Liquid Metal Technology: Technologies, Applications, Practice and State-of-the-Art

Liquid metals based on gallium have remarkable properties: melting points below room temperature, water-like viscosity, low-toxicity, and effectively zero vapor pressure (they do not evaporate). These properties are useful for making best-in-class stretchable conductors. Despite the large surface tension of liquid metal, they can be patterned into non-spherical shapes (cones, wires, antennas) due to a thin, oxide skin that forms rapidly on its surface. This course will discuss patterning techniques, applications, and emerging opportunities with liquid metals.