Circuit traces, circuit elements, and electronic devices

Abstract

The application discloses a circuit trace, a circuit element and an electronic device. The circuit trace comprises a solid-state metal trace, a liquid-state metal trace and a connecting structure. The connecting structure is connected between the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace to realize physical isolation and electrical connection between the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace. The circuit trace provided by the application avoids corrosion of the liquid-state metal trace on the solid-state metal trace by arranging the connecting structure, improves the reliability of the circuit trace, and thus effectively enhances the integrity of signals transmitted through the circuit trace.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of circuit connection technology, and in particular to a circuit trace, circuit element, and electronic device having solid metal traces and liquid metal traces. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of circuit connection technology, circuit traces need to meet diverse requirements. Due to the unique atomic structure of liquid metal, it possesses excellent elasticity, shape retention, bending resistance, and wear resistance. Therefore, liquid metal can be manufactured into liquid metal traces, which are widely used in circuit connections. However, liquid metal traces can corrode solid metal traces, resulting in poor reliability of the circuit traces formed between the two, and consequently, poor signal integrity transmitted through these traces. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a circuit trace, circuit element, electronic device, and a method for manufacturing the circuit element, which have liquid metal traces and solid metal traces. The circuit trace can effectively prevent the liquid metal trace from corroding the solid metal trace, thereby ensuring sufficient reliability of the circuit trace and enabling the signal transmitted through the circuit trace to have better integrity.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a circuit trace, which includes a solid metal trace, a liquid metal trace, and a connection structure. The connection structure is used to physically isolate the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. A portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts the solid metal trace, and another portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts the liquid metal trace. The connection structure is electrically connected between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace to form a conductive path between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace.

[0005] Specifically, solid metal traces are made of solid metal, and various materials can be used to make them, as long as they meet the corresponding conductivity requirements. In one specific embodiment, copper is used to make the solid metal traces. Liquid metal traces are made of liquid metal. It should be noted that liquid metal is an amorphous metal, a large class of novel alloy materials. It is mainly prepared using a low-temperature melting process, in which different metal materials are fully fused together according to a certain ratio and temperature control to form a new metal material. Due to the special atomic structure of liquid metal, it has excellent tensile properties, bending resistance, and wear resistance.

[0006] The connection structure can be conductive adhesive or other similar materials with conductive and insulating functions.

[0007] The connection structure, sandwiched between solid-state and liquid-state metal traces, provides physical isolation between them, thereby improving the reliability of the circuit traces and ensuring better signal integrity. Physical isolation means that there is no direct contact between the solid-state and liquid-state metal traces. Understandably, the connection structure should possess conductivity to guarantee circuit integrity, allowing for effective signal transmission between the solid-state and liquid-state metal traces. Furthermore, the conductivity of the connection structure should fall between that of the liquid-state and solid-state metal traces to effectively act as a conductivity transition, thus significantly improving the stability of signal transmission quality when transmitted through the circuit traces.

[0008] The circuit traces provided in this application, by setting a connection structure between solid metal traces and liquid metal traces, enable the solid metal traces to be electrically connected to the liquid metal traces while effectively achieving physical isolation between the two, avoiding corrosion of the solid metal traces by the liquid metal traces, improving the reliability of the circuit traces, and thus effectively enhancing the integrity of signals transmitted through the circuit traces.

[0009] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace partially overlap to form an overlapping region. At least a portion of the connecting structure is disposed within the overlapping region and sandwiched between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. In this structure, the solid metal trace, the connecting structure, and the liquid metal trace are sequentially stacked in the overlapping region to form a "sandwich" shape, thereby effectively ensuring physical isolation and electrical connection between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, and improving the reliability of the circuit traces.

[0010] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are coplanar and have no overlapping area. An isolation region is formed between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, and the connection structure is housed within the isolation region. Filling the isolation region between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace with a connection structure, such as conductive adhesive, reduces the contact risk between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace and effectively achieves the electrical connection between them.

[0011] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an end surface, with the end surface connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. A portion of the connection structure overlaps the top surface. When the connection structure is only housed within an isolation zone, the connection stability between the connection structure and the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace is low, and there is a risk of open circuit between the connection structure and both, resulting in signal transmission failure. The design of a portion of the connection structure overlapping the top surface provides better connection stability between the conductive adhesive and the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace, thereby effectively improving the reliability of the connection structure. Similarly, a portion of the connection structure can also overlap the top surface of the liquid metal trace.

[0012] In one embodiment, the circuit trace further includes an insulator. The solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are coplanar and have no overlapping area. The insulator is located between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, and the connection structure is attached to the surface of the insulator. The presence of the insulator allows the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace to be placed on different sides of the insulator during wiring, using the insulator as an isolation reference. This achieves physical isolation between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, effectively preventing the liquid metal trace from corroding the solid metal trace and improving the reliability of the connection structure.

