Biodegradable Elastomers and Silicon Nanomembranes/Nanoribbons for Stretchable, Transient Electronics, and Biosensors

TLDR

Transient electronics uses materials that can physically disappear or disintegrate at programmed rates, and silicon nanomembranes/nanoribbons are attractive active elements that dissolve completely by hydrolysis in biofluids or groundwater. The study aims to develop stretchable, biodegradable elastomer-based transient electronics through novel materials, mechanics, and design layouts. The design employs biodegradable elastomers as substrate and encapsulation layers to enable stretchable configurations. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal robust mechanical properties under large strain, circuit tests of CMOS inverters and transistors confirm the design under load, and biosensor prototypes demonstrate stretchable, transient biomedical applications.

Abstract

Transient electronics represents an emerging class of technology that exploits materials and/or device constructs that are capable of physically disappearing or disintegrating in a controlled manner at programmed rates or times. Inorganic semiconductor nanomaterials such as silicon nanomembranes/nanoribbons provide attractive choices for active elements in transistors, diodes and other essential components of overall systems that dissolve completely by hydrolysis in biofluids or groundwater. We describe here materials, mechanics, and design layouts to achieve this type of technology in stretchable configurations with biodegradable elastomers for substrate/encapsulation layers. Experimental and theoretical results illuminate the mechanical properties under large strain deformation. Circuit characterization of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor inverters and individual transistors under various levels of applied loads validates the design strategies. Examples of biosensors demonstrate possibilities for stretchable, transient devices in biomedical applications.