Crack-Controlled Stretchable Gold Conductive Electrode through One-Step Carbon Nanotube Spray Deposition

Abstract

Stretchable conductors are the key components of stretchable and wearable electronics systems. Although the micro-structured cracking method is promising for realizing stretchable conductors, controlling the formation of cracks in stretchable conductors can be challenging. Simple control of cracks is required for obtaining various high-performance stretchable systems, including electrodes and interconnects. Here, a one-step crack-controlling method based on the simple and scalable spray-based carbon nanotube deposition approach is reported. The crack-controlled Au films exhibit high stretchability under up to 100% strain conditions, irrespective of the deposition conditions. The proposed one-step crack-control method is a universal technique for obtaining stretchable conductive materials.