Impact of geometry on stretchable meandered interconnect uniaxial tensile extension fatigue reliability

This work investigates the impact of geometry on the reliability of a high conductivity, meandered, stretchable interconnect. Meandered copper conductor interconnects of varying geometries that have been encapsulated into a PDMS matrix, are evaluated for reliability under tensile stretching conditions to 10% elongation. We present results that support our earlier findings by experiment and FEM simulation. Following, we vary interconnect parameters related to the encapsulation geometry, such as encapsulation hardness, thickness and stretchable zone perimeter, to assess impact on fatigue life of the embedded meandered copper lines. Results confirm and refine the prior simulation findings. Combinations of interconnect geometry parameters critical for stretching reliability are identified. Among others, we find that the meander radius (R) and encapsulation thickness are strongly coupled, causing very large meanders with thick encapsulation to fail very early. We show that, depending on the design of the meander transition, the characteristic life of an interconnect can differ 50 times under moderate, 10% cyclic elongation. Finally, we indicate the significance of our findings for the design of reliable, stretchable electronic systems. 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.