Quasi‐1D silicon nanowires (SiNWs) field effect transistors (FETs) integrated upon large‐area elastomers are advantageous candidates for developing various high‐performance stretchable electronics and displays. In this work, it is demonstrated that an orderly array of slim SiNW channels, with a diameter of 10⁵ and 134 ‐ 277 mV decade⁻¹, respectively, working stably in an ambient environment over 270 days without any passivation protection. These results indicate a promising new routine to batch‐manufacture and integrate high‐performance, scalable and stretchable SiNW‐FET electronics that can work stably in harsh and large‐strain environments, which is a key capability for future practical flexible display and wearable electronic applications.

Ultracompact and soft pairwise grippers, capable of swift large-amplitude multi-dimensional maneuvering, are widely needed for high-precision manipulation, assembly and treatment of microscale objects. In this work, we demonstrate the simplest construction of such robotic structures, shaped via a single-nanowire-morphing and powered by geometry-tailored Lorentz vectorial forces. This has been accomplished via a designable folding growth of ultralong and ultrathin silicon NWs into single and nested omega-ring structures, which can then be suspended upon electrode frames and coated with silver metal layer to carry a passing current along geometry-tailored pathway. Within a magnetic field, the grippers can be driven by the Lorentz forces to demonstrate swift large-amplitude maneuvers of grasping, flapping and twisting of microscale objects, as well as high-frequency or even resonant vibrations to overcome sticky van de Waals forces in microscale for a reliable releasing of carried payloads. More sophisticated and functional teamwork of mutual alignment, precise passing and selective light-emitting-diode unit testing and installation were also successfully accomplished via pairwise gripper collaborations. This single-nanowire-morphing strategy provides an ideal platform to rapidly design, construct and prototype a wide range of advanced ultracompact nanorobotic, mechanical sensing and biological manipulation functionalities.

Soft electronics, which are designed to function under mechanical deformation (such as bending, stretching, and folding), have become essential in applications like wearable electronics, artificial skin, and brain-machine interfaces. Crystalline silicon is one of the most mature and reliable materials for high-performance electronics; however, its intrinsic brittleness and rigidity pose challenges for integrating it into soft electronics. Recent research has focused on overcoming these limitations by utilizing structural design techniques to impart flexibility and stretchability to Si-based materials, such as transforming them into thin nanomembranes or nanowires. This review summarizes key strategies in geometry engineering for integrating crystalline silicon into soft electronics, from the use of hard silicon islands to creating out-of-plane foldable silicon nanofilms on flexible substrates, and ultimately to shaping silicon nanowires using vapor–liquid–solid or in-plane solid–liquid–solid techniques. We explore the latest developments in Si-based soft electronic devices, with applications in sensors, nanoprobes, robotics, and brain-machine interfaces. Finally, the paper discusses the current challenges in the field and outlines future research directions to enable the widespread adoption of silicon-based flexible electronics.