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High-Resolution Stretchable Soft Liquid Metal Circuits Based on Cu-Ga Alloying and Femtosecond Laser Ablation
Jia-Rui Zhang1, Ang Li1, Xi-Lin Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, JLU Region, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 13, 2025
Summary
This study presents a new method for creating flexible conductive materials using liquid metal and copper composite electrodes (LM@Cu). These advanced electrodes offer high conductivity and durability for wearable electronics and biomedical devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electronics Engineering
Background:
- Flexible electronic circuits are essential for advanced applications like biomedical devices and wearable sensors.
- Liquid metal (LM) offers unique conductivity but faces challenges in patterning due to high surface tension.
- Developing robust, stretchable, and conductive materials is crucial for next-generation flexible electronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable and simple fabrication method for patterned liquid metal and copper composite electrodes (LM@Cu) on flexible substrates.
- To overcome the patterning difficulties associated with liquid metal's high surface tension.
- To demonstrate the potential of LM@Cu electrodes in various wearable electronic applications.
Main Methods:
- Utilized femtosecond laser ablation for precise micro-nanofabrication of LM@Cu electrodes.
- Incorporated ultrathin copper foils to enhance liquid metal wettability and enable alloying.
- Investigated the electromechanical properties of the fabricated electrodes under various mechanical stresses.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-resolution (approx. 5 μm) patterned LM@Cu electrodes with superior electrical conductivity (4.08 × 10^4 S/cm).
- Successfully fabricated both planar and 3D-patterned LM@Cu circuits on flexible substrates like PDMS hemispheres.
- Demonstrated self-healing capabilities after damage through simple brush coating, owing to LM's fluidity.
- Showcased applications in stretchable luminous wristbands, flexible strain sensors, and thermotherapy panels.
Conclusions:
- Femtosecond laser ablation provides a facile and scalable method for fabricating high-performance LM@Cu electrodes.
- The LM@Cu composite electrodes exhibit excellent conductivity, stretchability, stability, and self-healing properties.
- This fabrication approach holds significant promise for advancing wearable electronics and flexible biomedical devices.
