Non-uniform global-buckling and local-folding in thin film of stretchable electronics

Abstract Thin film can either buckle globally or fold locally to assemble stretchable electronics, the variation of thickness in thin film leads to tunable structures and promises the diverse design of stretchable electronics. In this paper, theoretical models are developed to investigate the global-buckling and local-folding in the non-uniform thin film of stretchable electronics. The models are capable of giving concise and explicit analytical solutions of the deformed configuration and maximum strain in thin film. The effectiveness and accuracy of analytical solutions are verified by the finite element analyses (FEA) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our study provides useful guidance for the diverse design and precise control of stretchable electronics.