# US 2017/0257944 A1 · Apparatus and associated methods for deformable electronics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0257944 A1 - Document ID: US20170257944A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/505,220 - Filed: 2015-08-28 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-29 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Adam ROBINSON; Darryl COTTON; Piers ANDREW - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170257944A1 ## CPC - H05K 1/0283: {Stretchable printed circuits} - H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits - H05K 3/103: {by bonding or embedding conductive wires or strips} - H10W 70/688: {Flexible insulating substrates} - H05K 2201/0314: Elastomeric connector or conductor, e.g. rubber with metallic filler - H05K 2201/0394: Conductor crossing over a hole in the substrate or a gap between two separate substrate parts - H05K 2201/09263: Meander - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An apparatus comprising a deformable substrate, an electrical interconnect suitable for interconnecting one or more electronic components located on the deformable substrate to one another or to one or more electronic components located on another substrate, and a support beam configured to couple the electrical interconnect to the deformable substrate, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more curved sections and adjoining straight sections, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam via the adjoining straight sections such that the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 An apparatus comprising a deformable substrate, an electrical interconnect suitable for interconnecting one or more electronic components located on the deformable substrate to one another or to one or more electronic components located on another substrate, and a support beam configured to couple the electrical interconnect to the deformable substrate, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more curved sections and adjoining straight sections, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam via at least one of the adjoining straight sections such that the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured such that the straight sections cross the support beam at an angle of between −10° and +40° with respect to the normal of the support beam. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured such that the curved sections have an arc angle of between 180° and 320° and a radius of between 1 μm and 1 cm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured such that the straight sections cross the support beam at an angle of between +10° and +25° with respect to the normal of the support beam, and the curved sections have an arc angle of 270° and a radius of between 150 μm and 300 μm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured such that the straight sections cross the support beam at an angle of between +25° and +30° with respect to the normal of the support beam, and the curved sections have an arc angle of between 180° and 270° and a radius of 200 μm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam by adhesion of the straight sections to a surface of the support beam. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam by embedding of the straight sections within a volume of the support beam. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the straight sections of the electrical interconnect comprise respective protrusions extending therefrom, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam by embedding of the respective protrusions within a volume of the support beam. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect and support beam are configured to lie substantially parallel to, and spaced apart from, the planar surface of the deformable substrate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect has a generally serpentine configuration, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam such that adjacent curved sections of the serpentine configuration are positioned on opposite sides of the support beam. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the support beam is attached to, or forms part of, the deformable substrate. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect is configured such that the straight sections have a length which is at least equal to the width of the support beam. ### Claim 28 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one or both of the deformable substrate and support beam are reversibly deformable. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The apparatus of claim 28, wherein one or both of the deformable substrate and support beam are at least one of reversibly flexible, reversibly stretchable and reversibly compressible. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one or both of the deformable substrate and support beam comprises at least one of a polymeric material, an elastomeric material, polyurethane, polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, polydimethylsiloxane and polyethylene napthalate. ### Claim 31 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more of an electrically conductive material, an electrically conductive polymer, an electrically conductive elastomer, a metal, an alloy, copper, gold, silver, graphene, indium tin oxide and one or more carbon nanotubes. ### Claim 32 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the deformable substrate comprises the one or more electronic components located thereon, and the electrical interconnect is configured to provide an electrical interconnection between the one or more electronic components. ### Claim 33 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the deformable substrate and the other substrate each comprise one or more of the electronic components located thereon, and the electrical interconnect is configured to provide an electrical interconnection between the one or more electronic components of the deformable substrate and the one or more electronic components of the other substrate. ### Claim 34 A method comprising: forming an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a deformable substrate, an electrical interconnect suitable for interconnecting one or more electronic components located on the deformable substrate to one another or to one or more electronic components located on another substrate, and a support beam configured to couple the electrical interconnect to the deformable substrate, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more curved sections and adjoining straight sections, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam via at least one of the adjoining straight sections such that the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation. ### Claim 35 A computer readable medium comprising computer code configured to perform: forming an apparatus, the apparatus comprising a deformable substrate, an electrical interconnect suitable for interconnecting one or more electronic components located on the deformable substrate to one another or to one or more electronic components located on another substrate, and a support beam configured to couple the electrical interconnect to the deformable substrate, wherein the electrical interconnect comprises one or more curved sections and adjoining straight sections, and wherein the electrical interconnect is attached to the support beam via at least one of the adjoining straight sections such that the one or more curved sections are suspended over the deformable substrate to enable the electrical interconnect to accommodate strain when the deformable substrate undergoes operational deformation.