[0013] In one embodiment, the conductivity of the connection structure is between that of the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace. Since there is a significant difference in conductivity between the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace, the signal transmission quality is affected when a signal is transmitted between them. However, in the above structure, the conductivity of the connection structure is between that of the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace. The connection structure acts as a conductivity transition, resulting in higher transmission quality and stronger transmission stability when the signal is transmitted through the connection structure. Specifically, the conductivity of the solid metal is 5.7*10⁷ S / m; the conductivity of the liquid metal is 4*10⁶ S / m; and the connection structure is made of conductive adhesive with a conductivity of 4*10⁶ - 5.7*10⁷ S / m.

[0014] In one embodiment, the liquid metal trace is made of a gallium-indium alloy. Using a gallium-indium alloy as the base material, the liquid metal trace possesses excellent tensile strength, bending resistance, and wear resistance. Furthermore, combining the gallium-indium alloy with other functional materials can meet the needs of different application scenarios.

[0015] In a second aspect, this application provides a circuit element, the circuit element comprising a substrate and circuit traces as described in any embodiment of the first aspect, the circuit traces being disposed on the surface of the substrate.

[0016] The circuit elements provided in this application, by setting the circuit traces provided in this application on the substrate, can be repeatedly bent without damage because the liquid metal traces in the circuit traces have better tensile properties, bending resistance and wear resistance; and because the circuit traces provided in this application have better reliability, the circuit elements can effectively realize circuit connection and improve the signal transmission integrity between circuits.

[0017] In one embodiment, the substrate includes a first flat plate region, a second flat plate region, and a bending region, wherein the bending region is disposed between the first flat plate region and the second flat plate region; solid metal traces are disposed in the first flat plate region and the second flat plate region, and a portion of the liquid metal traces are disposed in the bending region, wherein the liquid metal traces are electrically connected to the solid metal traces located in the first flat plate region and the second flat plate region, respectively. In this structure, circuit elements can be repeatedly bent in the bending region to meet corresponding usage requirements. Furthermore, the solid metal traces located in the first flat plate region and the second flat plate region can be connected to other circuit traces to enable circuit connections between circuit elements and other circuits, thereby effectively transmitting signals.

[0018] In one embodiment, the bending region includes a first bending section and a second bending section. The first bending section contains the liquid metal trace, and the second bending section contains a solid wire. Both the solid wire and the liquid metal trace are electrically connected to the solid metal trace. In this structure, the solid wire located in the second bending section is electrically connected to the solid metal trace for transmitting high-frequency, high-speed signals; the liquid metal trace is electrically connected to the solid metal trace for transmitting other signals. This enables the circuit element to possess multiple signal transmission functions.

[0019] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on a substrate, and the projected area of ​​the connection structure on the substrate is larger than the projected area of ​​the overlapping region between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace on the substrate. In this structure, the projected area of ​​the connection structure on the substrate is larger than the projected area of ​​the overlapping region on the substrate, thereby enabling the connection structure to fully cover the solid metal trace within the overlapping region in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, thus improving the isolation effect between the liquid metal trace and the solid metal trace.

[0020] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on a substrate. In the overlapping region between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, the solid metal trace is located between the connection structure and the substrate. In this structure, in the overlapping region, the solid metal trace is disposed on the side of the connection structure closer to the substrate, and the liquid metal trace is disposed on the side of the connection structure away from the substrate.

[0021] In one embodiment, the liquid metal trace includes a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being located within the overlapping region and the second segment being located outside the overlapping region. The connection structure includes a first isolation portion and a second isolation portion. The first isolation portion is located within the overlapping region and sandwiched between the first segment and the solid metal trace, for isolating the first segment from the solid metal trace. The second isolation portion is located outside the overlapping region and sandwiched between the solid metal trace and the second segment, for isolating the second segment from the solid metal trace.

[0022] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, an end surface, and two side surfaces. The bottom surface faces the substrate, the end surface is connected between the bottom surface and the top surface and faces the second segment, and the two side surfaces connect the bottom surface, the top surface, and the end surface. A first isolation portion is stacked between the top surface and the first segment. A second isolation portion is located between the second segment and the end surface. The connection structure further includes a wrapping portion that connects the first isolation portion and the second isolation portion and covers a portion of the side surfaces.

[0023] Understandably, due to the small gap between the solid metal side near the end face and the liquid metal trace, there is a risk of contact between them. In the above structure, the encapsulating portion of the connecting structure covers this side face, enhancing the effective physical isolation between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace.

