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CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Thesis
Scalable Manufacturing of Electrodes for Wearable Electronics
Washington State University
Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
05/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007401
Abstract
This thesis consists of two main parts: (1) the development of a low-temperature imidization process for polyimide (PI) to enable scalable manufacturing of flexible and stretchable electrodes for wearable electronics, and (2) a comparative study of flexible and stretchable electrode pattern designs.
The first study introduces a low-temperature Imidization process for PI, designed to be compatible with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, a cost-effective and flexible material that is well-suited for roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing but cannot withstand traditional high-temperature curing methods. The developed process enables the integration of PI-based electrodes onto PET, supporting large-scale production. The resulting electrodes were validated through real-time biopotential monitoring in electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) applications, demonstrating effective performance. This work advances wearable electronics by providing a scalable, R2R-compatible, and cost-effective manufacturing approach that bridges laboratory research and industrial production.
The second part compares three electrode designs—open mesh, closed mesh, and island-bridge— fabricated by laser-cut from gold-coated PI films. These designs were evaluated for mechanical and electrical performance under bending and stretching. The closed-mesh design demonstrated superior stability, with minimal resistance variation (±2.3% longitudinal, ±1.21% transverse) and the highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in electromyogram (EMG) measurements (up to 14.83 dB). The island-bridge design excelled in unidirectional strain applications, while the open-mesh design, though highly flexible, showed greater resistance variability.
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Details
- Title
- Scalable Manufacturing of Electrodes for Wearable Electronics
- Creators
- Akib Abdullah Khan
- Contributors
- Jong-Hoon Kim (Chair)Stephen Solovitz (Committee Member)Feng Zhao (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- School of Engineering and Computer Science (VANC)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Science (MS), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 124
- Identifiers
- 99901220469201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis