A finite deformation model of planar serpentine interconnects for stretchable electronics

Lithographically defined interconnects with filamentary, serpentine configurations have been widely used in various forms of stretchable electronic devices, owing to the ultra-high stretchability that can be achieved and the relative simple geometry that facilitates the design and fabrication. Theoretical models of serpentine interconnects developed previously for predicting the performance of stretchability were mainly based on the theory of infinitesimal deformation. This assumption, however, does not hold for the interconnects that undergo large levels of deformations before the structural failure. Here, an analytic model of serpentine interconnects is developed starting from the finite deformation theory of planar, curved beams. Finite element analyses (FEA) of the serpentine interconnects with a wide range of geometric parameters were performed to validate the developed model. Comparisons of the predicted stretchability to the estimations of linear models provide quantitative insights into the effect of finite deformation. Both the theoretical and numerical results indicate that a considerable overestimation (e.g., >50% relatively) of the stretchability can be induced by the linear model for many representative shapes of serpentine interconnects. Furthermore, a simplified analytic solution of the stretchability is obtained by using an approximate model to characterize the nonlinear effect. The developed models can be used to facilitate the designs of serpentine interconnects in future applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.