Band Gap Formation and Tunability in Stretchable Serpentine Interconnects

Serpentine interconnects are highly stretchable and frequently used in flexible electronic systems. In this work, we show that the undulating geometry of the serpentine interconnects will generate phononic band gaps to manipulate elastic wave propagation. The interesting effect of `bands-sticking-together' is observed. We further illustrate that the band structures of the serpentine interconnects can be tuned by applying pre-stretch deformation. The discovery offers a way to design stretchable and tunable phononic crystals by using metallic interconnects instead of the conventional design with soft rubbers and unfavorable damping.