Stretchable dielectric design for low-voltage driven transistor and all-solid-state intrinsically stretchable synaptic transistor for electronic skin

Stanford researchers in the Bao lab have developed a new fabrication method to create stretchable transistors for electronic skin. It produces a soft, stretchable material capable of sensing pressure, temperature, strain, and more. This technology can operate at low voltage which makes it safe to use on the human body.

One aspect of this invention is a tri-layer dielectric stack that can reduce the driving voltage of an intrinsically stretchable transistor. The tri-layer dielectric boosts capacitance and greatly improves dielectric strength. Current technologies for intrinsically stretchable organic electronics require high operation voltage, which results in safety issues and high power consumption. Previous stretchable transistors have also had a tradeoff between high capacitance and high transistor performance, while this technology includes both.

Another aspect of this invention is a solid-state synaptic transistor. The researchers used the synaptic transistor to fabricate an all-solid-state, stretchable synaptic transistor array which maintained performance under 50% strain. Previous synaptic transistors have included either liquid or gel components, creating instability, or rigid materials, preventing the technology from conforming to tissue. This array also demonstrated water resistance, which could allow it to be used for medical purposes.

Stage of Development