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A Fabrication Method for Highly Stretchable Conductors with Silver Nanowires
Published on: January 21, 2016
Strain-release assembly of nanowires on stretchable substrates
Feng Xu1, John W Durham, Benjamin J Wiley
1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA.
ACS Nano
|February 4, 2011
Summary
Researchers developed a simple method to align nanowires (NWs) on stretchable substrates. Releasing strain on the substrate causes NWs to align transversely, increasing coverage and density for applications like strain sensors.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Achieving highly aligned nanowires (NWs) on flexible substrates is crucial for advanced electronic devices.
- Existing methods for NW assembly often lack scalability or require complex fabrication processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a straightforward and effective technique for assembling highly aligned nanowires on stretchable substrates.
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms governing NW alignment and density enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Transferring nanowires onto a pre-strained stretchable substrate (poly(dimethylsiloxane) or PDMS).
- Releasing the applied strain to induce transverse alignment and increased area coverage of nanowires.
- Repeating the assembly process to further enhance NW alignment and density.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in alignment probability for silver (Ag) NWs (29% to 90%) and silicon (Si) NWs (25% to 88%) after two assembly steps.
- Substantial density increases of 60% for Ag NWs and 75% for Si NWs.
- Demonstrated fabrication of a high-yield (95%) strain sensor array using aligned Si NWs on PDMS.
Conclusions:
- The strain-release method offers a versatile approach applicable to various NWs and stretchable films.
- Large-strain elasticity of the substrate and inter-wire friction are key factors in the assembly process.
- A predictive model incorporating PDMS incompressibility accurately describes NW alignment and density.
