ABSTRACT
Flexible electronics in wearable application may be subjected to twisting, folding, or flexing depending on the form factor and the location of use. The trend toward weight reduction and miniaturization of electronics is driving the emergence of flexible electronics. A number of additive printed electronics methods are available including aerosol-jet printing, inkjet printing, screen printing, and gravure printing. Reduction in size and weight are especially important for applications focusing on sports, leisure, healthcare, military and security apparel, fashion, and wearable consumer electronics [Tao 2017]. Mechanical stresses are induced on flexible electronics when subjected to bending, which can lead to delamination, cracking, or shearing of interconnects and additively printed layers [Dai 2015]. An understanding of the shear strength of the deposited layer is important in addition to the effect of process conditions on the reliability and survivability of the printed structures.
