Extended cyclic uniaxial loading of stretchable gold thin-films on elastomeric substrates

Gold thin-films (50 nm thick) on silicone membranes are reversibly stretchable. They exhibit continuous electrical conduction when pulled and relaxed by tens of percent. Here, we show that gold thin-film conductors on elastomeric substrates can withstand extensive uniaxial stretch cycling without electrical failure. The gold film develops into an interconnected network of islands, which reversibly move on the surface of the elastomer with applied strain. The resulting electrical resistance of the conductor remains finite and reproducible over 250 000 cycles to 20% applied strain.