Effect of Viscosity on the Formation of Porous Polydimethylsiloxane for Wearable Device Applications |
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Authors: | Dong-Hyun Baek Hachul Jung Jeong Hun Kim Young Wook Park Dae Wook Kim Ho Seob Kim Seungjoon Ahn Young-Jin Kim |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Display/Semiconductor Engineering, College of Engineering, Sunmoon University, Asan-si 31406, Korea; (D.-H.B.); (Y.W.P.); (D.W.K.); (H.S.K.); (S.A.);2.Center for Next-Generation Semiconductor Technology, Sunmoon University, Asan-si 31406, Korea;3.Integrated Medical Technology Team, Department of Research & Development, Medical Device Development Center, Osong Medical Innovation Foundation, Cheongju-si 28160, Korea; (H.J.); (J.H.K.) |
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Abstract: | Medical devices, which enhance the quality of life, have experienced a gradual increase in demand. Various research groups have attempted to incorporate soft materials such as skin into wearable devices. We developed a stretchable substrate with high elasticity by forming a porous structure on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). To optimize the porous structure, we propose a manufacturing process that utilizes a high-pressure steam with different viscosities (400, 800, 2100, and 3000 cP) of an uncured PDMS solution. The proposed method simplifies the manufacturing of porous structures and is cost-effective compared to other technologies. Porous structures of various viscosities were formed, and their electrical and mechanical properties evaluated. Porous PDMS (3000 cP) was formed in a sponge-like three-dimensional porous structure, compared to PDMS formed by other viscosities. The elongation of porous PDMS (3000 cP) was increased by up to 30%, and the relative resistance changed to less than 1000 times with the maximum strain test. The relative resistance increased the initial resistance (R0) by approximately 10 times during the 1500-times repeated cycling tests with 30% strain. As a result, patch-type wearable devices based on soft materials can provide an innovative platform that can connect with the human skin for robotics applications and for continuous health monitoring. |
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Keywords: | porous structure stretchable electrode polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wearable device |
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