Stretchable silicon sensor networks for structural health monitoring

We have developed a technique to realize dense sensor/actuator networks that can be deployed on the centimeter to meter-scale in a cost-effective manner. The two-dimensional network is entirely processed in a CMOS foundry before it is "stretched" to the target size and "cut" to the right shape. Our technique therefore combines the maturity of CMOS fabrication techniques with the ability to quickly assemble a fully interconnected 2D sensor network of arbitrary size and shape. Both sensor node placement and network wiring are achieved automatically. The sensor networks are rugged because no wire bonds or solder connections are needed and can be seamlessly integrated into structural materials. The high node count per unit area and large amount of electronic functionality that can be integrated per node will lead to a new class of materials and structures that are truly intelligent.