Root-inspired, template-confined additive printing for fabricating high-robust conformal electronics.

Conformal electronic devices on freeform surface play a critical role in the emerging smart robotics, smart skins, and integrated sensing systems. However, their functional structures such as circuits tend to tear-off, break, or crack under mechanical or thermal influence when in service, thus limiting the application reliability of conformal electronics. Herein, inspired by the tree root system, template-confined additive (TCA) printing technology was presented for reliable fabrication of robust circuits.