Title: A Micromoldable Liquid Metal for Ultra-Stretchable Electronics Speaker: Dr. Michael Dickey, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University Date/Time: Monday, April 12, 2010, 10:00 am Location: CSRI Building/Room 90 (Sandia NM) Brief Abstract:Conventional electronics are typically fabricated from rigid materials (e.g., silicon for transistors, copper for antennas). New materials are being explored as candidates for flexible electronics because of the novel applications that emerge from their mechanical properties. Examples include flexible displays, implantable devices, and electronic textiles. While the flexibility of current devices stems from thin-film geometries, rigid materials cannot be stretched or deformed significantly without inducing irreversible damage. Liquids flow in response to stress and are therefore highly deformable; most liquids, however, have low electrical conductivities, tend to evaporate, and cannot be micromolded into desirable shapes because they typically resolve to hemispherical shapes to minimize surface energy. This talk focuses on a gallium-based metal alloy that is a liquid at room-temperature with low-viscosity (water-like) and high conductivity and has mechanical properties that are governed by a thin, passivating oxide skin with highly-tunable characteristics. The presence of the skin allows the low-viscosity fluid to be micromolded into desirable structures and to form mechanically stable components in microfluidic channels at room temperature. Since the metal flows in response to stress, it can be elongated by orders of magnitude more than conventional materials. The ability to shape the liquid metal holds great promise for forming soft and highly deformable electronics, such as conformal electrodes, stretchable antennas, and self-healing wires. The talk will discuss the properties of the metal alloy and methods to mold and shape the metal to form ultra-stretchable electronics. CSRI POC: Elebeoba May, (505) 844-9933 |