[0024] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an end surface. The bottom surface faces the substrate, and the end surface connects the bottom surface and the top surface and faces the second segment. The second isolation portion is located between the second segment and the end surface. The connection structure further includes a support portion disposed on the surface of the substrate and connected to the side of the second isolation portion away from the end surface. The support portion and the second isolation portion jointly support the second segment. In this embodiment, the support portion of the connection structure is disposed on the substrate surface to support the liquid metal trace. The liquid metal trace has strong adhesion to the support portion of the conductive adhesive and is not easily detached, thereby improving the structural stability of the connection structure. Furthermore, the presence of the support portion can raise the second segment, making the second segment and the first segment at the same height, shortening the signal transmission distance and reducing the signal attenuation.

[0025] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on a substrate. In the overlapping region between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, the liquid metal trace is located between the connection structure and the substrate, and the solid metal trace is located on the surface of the connection structure facing away from the liquid metal trace. In this structure, in the overlapping region, the liquid metal trace is disposed on the side of the conductive adhesive closer to the substrate, and the solid metal trace is disposed on the side of the conductive adhesive facing away from the substrate.

[0026] In one embodiment, both the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace are disposed on a substrate, with the projections of the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace on the substrate spaced apart from each other. In this structure, the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace do not overlap in the direction perpendicular to the substrate; both are disposed on the substrate and spaced apart to achieve physical isolation. A connection structure is also connected between the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace to achieve electrical connection between them.

[0027] In one embodiment, an isolation region is formed between the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace on the substrate, and the connection structure is housed within the isolation region. Filling the isolation region between the solid-state metal trace and the liquid-state metal trace with the connection structure reduces the risk of contact between them and effectively achieves electrical connection between them.

[0028] In one embodiment, an isolation region is formed between the solid metal traces and the liquid metal traces on the substrate, and the connection structure is housed within the isolation region.

[0029] In one embodiment, a portion of the connection structure overlaps with the surface of the solid metal trace facing away from the substrate; or, a portion of the connection structure overlaps with the surface of the liquid metal trace facing away from the substrate.

[0030] In one embodiment, the liquid metal trace is disposed on the surface of the connection structure opposite to the substrate.

[0031] In one embodiment, the circuit element is a circuit board or an antenna module. It is understood that the circuit element can be of various types; for example, it can be a circuit board, an antenna module, or any other circuit structure that meets the corresponding functional requirements. No specific limitation is made here regarding the type of circuit element.

[0032] Thirdly, this application provides an electronic device, which includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a circuit element as described in any embodiment of the second aspect, wherein the circuit element is connected between the first circuit and the second circuit.

[0033] This application provides an electronic device. By installing the circuit element provided in this application, the electronic device can be repeatedly bent at the circuit element to achieve the corresponding function. The circuit element is connected between a first circuit and a second circuit, so that the first circuit and the second circuit are electrically connected, and the signal transmission integrity between the two is effectively improved, thereby enabling the corresponding signal in the electronic device to be effectively transmitted.

[0034] Fourthly, this application provides a method for manufacturing a circuit element, the method comprising the following steps:

[0035] Provide substrate;

[0036] Solid metal traces are fabricated on the substrate;

[0037] A conductive adhesive is provided, which covers a portion of the solid metal trace; the conductive adhesive can also be other types of connection structures, which can achieve physical isolation and electrical connection between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. For ease of description, the conductive adhesive will be used as an example in the following description.

[0038] A liquid metal trace is fabricated, wherein the liquid metal trace is isolated from the solid metal trace by the conductive adhesive.

[0039] The method for manufacturing the circuit element provided in this application can effectively manufacture the circuit element provided in this application.

[0040] In one embodiment, the step of "setting conductive adhesive" includes: forming a pattern outline on the substrate and a portion of the solid metal trace; and setting the conductive adhesive within the pattern outline. Through the above manufacturing method, the shape and positional distribution of the conductive adhesive to be set can be determined preferentially; the formed pattern outline is used to set the conductive adhesive, thereby ensuring that the formed conductive adhesive meets the corresponding shape and distribution requirements.

[0041] In one embodiment, the step of "fabricating liquid metal traces" includes: fabricating the liquid metal traces by 3D printing on the surface of the conductive adhesive away from the substrate and the solid metal traces. It is understood that 3D printing the liquid metal along the distribution of the conductive adhesive forms liquid metal traces on the surface of the conductive adhesive away from the substrate and the solid metal traces, thereby effectively achieving physical isolation between the liquid metal traces and the solid metal traces.

