Arbitrarily Shaped 2.5D Circuits using Stretchable Interconnects Embedded in Thermoplastic Polymers

A method to fabricate thermoplastically deformable electronic circuits is presented, with the intent of achieving low‐cost 2.5D free‐form rigid smart objects. This by utilizing existing flexible circuit technology based stretchable circuits, in combination with thermoplastic materials. After fabricating the circuit in a flat state, a thermoforming step shapes the device by heating it beyond its glass transition temperature, and pushing it against a mold. Preliminary tests show the feasibility to fabricate simple circuits using off‐the‐shelf circuit components; showing a minimal decrease in conductivity of the polyimide supported copper‐based interconnects.