Implantable thin-films have a variety of uses but due to their geometry and size, they are extremely fragile. The present disclosure presents devices and apparatuses for implantable thin-film probes capable of maintaining their thin-film structure through implantation through the use of degradable sacrificial layers to plant or deposit a thin film structure via a rigid substrate and remove the rigid substrate once the sacrificial layer has dissolved. The disclosed structures and methods are in reference to biocompatible films for use in vivo, but other environments and uses may also benefit from the disclosed structures and techniques, such as prosthetic/assistive devices, chronic deep tissue electrical stimulation, electrical field-directed cell migration for wound healing, nerve/neuron rehabilitation, etc.
