DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/WV47-BN71

Author ORCID Identifier

orcid.org/0000-0001-9501-8024

Defense Date

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. W.Hong Yeo

Second Advisor

Dr. Ravi Hadimani

Third Advisor

Dr. Karla Mossi

Abstract

Soft material-enabled electronics can demonstrate extreme mechanical flexibility and stretchability. Such compliant, comfortable electronics allow continuous, long-term measurement of biopotentials on the skin. Manufacturing of the stretchable electronic devices is enabled by the recent development combining materials transfer printing and microfabrication. However, the existing method using inorganic materials and multi-layered polymers requires long material preparation time and expensive processing cost due to the requirement of microfabrication tools and complicated transfer printing steps. Here, this study develops a new fabrication method of soft electronics via a micro-replica-molding technique, which allows fast production, multiple use, and low cost by avoiding microfabrication and multiple transfer printing. The core materials, carbon nanomaterials integrated with soft elastomers, further reduces the entire production cost, compared to costly metals such as gold and silver, while offering mechanical compliance. Collectively, skin-wearable electrodes, designed by optimized materials and fabrication method enable a high-fidelity measurement of non-invasive electromyograms on the skin for advanced human-machine interface, targeting prosthesis.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

5-4-2017

Share

COinS