Screen-printed conductive pattern on spandex for stretchable electronic textiles

Abstract

Current stretchable conductive fibers used for electronic textiles have received significant attention, but the fiber-based electronic textiles restrict the elaborate patterning due to the limited weaving process. To fabricate electrical circuits on textiles directly to ultimately combine various electronic devices, different approaches would be required to allow the pattern printing onto the stretchable fabric. Here, screen-printing was taken to prepare a highly durable, stretchable conductive pattern on spandex with elastic recovery and high washing durability. A zigzag pattern with the right angle was selected as an optimal shape to prevent the failure of conductive paste from the spandex after stretching cycles. The pattern can successfully diverge the stress by stretching to the 1/root 2 of applied one, which enables the conductive characteristic to maintain from the stress under the range of elastic recovery. Another key issue of wearable electronic textiles is the ability to operate under mechanical stress. Encapsulation is an easy modification method to allow the electrical characteristic of the conductive pattern on the spandex when stretched. We confirmed the pattern after encapsulation could act as conductive wires under the stretching deformation of 18% that was much higher than that of the pattern without encapsulation (7%). Consequently, the results suggest potential and further modification methods to fabricate high durable, stretchable electronic textiles.