Large-Scale and High-Resolution Patterning of Magnetic Liquid Metal Nanohybrid for Stretchable Circuits

Abstract

The pursuit of highly flexible and stretchable electronics has generated significant interest in liquid metal (LM) materials due to their remarkable mechanical and electrical properties. However, fully exploiting LM's potential has been hampered by challenges in patterning them at high-resolution and integrating them on a large-scale, thereby limiting their control and practical applications. By modifying the surface of the LM oxide, we introduced sub-10 nm nanomagnets on the LM surface, creating magnetic LM nanohybrid particles (MagLPs). Applying a patterned external magnetic field, we achieved precise assembly of the MagLPs, enabling the high-resolution patterning of LM electrodes at ultrathin thicknesses (similar to 1 mu m). The patterned MagLPs were subsequently transferred onto a stretchable substrate and demonstrated excellent mechanical and electrical characteristics (similar to 10 000 S/cm). Utilizing a photolithographically fabricated magnetic template, MagLP networks were patterned in wafer-scale production. This technique offers an unconventional engineering approach to the fabrication of stretchable electronics.