APL Featured Article on dielectric elastomer based electronics

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are multifunctional electroactive polymers with promising performances in the field of soft robotics as actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. In a recent study by Ciarella et al. (MEiTNER junior research group), the possibility to design circuit networks with such devices has been explored.  This is a crucial function for the realization of autonomous soft structures. The authors defined the guidelines to use DEs like transistors so that the design process can be deeply improved. Several circuits have been realized and tested, the most important one is the 2-channel multiplexer. The article Digital electronics using dielectric elastomer structures as transistors has been published in the journal AIP Applied Physics Letters (APL) and promoted as a Featured Article by the Editors. “The Editors felt that your article was one of the journal’s best, and have chosen to promote it as a Featured Article. Once published, your paper will be displayed prominently on the journal’s homepage and will be identified with an icon next to the article title”, the editors said. The work has been carried out at the Institute of Semiconductors and Microsystems, Chair of Microsystems. Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0074821