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Three-dimensional printing of multilayer stretchable electronics with inclined interconnect accesses
Wenbo Zhao1,2, Yifan Deng1, Yu Zhang1,2
1Institute of Flexible Electronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
Nature Communications
|June 2, 2026
Summary
Additive manufactured 3D printed electronics overcome interconnection challenges for stretchable devices. This innovation enhances stability and design freedom for next-generation wearables and robotics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Multilayer stretchable electronics are crucial for advanced applications like smart wearables and soft robotics.
- Current designs face challenges in creating reliable 3D interconnections that maintain stretchability, stability, and efficient manufacturing.
- Existing subtractive manufacturing methods often involve punched vertical interconnections, leading to stress concentration and deformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for manufacturing multilayer stretchable electronics with improved 3D interconnections.
- To address the limitations of current manufacturing techniques regarding stretchability, stability, and efficiency.
- To enhance design freedom and manufacturing speed for stretchable electronic systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing additive manufacturing (3D printing) to create multilayer stretchable electronics.
- Implementing unpunched, inclined interconnect accesses instead of traditional vertical ones.
- Analyzing the mechanical and electrical properties under various strain conditions.
Main Results:
- Achieved high stretchability with a 646% strain limit.
- Demonstrated excellent stability, enduring over 11,000 cycles at 100% strain.
- Successfully fabricated and tested a wireless-powered display system and a four-layer conformal physiological monitoring system that maintained stable performance under stretching.
Conclusions:
- Additive manufactured multilayer stretchable electronics with inclined interconnects offer superior performance compared to subtractive methods.
- The 3D printing approach significantly improves mechanical and electrical stability, stretchability, and manufacturing efficiency.
- This technology enables advanced applications in wearable devices, robotics, and human-machine interfaces.
