"In a multilayer integrated circuit, there's no opening it up," Nancy Sottos, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said in a statement. "Normally you just replace the whole chip. It's true for a battery too. You can't pull a battery apart and try to find the source of the failure."
To get around the need for external intervention and diagnostics (which may not be readily available for spacecraft or defense-based aircraft, for example), the researchers adapted a previous technique they'd developed for self-healing polymer materials.
They placed tiny microcapsules (as small as 10 microns in diameter) filled with liquid metal on top of a gold line functioning as a circuit. When the circuit cracks, the microcapsules break open, releasing the liquid gallium-indium alloy into the gap and restoring electrical flow--up to 99 percent in most cases. The liquid does its bidding in less time than it takes to blink.
This has so many applications. Cell phones, computers, and someday even medical devices could benefit from this advancement. Imagine what we could do for the environment if we didn't have to treat electronics like disposable equipment. For those times when devices must have a zero percent failure rate, this can help reach that goal. And it's just spiffy to watch technology develop. I have a feeling this is only the beginning of a trend towards finding ways to get more out of their electronics.
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