With the scaling of dimensions, the control of transistor gates weakens due to increased source-drain tunneling. Therefore, reducing the thickness of the transistor body is necessary to ensure effective electrostatic control. The utilization of new materials such as "ultra-thin" 2D semiconducting materials has garnered attention.
Recent advancements in soft electronics have garnered significant attention owing to their potential applications in personalized, mobile, and wearable electronic devices. However, conventional electronic/optoelectronic devices often face challenges due to mechanical mismatches with soft human tissues, resulting in issues such as device fracture under deformation and user discomfort.
Wearable biosensors represent a promising opportunity to monitor human physiology through dynamic measurements of (bio)chemical markers in bio-fluids such as sweat, tears, saliva, and interstitial fluid in continuous and non-invasive way.
Extreme thinness can reduce the weight of electronics, significantly decreasing discomfort when worn. Furthermore, it also enhances their mechanical robustness against bending, as the applied strain is determined by the material's softness and device thickness.
Through its appealing avenues of processing the component devices at room temperature and from low-cost precursor materials, organic electronics has a tremendous potential for the development of products able to achieve the goals of production sustainability as well as environmental and human friendliness for electronics.
Human skin sensing of mechanical stimuli originates from transduction of mechanoreceptors that converts external forces into electrical signals. While imitating the spatial distribution of those mechanoreceptors can enable developments of electronic skins capable of decoupled sensing of normal/shear forces and strains, it remains elusive.
Unlike visual or auditory stimuli, touch commands immediate attention and elicits instinctive reactions, making it essential for environmental interactions, personal safety, and emotional connections. Recent advancements in bioelectronics have transformed traditional haptic devices into wearable systems, unlocking new possibilities for tactile interactions. However, existing wearable haptics are often constrained by unimodal feedback, continuous energy demands, and attachment challenges.
This talk will discuss efforts to take advantage of liquid metals to directly print both metallic and oxide thin films at ambient conditions. The metal is a gallium-based metal alloy that is a low-viscosity liquid at room temperature with low toxicity and negligible vapor pressure. Despite the large surface tension of the metal, it can be printed into non-spherical shapes due to the presence of an ultra-thin surface oxide skin.
