Stick-and-play system based on interfacial adhesion control enhanced by micro/nanostructures

The evolution of membrane-type electronics has facilitated the development of stick-and-play systems, which confer diverse electrical functions to various planar or arbitrary curvilinear surfaces. The stick-and-play concept is based on the development of thin electronic devices in a printable format and their subsequent transfer to target surfaces. The development of this technology requires control of the interfacial adhesion of the electronic prints for retrieval from a carrier and transfer to the target surface. First, we discuss the transfer printing for membrane-type electronics, starting from an overview of materials available for flexible substrates, transfer printing of electronic prints for retrieval, and assembly for further integration. Second, we explain the stick-and-play concept based on fabricated membrane-type electronics; “stick” and “play” refer to the transfer of electronic devices and the performance of their electronic functions, respectively. In particular, we broadly survey various methods based on micro/nanostructures, including gecko-inspired, interlocking, cephalopod-sucker-inspired, and cilia structures, which can be employed to stick-and-play systems for enhancing interfacial adhesion with complex target surfaces under dynamic and wet conditions. Finally, we highlight the stick-and-play system application of micro/nanostructures for skin-attachable biomedical electronics, e-textiles, and environmental monitoring electronics.