Mechanically flexible and expandable display with conductive-polymer-coated nylon fabric

We developed and characterized a mechanically flexible and expandable display with a conductive-polymer-coated nylon fabric which offers a new class of mechanical robustness on its pixels and electrodes. For mobile information displays such as electronic papers, the mechanical stability to expansion and the function to mechanically magnify the display area are very attractive. For this purpose, we utilized helical-coiled structure of nylon fabric as a substrate and selectively coated an organic conductive polymer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT):polystyrenesulfornate(PSS) on the fabric for constructing the pixels and electrodes of displays. Since the PEDOT:PSS-coated nylon is capable of mechanically expanding its electric wiring not by stretching the conductive film itself, but by changing pitch between coils, the fracture of the electronic materials is prevented under large deformation. The deformation of our structure reached the strain of 1.25 without large increase of the electric resistance. In our developed process of PEDOT:PSS patterning, KMPR photoresist was spontaneously penetrated into the defined area of nylon. The photoresist was lifted off after PEDOT:PSS was coated. Finally, the coloration of both the one pixel on a 4-pixel-display and the cactus shape was demonstrated with their areas expanded at the strain of 0.3.