Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Beyond wires: Bubble technology powers next-generation electronics:New laser-based bubble printing technique creates ultra-flexible liquid metal circuits

Through laser-induced microbubbles, EGaIn colloidal particles are precisely arranged on a glass surface, creating ultrathin, conductive, and flexible wiring.

Credit
Yokohama National University
Through laser-induced microbubbles, EGaIn colloidal particles are precisely arranged on a glass surface, creating ultrathin, conductive, and flexible wiring. Credit Yokohama National University

Abstract:
As tiny as bubbles may seem, in engineers’ hands they can spark big innovations.

Beyond wires: Bubble technology powers next-generation electronics:New laser-based bubble printing technique creates ultra-flexible liquid metal circuits

Yokohama, Japan | Posted on November 8th, 2024

Yokohama National University scientists have developed a promising bubble printing method that enables high-precision patterning of liquid metal wiring for flexible electronics. This technique offers new options for creating bendable, stretchable, and highly conductive circuits, ideal for devices such as wearable sensors and medical implants.

Their study was published in Nanomaterials on Oct. 17.

Wiring technology is part of our daily lives. This technology creates pathways that connect electronic components, carrying signals and power throughout a device. Traditional wiring — made of physical wires and circuit boards — powers most electronics, from phones to computers. With growing demand for wearable electronic devices, however, traditional wiring is revealing inadequacies.

“Conventional wiring technologies rely on rigid conductive materials, which are unsuitable for flexible electronics that need to bend and stretch,” said Shoji Maruo, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering of Yokohama National University and corresponding author of the study.

Alternatives to such rigid materials, like liquid metals, show promise, but using them comes with certain challenges.

“Liquid metals provide both flexibility and high conductivity, yet they present issues in wiring size, patterning freedom, and electrical resistance of its oxide layer,” said Masaru Mukai, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Engineering and the study’s first author.

The research team addressed these limitations by adapting a bubble printing method — traditionally used for solid particles — to pattern liquid metal colloidal particles of eutectic gallium-indium alloy (EGaIn). Bubble printing is an advanced technique for creating precise wiring patterns directly onto surfaces, especially on non-traditional or flexible substrates, using particles that are moved by the flow generated by bubbles.

The team employed a femtosecond laser beam to heat the EGaIn particles, generating microbubbles that guide them into exact lines on a flexible-glass surface.

“The key is to improve conductivity by replacing the resistive gallium oxide layer with conductive silver via galvanic replacement,” Maruo said.

The resulting wiring lines were not only incredibly thin and conductive, but also highly flexible.

“Our liquid metal wiring, with a minimum line width of 3.4 μm, demonstrated a high conductivity of 1.5 × 105 S/m and maintained stable conductivity even when bent, highlighting its potential for flexible electronic applications,” Mukai said.

By achieving reliable, ultra-thin liquid metal wiring, this method opens up possibilities for creating soft electronics in wearable technology and healthcare applications, where both flexibility and precise functionality are essential.

The team aims to further enhance the flexibility and elasticity of their liquid metal wiring by incorporating even more adaptable substrates.

“Our ultimate goal is to integrate this method with electronic components, such as organic devices, enabling practical, flexible devices for everyday use,” Maruo said. “We see potential applications in areas like wearable sensors, medical devices, and other technologies that require flexible, durable wiring.”

Tatsuya Kobayashi, Mitsuki Sato, Juri Asada, Kazuhide Ueno and Taichi Furukawa at Yokohama National University contributed to this research. JST CREST JPMJCR1905 helped support this research.

####

About Yokohama National University
Yokohama National University (YNU or Yokokoku) is a Japanese national university founded in 1949. YNU provides students with a practical education utilizing the wide expertise of its faculty and facilitates engagement with the global community. YNU’s strength in the academic research of practical application sciences leads to high-impact publications and contributes to international scientific research and the global society. For more information, please see: https://www.ynu.ac.jp/english/

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Akiko Tsumura
Yokohama National University

Office: 81-453-393-213

Copyright © Yokohama National University

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

Article Title

Related News Press

News and information

Nanoparticle bursts over the Amazon rainforest: Rainfall induces bursts of natural nanoparticles that can form clouds and further precipitation over the Amazon rainforest November 8th, 2024

Nanotechnology: Flexible biosensors with modular design November 8th, 2024

Exosomes: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diabetic cardiomyopathy November 8th, 2024

Turning up the signal November 8th, 2024

Wearable electronics

Nanofibrous metal oxide semiconductor for sensory face November 8th, 2024

CityU awarded invention: Soft, ultrathin photonic material cools down wearable electronic devices June 30th, 2023

Flexible Electronics

Electrons screen against conductivity-killer in organic semiconductors: The discovery is the first step towards creating effective organic semiconductors, which use significantly less water and energy, and produce far less waste than their inorganic counterparts February 16th, 2024

CityU awarded invention: Soft, ultrathin photonic material cools down wearable electronic devices June 30th, 2023

Liquid metal sticks to surfaces without a binding agent June 9th, 2023

Possible Futures

Nanotechnology: Flexible biosensors with modular design November 8th, 2024

Exosomes: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diabetic cardiomyopathy November 8th, 2024

Turning up the signal November 8th, 2024

Nanofibrous metal oxide semiconductor for sensory face November 8th, 2024

Sensors

Nanotechnology: Flexible biosensors with modular design November 8th, 2024

Nanofibrous metal oxide semiconductor for sensory face November 8th, 2024

Groundbreaking precision in single-molecule optoelectronics August 16th, 2024

Innovative sensing platform unlocks ultrahigh sensitivity in conventional sensors: Lan Yang and her team have developed new plug-and-play hardware to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of optical sensors April 5th, 2024

Discoveries

Breaking carbon–hydrogen bonds to make complex molecules November 8th, 2024

Exosomes: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diabetic cardiomyopathy November 8th, 2024

Turning up the signal November 8th, 2024

Nanofibrous metal oxide semiconductor for sensory face November 8th, 2024

Announcements

Nanotechnology: Flexible biosensors with modular design November 8th, 2024

Exosomes: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diabetic cardiomyopathy November 8th, 2024

Turning up the signal November 8th, 2024

Nanofibrous metal oxide semiconductor for sensory face November 8th, 2024

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Nanoparticle bursts over the Amazon rainforest: Rainfall induces bursts of natural nanoparticles that can form clouds and further precipitation over the Amazon rainforest November 8th, 2024

Nanotechnology: Flexible biosensors with modular design November 8th, 2024

Exosomes: A potential biomarker and therapeutic target in diabetic cardiomyopathy November 8th, 2024

Turning up the signal November 8th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project