Strain-controlled diffraction of light from stretchable liquid metal micro-components

Mohammed G. Mohammed; Michael D. Dickey

doi:10.1016/j.sna.2013.01.031

Strain-controlled diffraction of light from stretchable liquid metal micro-components

Mohammed G. Mohammed
, Michael D. Dickey^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper elucidates and characterizes the origin of the spectrum of colors that appear on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels filled with liquid metal. The use of an oxygen plasma to seal the PDMS microchannels results in a thin oxide layer on the walls of the channels that buckles under compression to create diffractive corrugations. The liquid metal reflects the light from these corrugations. The thin layer of gallium oxide that forms on the metal improves the adhesion of the metal to the walls and thereby keeps it conformal with the corrugations during the buckling process. The conformal coating of metal makes the diffraction pattern more evident than if the metal was placed directly onto a pre-corrugated surface. This approach represents a simple method of fabricating soft diffractive elements with lithographically defined shapes that can be switched between a metallic and a colored state in response to compression; this feature may be used to sense compressive forces optically or for inherently aligned diffractive elements for optofluidics.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	246-250
Number of pages	5
Journal	Sensors and Actuators A: Physical
Volume	193
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2013.01.031
State	Published - 2013
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Michael Dickey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1999) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas (2006) under his advisor, Professor C. Grant Willson. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor George M. Whitesides at Harvard University (2006–2008). He is currently an assistant professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State where he is a University Faculty Scholar. He received the NSF CAREER Award, the Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award, the NCSU Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Alcoa Foundation Research Award. His research interests include unconventional nanofabrication, stretchable electronics, soft actuators, interfacial phenomena, and polymers.

Funding Information:
This work was supported by NSF CAREER Award Number 0954321. We thank Prof. Michael Escuti for helpful discussions of the optics.

Keywords

Buckles
Diffraction grating
Liquid metal
Microfluidics
Stretchable electronics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Instrumentation
Condensed Matter Physics
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Metals and Alloys
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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Cite this

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title = "Strain-controlled diffraction of light from stretchable liquid metal micro-components",

abstract = "This paper elucidates and characterizes the origin of the spectrum of colors that appear on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels filled with liquid metal. The use of an oxygen plasma to seal the PDMS microchannels results in a thin oxide layer on the walls of the channels that buckles under compression to create diffractive corrugations. The liquid metal reflects the light from these corrugations. The thin layer of gallium oxide that forms on the metal improves the adhesion of the metal to the walls and thereby keeps it conformal with the corrugations during the buckling process. The conformal coating of metal makes the diffraction pattern more evident than if the metal was placed directly onto a pre-corrugated surface. This approach represents a simple method of fabricating soft diffractive elements with lithographically defined shapes that can be switched between a metallic and a colored state in response to compression; this feature may be used to sense compressive forces optically or for inherently aligned diffractive elements for optofluidics.",

keywords = "Buckles, Diffraction grating, Liquid metal, Microfluidics, Stretchable electronics",

author = "Mohammed, \{Mohammed G.\} and Dickey, \{Michael D.\}",

note = "Funding Information: Michael Dickey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1999) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas (2006) under his advisor, Professor C. Grant Willson. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor George M. Whitesides at Harvard University (2006–2008). He is currently an assistant professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State where he is a University Faculty Scholar. He received the NSF CAREER Award, the Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award, the NCSU Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Alcoa Foundation Research Award. His research interests include unconventional nanofabrication, stretchable electronics, soft actuators, interfacial phenomena, and polymers. Funding Information: This work was supported by NSF CAREER Award Number 0954321. We thank Prof. Michael Escuti for helpful discussions of the optics. ",

year = "2013",

doi = "10.1016/j.sna.2013.01.031",

language = "English",

volume = "193",

pages = "246--250",

journal = "Sensors and Actuators A: Physical",

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T1 - Strain-controlled diffraction of light from stretchable liquid metal micro-components

AU - Mohammed, Mohammed G.

AU - Dickey, Michael D.

N1 - Funding Information: Michael Dickey received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1999) from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas (2006) under his advisor, Professor C. Grant Willson. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor George M. Whitesides at Harvard University (2006–2008). He is currently an assistant professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State where he is a University Faculty Scholar. He received the NSF CAREER Award, the Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award, the NCSU Outstanding Teacher Award, and the Alcoa Foundation Research Award. His research interests include unconventional nanofabrication, stretchable electronics, soft actuators, interfacial phenomena, and polymers. Funding Information: This work was supported by NSF CAREER Award Number 0954321. We thank Prof. Michael Escuti for helpful discussions of the optics.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - This paper elucidates and characterizes the origin of the spectrum of colors that appear on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels filled with liquid metal. The use of an oxygen plasma to seal the PDMS microchannels results in a thin oxide layer on the walls of the channels that buckles under compression to create diffractive corrugations. The liquid metal reflects the light from these corrugations. The thin layer of gallium oxide that forms on the metal improves the adhesion of the metal to the walls and thereby keeps it conformal with the corrugations during the buckling process. The conformal coating of metal makes the diffraction pattern more evident than if the metal was placed directly onto a pre-corrugated surface. This approach represents a simple method of fabricating soft diffractive elements with lithographically defined shapes that can be switched between a metallic and a colored state in response to compression; this feature may be used to sense compressive forces optically or for inherently aligned diffractive elements for optofluidics.

AB - This paper elucidates and characterizes the origin of the spectrum of colors that appear on the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels filled with liquid metal. The use of an oxygen plasma to seal the PDMS microchannels results in a thin oxide layer on the walls of the channels that buckles under compression to create diffractive corrugations. The liquid metal reflects the light from these corrugations. The thin layer of gallium oxide that forms on the metal improves the adhesion of the metal to the walls and thereby keeps it conformal with the corrugations during the buckling process. The conformal coating of metal makes the diffraction pattern more evident than if the metal was placed directly onto a pre-corrugated surface. This approach represents a simple method of fabricating soft diffractive elements with lithographically defined shapes that can be switched between a metallic and a colored state in response to compression; this feature may be used to sense compressive forces optically or for inherently aligned diffractive elements for optofluidics.

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KW - Diffraction grating

KW - Liquid metal

KW - Microfluidics

KW - Stretchable electronics

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DO - 10.1016/j.sna.2013.01.031

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JO - Sensors and Actuators A: Physical

JF - Sensors and Actuators A: Physical

ER -

Strain-controlled diffraction of light from stretchable liquid metal micro-components

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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