Washington State U. team develops cost-cutting method for wearable electronics

Researchers from Washington State University (WSU) have developed a cheaper method for creating flexible, wearable electronics using screen printing, a new study shows.

According to a release by WSU Insider, the technique involves layering polymer and metal inks to create snake-like structures of the electrode, which are then printed onto a pre-treated glass slide and transferred onto fabric or other material. 

The circuit pattern that it creates is stretchable, durable and can be worn directly on human skin for health monitoring in hospitals or at home.

“We wanted to make flexible, wearable electronics in a way that is much easier, more convenient and lower cost,” said corresponding author Jong-Hoon Kim, associate professor at the WSU Vancouver’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, in the release. “That’s why we focused on screen printing. It’s easy to use, has a simple setup and it is suitable for mass production.”

The study was first published in the ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces journal. Kim and his team used a multi-step process to create the electrodes, which can be stretched by 30% and bent to 180 degrees without breaking. 

These electrodes were then transferred onto an adhesive fabric and worn directly on the skin by volunteers, accurately recording heart and respiratory rates and sending the data to a mobile phone. 

According to the release, the screen-printing process can be used to create electrodes for a range of uses, including those that serve similar functions to smartwatches or fitness trackers. That method is much easier, more convenient, and costs less than current commercial manufacturing of wearable electronics, which often requires expensive processes and totally clean rooms, Kim noted.

Kim said his lab is working on expanding this technology to print different electrodes, as well as entire electronic chips, and even potentially whole circuit boards. 

The ability to print electronic chips and circuit boards using screen printing would be a significant breakthrough, as it could revolutionize the production of wearable electronics and other electronic devices.

In addition to researchers from WSU Vancouver, the study also included co-authors from the Georgia Tech and Pukyong National University in South Korea. The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the release stated.