A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface and an elongate wire, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material, the elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate, the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Additionally, different methods of preparing said stretchable conductor are disclosed. Composite articles including said stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

An orientation-determining device to determine orientation of a vehicle includes a housing, a circuit board, and an orientation-identifying electronic device that includes an integrated accelerometer, an integrated gyroscope, and an integrated magnetometer. The orientation-identifying electronic device is coupled to the circuit board. The orientation-determining device includes a gyroscope that is coupled to the circuit board, an accelerometer that is coupled to the circuit board, and a dampening structure connected between the housing and the circuit board to isolate the circuit board, the orientation-identifying electronic device, the gyroscope, and the accelerometer from vibrations of the housing.

A flexible sensor used for touch detection and an application thereof. The flexible sensor having a flexible substrate, at least two conductive layers and a plurality of electrodes, the conductive layers respectively covering two surfaces of the flexible substrate, the electrodes being arranged at two ends of the conductive layers, the conductive layers having a matrix and first conductive particles dispersed within the matrix. The sensor has stable output characteristics and good consistency between individuals, is easy to install, low-cost and highly sensitive, and can replace PVDF piezoelectric thin film sensors for monitoring human heartbeat and breathing state data.

According to at least one aspect, a lighting device is provided. The lighting device comprises a circuit board, a light emitting diode (LED) mounted to the circuit board and configured to emit light, a lens disposed over the LED having a bottom surface facing the circuit board, a top surface opposite the bottom surface, and a lateral surface between the top and bottom surfaces, and an elastomer encapsulating at least part of the circuit board. The elastomer may not be in contact with at least part of the lateral surface of the lens so as to form a gap between the elastomer and the lateral surface of the lens.

This invention is directed to substrates and articles utilizing these substrates that provide improved performance of printable electronics on polymer substrates. In particular, the improved substrates relate to polymer films and electrical conductors printed on them. Application of a thin polymeric coating to the polymer film provides the improved performance of the printed conductors.

Various embodiments relate to a microserpentine including a plurality of u-bends, each having a degree of completeness (), in which an value of 0 corresponds to a semi-circular shape, and in which an value of +90 corresponds to a complete circle and 90 corresponds to a straight shape. Each of the plurality of u-bends may have an value of from about 35 to about 45. The microserpentine may include a core coated with a conductive coating. The core may include a polymeric material. Various embodiments relate to microelectronic devices and methods of producing the same. The microelectronic devices may include but are not limited to a microelectrode array, a microelectronics packaging, an interconnect, a stretchable sensor, a wearable sensor, a wearable actuator, an in vitro sensor, an in vivo sensor, and combinations thereof.

Provided is a fabricating method of a pattern, which includes preparing a first substrate having a first width and a first thickness, stretching the first substrate and preparing a second substrate having a second width and a second thickness, forming a base layer made of a material of a pattern which will be formed on the second substrate, removing a predetermined region of the base layer and forming a first pattern having a first line width and a first height on the second substrate, and removing a tensile force applied to the second substrate to restore the second substrate back to being the first substrate and forming a second pattern having a second line width and a second height on the first substrate. Fineness of a line width can be achieved by forming the first pattern in a state in which the substrate is stretched, contracting a line width of the first pattern while restoring the stretched substrate, and forming the second pattern having a contracted line width on the restored substrate such that high integration can be achieved.

A stretchable wire member includes a base body in which a fixed wire is formed on a hard base material, and a stretching body in which a flexible wire is formed at a flexible base material. In the stretchable wire member in which the base body and the stretching body are fixed and connected to each other, the hard base material includes a projecting part that reduces concentration of stress that is generated at a boundary between the base body and the stretching body, and an upper surface and a lower surface of the projecting part and an upper surface and a lower surface of a recessed part surrounded by the projecting part are covered by a base-body-side flexible base material extending from the stretching body.

Apparatus and methods are provided for flexible and stretchable circuits. In an example, a method can include forming a first flexible conductor on a substrate, the first flexible conductor including a first conductive trace surrounded on three sides by a first dielectric, and forming a second flexible conductor on top of the first flexible conductor, the first flexible conductor located between the second flexible conductor and the substrate, the second flexible conductor including a second conductive trace surrounded by a second dielectric.

A fabrication process for soft-matter printed circuit boards is disclosed in which traces of liquid-phase GaIn eutectic (eGaIn) are patterned with UV laser micromachining (UVLM). The terminals of the elastomer-sealed LM circuit connect to the surface mounted chips through vertically-aligned columns of eGaIn-coated ferromagnetic microspheres that are embedded within an interfacial elastomer layer.