, G. Tröster, Appl. Phys. Rev. 3, 021303 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  25. M.K. Choi, J. Yang, K. Kang, D.C. Kim, C. Choi, C. Park, S.J. Kim, S.I. Chae, T.H. Kim, J.H. Kim, T. Hyeon, Nat. Commun. 6, 7149 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  26. H. Lee, Y. Lee, C. Song, H.R. Cho, R. Ghaffari, T.K. Choi, K.H. Kim, Y.B. Lee, D. Ling, H. Lee, S.J. Yu, Nat. Commun. 6, 10059 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  27. J. Kim, D. Son, M. Lee, C. Song, J.K. Song, J.H. Koo, D.J. Lee, H.J. Shim, J.H. Kim, M. Lee, T. Hyeon, Sci. Adv. 2 (1), e1501101 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  28. H. Lee, T.K. Choi, Y.B. Lee, H.R. Cho, R. Ghaffari, L. Wang, H.J. Choi, T.D. Chung, N. Lu, T. Hyeon, S.H. Choi, Nat. Nanotechnol. 11, 566 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  29. T. Georgiou, R. Jalil, B.D. Belle, L. Britnell, R.V. Gorbachev, S.V. Morozov, Y.J. Kim, A. Gholinia, S.J. Haigh, O. Makarovsky, L. Eaves, Nat. Nanotechnol. 8 (2), 100 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  30. J.A. Rogers, T. Someya, Y. Huang, Science 327, 1603 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  31. E. Cerda, L. Mahadevan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 (7), 074302 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  32. N. Bowden, S. Brittain, A.G. Evans, J.W. Hutchinson, G.M. Whitesides, Nature 393 (6681), 146 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  33. S.P. Lacour, S. Wagner, Z.Y. Huang, Z. Suo, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2404 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  34. J. Zang, S. Ryu, N. Pugno, Q. Wang, Q. Tu, M.J. Buehler, X. Zhao, Nat. Mater. 12 (4), 321 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  35. C. Cao, H.F. Chan, J. Zang, K.W. Leong, X. Zhao, Adv. Mater. 26 (11), 1763 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  36. M.L. Hammock, A. Chortos, B.C.K. Tee, J.B.H. Tok, Z. Bao, Adv. Mater. 25, 5997 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  37. S. Bauer, S. Bauer-Gogonea, I. Graz, M. Kaltenbrunner, C. Keplinger, R. Schwödiauer, Adv. Mater. 26, 149 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  38. M. Kaltenbrunner, G. Adam, E.D. Głowacki, M. Drack, R. Schwödiauer, L. Leonat, D.H. Apaydin, H. Groiss, M.C. Scharber, M. Schuette White, N.S. Sariciftci, S. Bauer, Nat. Mater. 14, 1032 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  39. M.S. White, M. Kaltenbrunner, E.D. Głowacki, K. Gutnichenko, G. Kettlgruber, I. Graz, S. Aazou, C. Ulbricht, D.A.M. Egbe, M.C. Miron, Z. Major, M.C. Scharber, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, S. Bauer, N.S. Sariciftci, Nat. Photonics 7, 811 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  40. M. Melzer, M. Kaltenbrunner, D. Makarov, D. Karnaushenko, D. Karnaushenko, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, O.G. Schmidt, Nat. Commun. 6, 6080 (2015).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. M. Melzer, J.I. Mönch, D. Makarov, Y. Zabila, G.S.C. Bermúdez, D. Karnaushenko, S. Baunack, F. Bahr, C. Yan, M. Kaltenbrunner, O.G. Schmidt, Adv. Mater. 27, 1274 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  42. N. Münzenrieder, D. Karnaushenko, L. Petti, G. Cantarella, C. Vogt, L. Büthe, D.D. Karnaushenko, O.G. Schmidt, D. Makarov, G. Tröster, Adv. Electron. Mater. 2 (8), (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  43. D. Makarov, M. Melzer, D. Karnaushenko, O.G. Schmidt, Appl. Phys. Rev. 3 (1), 011101 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  44. R. Moser, G. Kettlgruber, C.M. Siket, M. Drack, I.M. Graz, U. Cakmak, Z. Major, M. Kaltenbrunner, S. Bauer, Adv. Sci. 3, 1500396 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  45. T. Ware, D. Simon, D.E. Arreaga-Salas, J. Reeder, R. Rennaker, E.W. Keefer, W. Voit, Adv. Funct. Mater. 22 (16), 3470 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  46. J. Reeder, M. Kaltenbrunner, T. Ware, D. Arreaga-Salas, A. Avendano-Bolivar, T. Yokota, Y. Inoue, M. Sekino, W. Voit, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, Adv. Mater. 26, 4967 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  47. A. Chortos, J. Liu, Z. Bao, Nat. Mater. 15, 937 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  48. J. Liu, T.M. Fu, Z. Cheng, G. Hong, T. Zhou, L. Jin, M. Duvvuri, Z. Jiang, P. Kruskal, C. Xie, Z. Suo, J. Fang, C.M. Lieber, Nat. Nanotechnol. 10, 629 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  49. I.R. Minev, P. Musienko, A. Hirsch, Q. Barraud, N. Wenger, E.M. Moraud, J. Gandar, M. Capogrosso, T. Milekovic, L. Asboth, R.F. Torres, N. Vachicouras, Q. Liu, N. Pavlova, S. Duis, A. Larmagnac, J. Vörös, S. Micera, Z. Suo, G. Courtine, S.P. Lacour, Science 347, 159 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  50. B.C.K. Tee, A. Chortos, A. Berndt, A.K. Nguyen, A. Tom, A. McGuire, Z.C. Lin, K. Tien, W.-G. Bae, H. Wang, P. Mei, H.-H. Chou, B. Cui, K. Deisseroth, T.N. Ng, Z. Bao, Science 350, 313 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  51. J.W. Jeong, J.G. McCall, G. Shin, Y. Zhang, R. Al-Hasani, M. Kim, S. Li, J.Y. Sim, K.I. Jang, Y. Shi, D.Y. Hong, Y. Liu, G.P. Schmitz, L. Xia, Z. He, P. Gamble, W.Z. Ray, Y. Huang, M.R. Bruchas, J.A. Rogers, Cell 162, 662 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  52. S.I. Park, D.S. Brenner, G. Shin, C.D. Morgan, B.A. Copits, H.U. Chung, M.Y. Pullen, K.N. Noh, S. Davidson, S.J. Oh, J. Yoon, K.-I. Jang, V.K. Samineni, M. Norman, J.G. Grajales-Reyes, S.K. Vogt, S.S. Sundaram, K.M. Wilson, J.S. Ha, R. Xu, T. Pan, T. Kim, Y. Huang, M.C. Montana, J.P. Golden, M.R. Bruchas, R.W. Gereau, J.A. Rogers, Nat. Biotechnol. 33, 1280 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  53. D. Khodagholy, T. Doublet, P. Quilichini, M. Gurfinkel, P. Leleux, A. Ghestem, E. Ismailova, T. Hervé, S. Sanaur, C. Bernard, G.G. Malliaras, Nat. Commun. 4, 1575 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  54. G. Schwartz, B.C.-K. Tee, J. Mei, A.L. Appleton, D.H. Kim, H. Wang, Z. Bao, Nat. Commun. 4, 1859 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  55. T. Yokota, Y. Inoue, Y. Terakawa, J. Reeder, M. Kaltenbrunner, T. Ware, K. Yang, K. Mabuchi, T. Murakawa, M. Sekino, W. Voit, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112 (47), 14533 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  56. S. Lee, A. Reuveny, J. Reeder, S. Lee, H. Jin, Q. Liu, T. Yokota, T. Sekitani, T. Isoyama, Y. Abe, Z. Suo, Nat. Nanotechnol. 11, 472 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  57. T. Yokota, P. Zalar, M. Kaltenbrunner, H. Jinno, N. Matsuhisa, H. Kitanosako, Y. Tachibana, W. Yukita, M. Koizumi, T. Someya, Sci. Adv. 2 (4), e1501856 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  58. A. Reuveny, S. Lee, T. Yokota, H. Fuketa, C.M. Siket, S. Lee, T. Sekitani, T. Sakurai, S. Bauer, T. Someya, Adv. Mater. 28, 3298 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  59. W. Lee, D. Kim, J. Rivnay, N. Matsuhisa, T. Lonjaret, T. Yokota, H. Yawo, M. Sekino, G.G. Malliaras, T. Someya, Adv. Mater. 28, 9869 (2016).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. T. Sekitani, T. Yokota, K. Kuribara, M. Kaltenbrunner, T. Fukushima, Y. Inoue, M. Sekino, T. Isoyama, Y. Abe, H. Onodera, T. Someya, Nat. Commun. 7 (2016).

