Conductive Bonding and System Architectures for High‐Performance Flexible Electronics

ABSTRACT Flexible and stretchable electronics are rapidly advancing toward applications ranging from wearable health monitors to soft robotics and space technologies. Both systems composed entirely of flexible components and hybrid architectures that integrate rigid, high‐performance chips with ultrathin substrates critically depend on reliable device‐to‐device bonding. Conventional packaging approaches often fail under low‐temperature processing conditions or large mechanical deformations, highlighting the need for alternative strategies. This review summarizes recent progress in bonding technologies, including low‐melting‐point solders, anisotropic conductive films/adhesives, surface‐activated bonding, hydrogels, liquid metals, and carbon nanotube‐based dry adhesives. In parallel, system‐level design strategies—such as ultrathin architectures, neutral mechanical plane engineering, buffer layers, island–bridge layouts, Kirigami‐inspired structures, and 3D multilayer integration—are emphasized as essential for mitigating strain and maintaining electrical continuity. Finally, we propose a co‐design framework linking materials, processes, and architectures, providing practical guidelines to tailor bonding approaches to diverse device configurations and application environments.