In Situ Force Microscopy to Investigate Fracture in Stretchable Electronics: Insights on Local Surface Mechanics and Conductivity.

ABSTRACT: Stretchable conductors are of crucial relevance for emerging technologies such as wearable electronics, low-invasive bioelectronic implants, or soft actuators for robotics. A critical issue for their development regards the understanding of defect formation and fracture of conducting pathways during stress-strain cycles. Here we present a combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods that provides multichannel images of surface morphology, conductivity, and elastic modulus during sample deformation. To develop the method, we investigate in detail the mechanical interactions between the AFM tip and a stretched, free-standing thin film sample. Our findings reveal the conditions to avoid artifacts related to sample bending modes or resonant excitations. As an example, we analyze strain

SUBMITTER: Cortelli G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9245436 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature