Architecture, Fabrication, and Properties of Stretchable Micro-Electrode Arrays

Essential components of a stretchable microelectrode array (SMEA) to record from biological tissue include: a compliant and elastic substrate, stretchable conductors forming active electrodes and traces, and an electrical insulation layer. The materials and architecture of these SMEA components must be biocompatible, resistant to electrolytic environments, and electrically functional during and after mechanical stretching. While rigid MEA systems exist, many applications, such as retinal implants and sensitive skin, need soft, conformable, and stretchable electronic devices. This work focuses on the fabrication process, electromechanical characterization, and biocompatibility of stretchable micro-electrodes on silicone membranes. We deposit and pattern thin gold films on elastomeric silicone substrates, encapsulate them with an insulating photopatternable silicone layer, and show that the electrodes remain electrically conducting during stretch to >50% strain. The SMEA supports growths of organotypic brain slice cultures