# US 2021/0243890 A1 · Flexible and Stretchable Printed Circuits on Stretchable Substrates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243890 A1 - Document ID: US20210243890A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/051,125 - Filed: 2018-05-08 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-08 - Assignees: W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. - Applicants: W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. - Inventors: Mark D. Edmundson; Paul D. Gassier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243890A1 ## CPC - H05K 1/0283: {Stretchable printed circuits} - H05K 1/0393: {Flexible materials (H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups)} - H05K 1/097: {Inks comprising nanoparticles and specially adapted for being sintered at low temperature (H05K1/095 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/118: {specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions} - H05K 3/4038: {Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections (H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence)} - H05K 2201/0116: Porous, e.g. foam - H05K 2201/015: Fluoropolymer, e.g. polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE] - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract The present disclosure is flexible and stretchable conductive articles that include a printed circuit and a stretchable substrate. The printed circuit contains an electrically conductive trace. The electrically conductive trace may be positioned on the surface of or be imbibed into the pores through the thickness of a synthetic polymer membrane. The synthetic polymer membrane is compressed in the x-y direction such that buckling of the membrane occurs in the z-direction. Additionally, the synthetic polymer membrane may be porous or non-porous. In some embodiments, the synthetic polymer membrane is microporous. The printed circuit may be discontinuously bonded to the stretchable substrate. Advantageously, the flexible, conductive articles retain conductive performance over a range of stretch. In some embodiments, the conductive articles have negligible resistance change when stretched up to 50% strain. The printed circuits may be integrated into garments, such as smart apparel or other wearable technology. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conductive article having high flexibility and stretchability comprising: a printed circuit including: a synthetic polymer membrane compressed in the x-y direction; and at least one electrically conductive trace, said electrically conductive trace being located within the synthetic polymer membrane; and a stretchable substrate bonded to said printed circuit, wherein the printed circuit has a buckled orientation in the z-direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is porous. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is a porous fluoropolymer membrane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is a microporous membrane having a node and fibril microstructure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is selected from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), polyester sulfone (PES), porous poly paraxylylene (ePPX), porous ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (eUHMWPE), porous ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (eETFE) and porous polylactic acid (ePLLA). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive trace fills pores of the synthetic polymer membrane through a thickness thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the stretchable substrate comprises at least one member selected from a stretchable textile, a stretchable nonwoven material and a stretchable membrane. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive trace is selected from electrically conductive metal nanoparticles, nanoparticles of electrically conductive materials, electrically conductive particles, electrically conductive nanotubes, electrically conductive metal flakes, electrically conductive polymers and combinations thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive trace comprises nanoparticles of gold, silver, platinum, copper and combinations thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive trace comprises a continuous network of conductive particles. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The conductive article of claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive trace has the form of an electrically conductive pattern or a circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, comprising an insulative overcoat covering the electrically conductive trace. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein a resistance of the printed circuit remains substantially unchanged as the conductive article is elongated to 50% strain as evidenced by the Resistance Measurement v. Stretch test method. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The conductive article of claim 1, wherein the conductive article has a flexibility of less than 0.1 grams force-cm2/cm as tested by the Kawabata test method. ### Claim 16 A conductive article having high flexibility and stretchability comprising: a printed circuit including: a synthetic polymer membrane compressed in the x-y direction; and at least one electrically conductive trace, said electrically conductive trace being located on the synthetic polymer membrane; and a stretchable substrate bonded to said printed circuit, wherein the printed circuit has a buckled orientation in the z-direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is porous. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is a microporous synthetic polymer membrane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The conductive article of claim 18, wherein a portion of the electrically conductive trace is located in pores of the microporous synthetic polymer membrane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is selected from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), porous poly paraxylylene (ePPX), porous ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (eUHMWPE), porous ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (eETFE) and porous polylactic acid (ePLLA). ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is non-porous. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane is selected from polyurethane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), modified polytetrafluoroethylene polymers, tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) copolymers, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyester sulfone (PES), and polyesters. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the stretchable substrate comprises at least one member selected from a stretchable textile, a stretchable nonwoven material and an stretchable membrane. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive trace is selected from electrically conductive metal nanoparticles, nanoparticles of electrically conductive materials, electrically conductive particles, electrically conductive nanotubes, electrically conductive metal flakes, electrically conductive polymers and combinations thereof. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive trace comprises nanoparticles of, silver, gold, copper, platinum and combinations thereof. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, further comprising an insulative overcoat covering the electrically conductive trace. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive trace comprises a continuous network of conductive particles. ### Claim 28 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive trace has the form of an electrically conductive pattern or a circuit. ### Claim 29 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the resistance of the printed circuit remains substantially unchanged as the conductive article is elongated to 50% strain as evidenced by the Resistance Measurement v. Stretch test method. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the conductive article has a flexibility of less than 0.1 grams force-cm2/cm as evidenced by the Kawabata test method. ### Claim 31 (depends on 16) The conductive article of claim 16, wherein the synthetic polymer membrane comprises polyurethane. ### Claim 32 A conductive article comprising: a printed circuit including: an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane compressed in the x-y direction; and at least one electrically conductive trace located within the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane; and a stretchable textile bonded to said printed circuit, wherein the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene has a buckled orientation in the z-direction, wherein the resistance of the printed circuit remains substantially unchanged as the conductive article is elongated to 50% strain, as determined by the Resistance Measurement v. Stretch test method, wherein the conductive article has a flexibility of less than 0.1 grams force-cm2/cm as determined by the Kawabata test method, wherein the conductive article has a wash durability of at least 20 wash cycles as determined by the Wash Testing Durability test method, and wherein the conductive article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least 5,000 as determined by the Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) Measurement test method. ### Claim 33 A conductive article having high flexibility and stretchability comprising: a first printed circuit including: a synthetic polymer membrane compressed in the x-y direction; and at least one electrically conductive trace, said electrically conductive trace being located within the synthetic polymer membrane; a second printed circuit compressed in the x-y direction, and a stretchable substrate, said first printed circuit being bonded to a first side of said stretchable substrate and said second printed circuit being bonded to a second side of said stretchable substrate, wherein the first and second printed circuits have buckled orientations in the z-direction. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) An article comprising the conductive article of claim 1. ### Claim 35 A conductive article having high flexibility and stretchability comprising: a printed circuit including: an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane compressed in the x-y direction; and at least one electrically conductive trace located on the surface of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane; and a stretchable textile bonded to said printed circuit, wherein the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane has a buckled orientation in the z-direction, wherein the resistance of the printed circuit remains substantially unchanged as the conductive article is elongated to 50% strain as determined by the Resistance Measurement v. Stretch test method, wherein the conductive article has a flexibility of less than 0.1 grams force-cm2/cm as determined by the Kawabata test method, and wherein the conductive article has a moisture vapor transmission rate of at least 5,000 as determined by the Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) Measurement test method.