Invisible Electronics for Packaging Applications

Smart substrates are an important part of this new electronic world. For example, the presentation “Skin-like Electronics: Fabrication of Thin Film Devices with Ultra-low Temperature Process” by Ingrid Graz of the Nanoscience Centre, University of Cambridge UK described her work with StÈphanie P. Lacour on this topic. She gave three related objectives - electronics that can be shaped, stretched and interfaced with biological tissue. She pointed to potential applications at the human-machine interface and both on and in the human body, from fashion and e-textiles to prosthetic skin and even neural interfaces. Sometimes it is useful if the device stretches but returns to its original form, including the functioning printed electronics on the surface. That is beginning to be achieved.