Self-healing electronics demonstrated.
A University of Illinois team has found a way to make electronic circuits that are able to repair themselves in the event of a failure.
Microchips or small wires in circuits can be prone to overheating or breaking due to fatigue, and are normally replaced when needed. In military or space transport applications however, replacement is not always an option.
The Illinois team previously developed a system for self-healing polymer materials and decided to adapt their technique for conductive systems. They dispersed tiny microcapsules, as small as 10 microns (millionths of a meter) in diameter, on top of a gold line functioning as a circuit. As a crack propagates, the microcapsules break open and release the liquid metal contained inside. The liquid metal fills in the gap in the circuit, restoring electrical flow.
The team plans to next apply the system to use the microcapsules to build longer lasting, safer batteries.