POS3-0731
Shape-Programmable and Recyclable Epoxy Covalent Adaptable Network Substrates for Free-Form Thin-Film Electronics
Topic
S3. Processing / Fabrications (Emerging Horizons in Polymer Processing and Fabrication)
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Gyeong Hwan Choi (Pusan National University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Polymeric substrates are essential components of flexible electronics, governing mechanical stability, process compatibility, and the final device geometry. However, conventional flexible substrates primarily act as passive supports, with limited ability to fix programmed three-dimensional shapes after device fabrication or enable material recovery at end of life. In particular, direct fabrication on curved or non-planar surfaces can reduce the uniformity and reproducibility of thin-film deposition, patterning, and alignment. Therefore, a substrate that enables planar device fabrication followed by programmable three-dimensional shaping is highly desirable.
Here, we present an epoxy-based covalent adaptable network (E-CAN) as a multifunctional substrate platform for thin-film electronics. The optimized E-CAN-R2.3 combines epoxy-like mechanical and thermal robustness with dynamic topology rearrangement through transesterification and disulfide exchange. This allows thin-film devices to be fabricated in a planar configuration and subsequently programmed into target curvatures or free-form structures through thermal activation. The E-CAN platform supports n-channel In₂O₃ and p-channel Se–Te/TeOₓ thin-film transistors that maintain stable electrical performance under bending, as well as complementary logic gates and six-transistor static random-access memory cells. Furthermore, E-CAN-R2.3 can be recycled through both solid-state mechanical reprocessing and chemical depolymerization–repolymerization while retaining its thermal, mechanical, and shape-programming capabilities under optimized conditions. This work establishes a recyclable and shape-programmable substrate platform that enables sustainable free-form thin-film electronics without sacrificing device performance.
Here, we present an epoxy-based covalent adaptable network (E-CAN) as a multifunctional substrate platform for thin-film electronics. The optimized E-CAN-R2.3 combines epoxy-like mechanical and thermal robustness with dynamic topology rearrangement through transesterification and disulfide exchange. This allows thin-film devices to be fabricated in a planar configuration and subsequently programmed into target curvatures or free-form structures through thermal activation. The E-CAN platform supports n-channel In₂O₃ and p-channel Se–Te/TeOₓ thin-film transistors that maintain stable electrical performance under bending, as well as complementary logic gates and six-transistor static random-access memory cells. Furthermore, E-CAN-R2.3 can be recycled through both solid-state mechanical reprocessing and chemical depolymerization–repolymerization while retaining its thermal, mechanical, and shape-programming capabilities under optimized conditions. This work establishes a recyclable and shape-programmable substrate platform that enables sustainable free-form thin-film electronics without sacrificing device performance.
