Piezoelectric Materials and Devices Based Flexible Bio‐integrated Electronics

Summary

This chapter discusses the methodologies and techniques to create unconventional electronics in a flexible or stretchable format, which is critical for application in biomedical related and clinically relevant devices. It summarizes various routes of realizing flexible piezoelectric materials and devices and highlights mechanics and engineering strategies in device construction. The chapter also discusses the applications of the piezoelectric materials in soft bio‐integrated electronics for energy harvesting, biological related mechanical signals, i.e. blood pulse wave sensing, tumor diagnosis through detection of tissue mechanical properties, and active 3D microelectromechanical systems devices actuations. Piezoelectric materials with high piezoelectric coefficients are usually preferred for use in energy‐harvesting devices. Proper formats of the piezoelectric materials, such as ribbons and membranes, help enhance the flexibility and even stretchability. Zinc oxide nanowires have been widely studied as piezoelectric components for energy harvesting.