Geometrically curved and skin-conformal magnetoelectronics

Conventional magnetic field sensors are fabricated on flat substrates and are rigid. Extending 2D structures into 3D space relying on the flexible electronics approaches allows to enrich conventional or to launch novel functionalities of spintronic-based devices by tailoring geometrical curvature and 3D shape. Here, we will review fundamentals of 3D curved magnetic thin films [1] and primarily focus on their application potential for eMobility, consumer electronics, virtual and augmented reality appliances. The technology platform relies on high-performance magnetoresistive and Hall effect sensors deposited or printed on ultrathin polymeric foils. These skin conformal flexible and printable magnetosensitive elements enable touchless interactivity with our surroundings based on the interaction with magnetic fields [2], which is relevant for electronics skins [3,4], smart wearables [5,6], soft robotics [7] and human-machine interfaces [3-6,8]. In this talk, recent fundamental and technological advancements on flexible magnetoelectronics will be reviewed.

[1] D. Makarov et al., “New Dimension in Magnetism and Superconductivity: 3D and Curvilinear Nanoarchitectures”, Adv. Mater. 34, 2101758 (2022).
[2] G. S. Canon Bermudez et al., “Magnetosensitive E-Skins for Interactive Devices”, Adv. Funct. Mater. 31, 2007788 (2021).
[3] G. S. Canon Bermudez et al., “Electronic-skin compasses for geomagnetic field driven artificial magnetoreception and interactive electronics”, Nature Electronics 1, 589 (2018).
[4] M. Ha et al., “Printable and Stretchable Giant Magnetoresistive Sensors for Highly Compliant and Skin-Conformal Electronics”, Adv. Mater. 33, 2005521 (2021).
[5] P. Makushko et al., “Flexible Magnetoreceptor with Tunable Intrinsic Logic for On-Skin Touchless Human-Machine Interfaces”, Adv. Funct. Mater. 31, 2101089 (2021).
[6] G. S. Canon Bermudez et al., “Magnetosensitive e-skins with directional perception for augmented reality”, Science Advances 4, eaao2623 (2018).
[7] M. Ha et al., “Reconfigurable Magnetic Origami Actuators with On-Board Sensing for Guided Assembly”, Adv. Mater. 33, 2008751 (2021).
[8] J. Ge et al., “A bimodal soft electronic skin for tactile and touchless interaction in real time”, Nature Communications 10, 4405 (2019).