Fiber comprising micro devices and metal interconnects with controlled elasticity
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsJuliette Marion, Polina Olegovna Anikeeva, Yoel Fink
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Abstract
An elastic and conductive fiber includes a cladding with a channel and a conductor disposed therein. The cladding may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer. The conductive fiber includes an excess length of conductor disposed inside of the channel so that the conductive fiber can stretch without applying substantial strain to the conductor and without substantially changing the electrical resistance of the conductive fiber. The conductor inside of the channel may have a buckled shape or a helical shape.
Claims21
A fiber comprising:
- a cladding including a channel formed therein;
- and
- a conductor disposed in the channel, the conductor having a buckled shape and a length longer than a length of the cladding by about 4% to about 100%,
- wherein the channel has a cross-sectional diameter about 5 to about 500 times larger than a cross-sectional diameter of the conductor.
A method comprising:
- forming a fiber comprising a cladding and a portion of a conductor disposed in a channel formed in the cladding;
- stretching the cladding along a longitudinal axis of the fiber to pull a second portion of the conductor into the channel;
- and
- after stretching the cladding, relaxing the cladding to induce buckling of the conductor in the channel,
- wherein the channel has a cross-sectional diameter about 5 to about 500 times larger than a cross-sectional diameter of the conductor.
A fiber comprising:
- a cladding including a channel formed therein;
- a conductor disposed in the channel, the conductor having a buckled shape and a length longer than a length of the cladding by about 4% to about 100%;
- and
- at least one device electrically coupled to the conductor and disposed in the channel,
- wherein the at least one device is electrically coupled to the conductor in series.
A fiber comprising:
- a cladding including a channel formed therein;
- and
- a solid metal conductor disposed in the channel, the solid metal conductor having a buckled shape and a length longer than a length of the cladding by about 4% to about 100%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.