Connecting the Dots: Sintering of Liquid Metal Particles for Soft and Stretchable Conductors

Abstract

This review focuses on the sintering of liquid metal particles (LMPs). Here, sintering means the partial merging or connecting of particles (or droplets) to form a network of percolated and, thus, conductive electrical pathways. LMPs are attractive materials because they can be suspended in a carrier fluid to create printable inks or distributed in an elastomer to create soft, stretchable composites. However, films and traces of LMPs are not typically conductive as fabricated due to the native oxide that forms on the surface of the particles. In the case of composites, polymers can also get between particles, making sintering more challenging. Sintering can be done via a variety of ways, such as mechanical, thermal, and chemical processing. This review discusses the mechanisms to sinter these particles, patterning techniques that use sintering, unique properties of sintered LMPs, and their practical applications in fields such as stretchable electronics, soft robotics, and active materials.