Coiled nanowires bring stretchable electronics closer to reality

WASHINGTON - North Carolina State University researchers have created the first coils of silicon nanowire on a substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length.

The new development brings scientists closer to incorporating stretchable electronic devices into clothing, implantable health-monitoring devices, and a host of other applications.

The team put a rubber substrate under strain and used very specific levels of ultraviolet radiation and ozone to change its mechanical properties, and then placed silicon nanowires on top of the substrate.

The nanowires formed coils upon release of the strain.

While the new coils’ mechanical properties allow them to be stretched an additional 104 percent beyond their original length, their electric performance cannot hold reliably to such a large range, possibly due to factors like contact resistance change or electrode failure, said Yong Zhu, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State.

The research was published online Dec. 28 by ACS Nano. (ANI)