  61. S. Lee, Y. Inoue, D. Kim, A. Reuveny, K. Kuribara, T. Yokota, J. Reeder, M. Sekino, T. Sekitani, Y. Abe, T. Someya, Nat. Commun. 5, 5898 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  62. A. Reuveny, T. Yokota, R. Shidachi, T. Sekitani, T. Someya, Org. Electron. 26, 279 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  63. R.A. Nawrocki, N. Matsuhisa, T. Yokota, T. Someya, Adv. Electron. Mater. 2, 1500452 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  64. S.H. Ko, H. Pan, C.P. Grigoropoulos, J.M. Fréchet, C.K. Luscombe, D. Poulikakos, Appl. Phys. A 92 (3), 579 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  65. S.J. Benight, C. Wang, J.B.H. Tok, Z. Bao, Prog. Polym. Sci. 38, 1961 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  66. A.D. Printz, D.J. Lipomi, Appl. Phys. Rev. 3 (2), 021302 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  67. K. Cherenack, L. van Pieterson, J. Appl. Phys. 112, 091301 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  68. A. Chortos, Z. Bao, Mater. Today 17, 321 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  69. Y. Takeda, Y. Yoshimura, R. Shiwaku, L.T. Tran, T. Sekine, M. Mizukami D. Kumaki, S. Tokito, K. Fukuda, Nat. Commun. 5, 1 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  70. D. Khodagholy, J. Rivnay, M. Sessolo, M. Gurfinkel, P. Leleux, L.H. Jimison E. Stavrinidou, T. Herve, S. Sanaur, R.M. Owens, G.G. Malliaras, Nat. Commun. 4, 2133 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  71. D. Khodagholy, J.N. Gelinas, T. Thesen, W. Doyle, O. Devinsky, G.G. Malliaras, G. Buzsáki, Nat. Neurosci. 18, 310 (2014).

