2026 Volume 94 Issue 2 Pages 027014
Two-dimensional (2D) metal microstructures are widely used in advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices, however, their low-cost and high-efficiency patterned fabrication remains a significant challenge. This study developed a maskless and flexible light-induced electrochemical deposition (LED) method for the 2D patterned deposition of Cu on the surface of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) coated conductive glass. The study systematically has investigated the influence of key parameters (e.g., deposition potential, electrode gap, and light source) on the deposition process, has successfully fabricated complex Cu micro-patterns with clear feature edges and dense morphology, and the specific composition of the sediment was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The as-prepared microstructures exhibit a maximum dimension of less than 200 µm, and the minimum characteristic dimension of the deposited structures is 10 µm. This work realizes low-cost fabrication of 2D microstructures via a commercial projector. This study confirms the feasibility and superiority of LED technology in direct writing of 2D metal patterns, providing a promising low-cost solution for the rapid manufacturing of components such as flexible circuits and metal grid transparent electrodes.
