Liquid Metal-Enhanced Composite Conductive Ink with Improved Electrical Stability and Durability for Flexible Electronics

Abstract

For flexible electronics, conductive ink is a critical material with diverse applications. However, conventional inks, like those based on nano-silver, are expensive and result in printed patterns with limited conductivity stability. To address these limitations and enhance overall electrical performance, stability, and durability, this study developed a novel composite conductive ink incorporating liquid metal and silver microparticles. We fabricated conductive patterns and extensively investigated the sintering process, focusing on how liquid metal content and sintering techniques affect the resulting patterns' electrical performance and stability. Our findings reveal that incorporating liquid metal introduces a slight trade-off in the initial conductivity. However, subsequent thermal and hot-press sintering treatments significantly improve conductivity, with hot-press sintering leading to the most pronounced enhancement. Furthermore, the addition of liquid metal substantially bolsters the electrical stability of the patterns. Notably, conductive patterns fabricated using a 1:1 mass ratio of the ink exhibit $∆R/R_0$ values of only 1.72 and 0.432 after 5000 bending cycles, following thermal and hot-press sintering, respectively. This highlights the significant improvement in electrical stability and durability achieved by incorporating liquid metal into the conductive ink.