    Google Scholar 

  72. X. Cao, Y. Cao, C. Zhou, ACS Nano 10, 199 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  73. H.T. Yi, M.M. Payne, J.E. Anthony, V. Podzorov, Nat. Commun. 3, 1259 (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  74. J.Y. Sun, X. Zhao, W.R.K. Illeperuma, O. Chaudhuri, K.H. Oh, D.J. Mooney, J.J. Vlassak, Z. Suo, Nature 489,133 (2012).

  75. C. Keplinger, J.Y. Sun, C.C. Foo, P. Rothemund, G.M. Whitesides, Z. Suo Science 341, 984 (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  76. S. Lin, H. Yuk, T. Zhang, G.A. Parada, H. Koo, C. Yu, X. Zhao, Adv. Mater. 28, 4497(2016).

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge funding by the Austrian Science Funds, the European Research Council, and the JST Someya Bio-Harmonized ERATO Grant.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Japan

    Takao Someya

  2. Thin-Film Device Laboratory & Center for Emergent Matter Science, RIKEN, Japan

    Takao Someya

  3. Soft Matter Physics, Johannes Kepler University, Austria

    Siegfried Bauer

  4. Soft Matter Physics Department, Soft Electronics Laboratory, Johannes Kepler University, Austria

    Martin Kaltenbrunner

Authors
  1. Takao Someya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Siegfried Bauer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Martin Kaltenbrunner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takao Someya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Someya, T., Bauer, S. & Kaltenbrunner, M. Imperceptible organic electronics. MRS Bulletin 42, 124–130 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2017.1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs.2017.1

Search

Navigation