Collaborative Research: Computational Framework for Designing Conformal Stretchable Electronics

可拉伸电子设备可以像橡皮筋一样拉伸、折叠、弯曲和扭曲，同时像传统电子设备一样工作。这种能力使广泛的应用不可能硬，平面集成电路。例子包括柔性显示器、可拉伸生物传感器、传感皮肤和生物启发的眼球相机。共形电子器件是一个重要的类别，其中电子器件在正常操作条件下处于非平坦状态，通常是复杂的3D几何形状。在现有的制造技术下，电子系统通常被设计和制造为平板，然后被转换成目标3D形状。这引入了对器件性能和功能具有不利影响的失真。该研究项目将推进计算机支持创建客户指定的可拉伸适形电子设备的技术。这项研究的成果将使更复杂，更高性能的可拉伸和适形电子设备的开发与应用在广泛和不断增长的行业，如消费电子，医疗保健，汽车，航空航天和纺织品。该项目还包括将创新研究与教学和外联活动相结合的活动。其中一个重点是计算机辅助设计和先进manufacturing.This研究旨在创建和评估一个系统的框架，合理设计的可拉伸共形电子学共形几何理论与基于水平集的拓扑优化方法相结合的非熟练工人的教育。这项研究将利用计算和实验方法来实现以下目标：1）将基于水平集的多材料拓扑优化扩展到柔性电子设计，以同时优化刚性电子元件和软电气互连。2)基于共形几何理论设计新的数值算法来设计二维平面布局的可拉伸电子器件的图案，这将在几何变换后在3D自由曲面上产生所需的共形电子器件图案。3)考虑可拉伸电子器件的制造过程，确定具有几何特征控制的拓扑优化的有效方法。4)该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Stretchable electronics can be stretched, folded, bent and twisted like a rubber band while functioning like the conventional electronic device. This capability enables extensive applications impossible for hard, planar integrated circuits. Examples include flexible displays, stretchable biosensors, sensory skins, and bio-inspired eyeball cameras. Conformal electronics is an important category in which an electronic device is in a non-flat state, normally a complex 3D geometry, under normal operating conditions. Under existing fabrication techniques, the electronic systems are usually designed and fabricated as a flat sheet and then transformed into the targeted 3D shape. This introduces distortions that have an adverse impact on device performance and functionality. This research project will advance techniques for the computer-supported creation of customer-specified stretchable conformal electronics devices. Outcomes of this research will enable the development of more complex, higher-performing stretchable and conformal electronic devices with applications across a broad and growing array of industries such as consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and textiles. The project also includes activities to incorporate innovative research with teaching and outreach activities. A focal point of this is education of displaced unskilled workers in the areas of computer-aided design and advanced manufacturing.This research aims to create and evaluate a systematic framework for rational design of stretchable conformal electronics by integrating conformal geometry theory with the level-set-based topology optimization approach. This research will harness both computational and experimental approaches to pursue the following aims: 1) Extend the level-set-based multimaterial topology optimization to flexible electronics design to simultaneously optimize rigid electronic components and soft electrical interconnects. 2) Devise new numerical algorithms based on the conformal geometry theory to design the patterns of stretchable electronics devices in 2D planar layout, which will yield the desired patterns of conformal electronics on 3D freeform surfaces after geometric transformation. 3) Identify effective approaches to topology optimization with geometric feature control, considering the fabrication process of stretchable electronics. 4) Validate the effectiveness of the mapping and optimization methods using the electronic eye camera as a testbed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.