Thermal Transfer-Enabled Rapid Printing of Liquid Metal Circuits on Multiple Substrates.

Abstract

Low-cost, rapid patterning of liquid metal on various substrates is a key processing step for liquid metal-based soft electronics. Current patterning methods rely on expensive equipment and specific substrates, which severely limit their widespread applications. Based on surface adhesion adjustment of liquid metal through thermal transferring toner patterns, we present a universal printing technique of liquid metal circuits. Without using any expensive processing steps or equipment, the circuit patterns can be printed quickly on thermal transfer paper using a desktop laser printer, and a toner on the thermal transfer paper can be transferred to various smooth substrates and polymer-coated rough substrates. The technique has yielded liquid metal circuits with a minimum linewidth of 50 μm fabricated on various smooth, rough, and three-dimensional substrates with complex morphology. The liquid metal circuits can maintain their functions even under an extreme strain of 800%. Various circuits such as LED arrays, multiple sensors, a flexible display, a heating circuit, a radiofrequency identification circuit, and a 12-lead electrocardiogram circuit on various substrates have been demonstrated, indicating the great potential of such a technique to rapidly achieve large-area flexible circuits for wearable health monitoring, internet of things, and consumer electronics at low cost and high efficiency.