Stretchability of encapsulated electronics

Stretchable and flexible electronics offer the performance of conventional wafer-based systems but can be stretched like a rubber band, twisted like a rope, and bent over a pencil. Such a technology offers new application opportunities, in areas of surgical and diagnostic implements that naturally integrate with the human body to provide advanced capabilities, to curvilinear devices such as hemispherical “eyeball” cameras. In practice, stretchable and flexible electronic systems require encapsulation layers to provide mechanical and environmental protection. This paper establishes a simple, analytical model for the optimal design of encapsulation.