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Stretchable electronics
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<p>Stretchable electronics, also known as elastic electronics or elastic circuits, is a group of technologies for building electronic circuits by depositing or embedding electronic devices and circuits onto stretchable substrates such as <a href="/facts/Silicone/4AX8YA5m">silicones</a> or <a href="/facts/Polyurethane/qNo2KSXA">polyurethanes</a>, to make a completed circuit that can experience large <a href="/facts/Deformation_(mechanics)/xK7R59oI">strains</a> without failure. In the simplest case, stretchable electronics can be made by using the same components used for rigid printed circuit boards, with the rigid substrate cut (typically in a serpentine pattern) to enable in-plane stretchability. However, many researchers have also sought intrinsically stretchable conductors, such as <a href="/facts/Liquid_metal/hagKhYCc">liquid metals</a>. </p><p>One of the major challenges in this domain is designing the substrate and the interconnections to be stretchable, rather than flexible (see <a href="/facts/Flexible_electronics/zTSdgzXw">Flexible electronics</a>) or rigid (<a href="/facts/Printed_Circuit_Board/muSR2p43">Printed Circuit Boards</a>). Typically, <a href="/facts/Polymer/eF32E50K">polymers</a> are chosen as substrates or material to embed. When bending the substrate, the outermost radius of the bend will stretch (see <a href="/facts/Euler%E2%80%93Bernoulli_beam_theory/3DyQV9do">Strain in an Euler–Bernoulli beam</a>, subjecting the interconnects to high mechanical <a href="/facts/Strain_(materials_science)/xK7R59oI">strain</a>. Stretchable electronics often attempts biomimicry of <a href="/facts/Human_skin/cfRXQwSs">human skin</a> and <a href="/facts/Flesh/8TskIkUE">flesh</a>, in being stretchable, whilst retaining full functionality. The design space for products is opened up with stretchable electronics, including sensitive <a href="/facts/Electronic_skin/UStcFCa4">electronic skin</a> for robotic devices and <a href="/facts/In_vivo/kWcWyl6f">in vivo</a> implantable sponge-like electronics. </p>