Biaxially Stretchable Fully Elastic Transistors Based on Rubbery Semiconductor Nanocomposites

A transistor that can be stretchable biaxially is a basic and indispensable component for many emerging applications ranging from wearables to organ implants and to soft robotics. A general approach to enable mechanical stretchability in transistors from existing nonstretchable materials is to create certain mechanical architectures such as in-plane serpentines, out-of-plane wavy structures, kirigami structures, and the hybridization of elastic interconnectors and rigid components. Different from general stretchable transistors, the development of elastic transistors based on rubbery semiconductors nanocomposite of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) nanofibrils percolated in the silicone rubber matrix is reported. The transistor is fully with elastic materials and manufactured all by solution process. The transistor exhibits a field-effect mobility of 3.3 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹. The elastic transistor can be stretched biaxially with 50% linear strain and 125% areal strain and it retains its electrical performances. The exhibited reliable electrical functions upon mechanically poked or expanded as a skin for pneumatically actuated soft robots illustrate some practical applications of such biaxially stretchable transistors.