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Published on: June 23, 2017
Femtosecond laser preparing patternable liquid-metal-repellent surface for flexible electronics
Jingzhou Zhang1, Keyue Zhang2, Jiale Yong1
1State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Photonics Technology for Information, School of Electronics & Information Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
Femtosecond laser processing creates durable, patternable liquid-metal-repellent surfaces on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This enables precise patterning of liquid metals for applications in soft electronics like microheaters and antennas.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Soft Electronics
Background:
- Controlling liquid metal wetting is crucial for soft electronics.
- Existing methods for creating liquid-metal-repellent surfaces are often complex and lack durability.
- Femtosecond laser technology offers a novel approach to surface modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple and flexible method for creating durable and patternable liquid-metal-repellent surfaces.
- To investigate the use of femtosecond laser processing for controlling liquid metal wettability.
- To demonstrate the application of laser-patterned surfaces in soft electronic devices.
Main Methods:
- Femtosecond laser ablation was used to create micro/nanostructures on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces.
- Surface morphology was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy.
- Liquid metal wettability was characterized by contact angle, sliding angle, and adhesive force measurements.
Main Results:
- Direct preparation of micro/nanostructures on PDMS resulted in excellent liquid-metal repellence.
- Programmable liquid-metal-repellent patterns were achieved without masks or complex processes.
- Patterned liquid metal (EGaIn) demonstrated functionality as a flexible microheater and microstrip patch antenna.
Conclusions:
- Femtosecond laser processing provides an effective and versatile method for fabricating liquid-metal-repellent surfaces.
- Laser-patterned liquid metal on these surfaces holds significant potential for various soft electronic applications.
- This technique facilitates the development of advanced antennas, microcircuits, lab-on-chips, and wearable devices.