[0042] In one embodiment, the step of "fabricating liquid metal traces" includes: setting a mask to block the solid metal traces, and fabricating the liquid metal traces in the unmasked areas by laser spraying; removing the mask. It is understood that liquid metal traces can also be fabricated by laser spraying, and by adjusting the shape of the unmasked areas on the mask, liquid metal traces with different shapes and layouts can be formed; by blocking the solid metal traces with the masked areas on the mask, liquid metal spraying onto the solid metal traces is effectively prevented. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0044] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the electronic device and its internal connecting circuits shown.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another electronic device and its internal connection circuit provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 or Figure 3 A top view of the circuit components in the electronic device shown in a flattened state;

[0047] Figure 5 This is a top view of the circuit elements in a flattened state in another embodiment;

[0048] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A side view of the circuit traces and substrate at position I in the middle;

[0049] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a side view of one embodiment.

[0050] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0051] Figure 9 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0052] Figure 10 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0053] Figure 11 yes Figure 10 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a side view of one embodiment.

[0054] Figure 12 yes Figure 10 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0055] Figure 13 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0056] Figure 14 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0057] Figure 15 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0058] Figure 16 yes Figure 13 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0059] Figure 17 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment;

[0060] Figure 18 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for manufacturing circuit elements provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0061] The embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] Please refer to the following first: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0063] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A side view of the electronic device and its internal connecting circuits shown. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another electronic device and its internal connection circuit provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0064] In one embodiment, the electronic device 10000 can be a laptop computer, a terminal device (such as a mobile phone, tablet, etc.), a smart wearable product, a medical device, etc.

[0065] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Taking a laptop computer as an example, the electronic device 10000 includes a housing 2000 and a first circuit 3000, a second circuit 4000, and a circuit element 1000 disposed within the housing 2000. The circuit element 1000 is connected between the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000.

[0066] like Figure 1 The housing 2000 includes a first plate 2100, a second plate 2200, and a bending body 2300 connected between the two. The electronic device 10000 can be repeatedly bent or deformed in other ways at the bending body 2300 to meet corresponding usage requirements. Figure 2 The first circuit 3000 is disposed within the first board 2100; the second circuit 4000 is disposed within the second board 2200; the middle part of the circuit element 1000 is disposed within the bent body 2300, one end of the circuit element 1000 is electrically connected to the first circuit 3000 within the first board 2100, and the other end is electrically connected to the second circuit 4000 within the second board 2200, thereby realizing signal transmission between the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000.

[0067] Figure 3 Let's take a folding phone as an example. Figure 3 The electronic device 10000 includes a first middle frame 5100, a second middle frame 5200, and a folding structure 5300 connected between the two. The electronic device 10000 also includes a first circuit 3000, a second circuit 4000, and a circuit element 1000. The first circuit 3000 is disposed in the first middle frame 5100, the second circuit 4000 is disposed in the second middle frame 5200, and the middle part of the circuit element 1000 is disposed in the folding structure 5300. One end of the circuit element 1000 is electrically connected to the first circuit 3000 in the first middle frame 5100, and the other end is electrically connected to the second circuit 4000 in the second middle frame 5200, thereby realizing signal transmission between the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000.

[0068] It is understood that the aforementioned bending body 2300 and folding structure 5300 have roughly the same function, namely, they can be repeatedly bent or deformed in other modes. Furthermore, since the portion of the circuit element 1000 provided in this embodiment has good tensile strength, bending resistance, and wear resistance within the bending body 2300 or folding structure 5300, when the electronic device 10000 is repeatedly bent or deformed in other modes at the bending body 2300 or folding structure 5300, the portion of the circuit element 1000 within the bending body 2300 or folding structure 5300 can also be repeatedly bent or deformed in other modes without causing circuit aging or even breakage. Moreover, the circuit element 1000 provided in this embodiment has better reliability, effectively improving the integrity of signal transmission between the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000, thereby ensuring effective transmission of corresponding signals within the electronic device 10000.

[0069] It should be noted that the electronic device 10000 can be of various types. For example, the electronic device 10000 can be a portable laptop, mobile phone, smart bracelet, VR glasses, medical ultrasound equipment, medical probe equipment, electronic manometer, portable blood glucose meter, electronic hearing aid, elderly monitoring instrument, or any other electronic device 10000 that has high bending and micro-motion requirements. No specific limitation is made on the type of electronic device 10000 here.

[0070] It should also be noted that there are various types of first circuit 3000 and second circuit 4000. For example, first circuit 3000 is a display circuit module, second circuit 4000 is a control circuit module, and circuit element 1000 is connected between the two to realize signal transmission between the display circuit module and the control circuit module.

[0071] The electronic device 10000 provided in this application embodiment can be repeatedly bent or deformed in other ways at the circuit element 1000 to achieve the corresponding function. The circuit element 1000 is connected between the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000, so that the first circuit 3000 and the second circuit 4000 are electrically connected, and the signal transmission integrity between the two is effectively improved, so that the corresponding signals in the electronic device 10000 can be effectively transmitted.

[0072] Please see Figure 4 , Figure 4 yes Figure 2 or Figure 3 A top view of the circuit element 1000 in the electronic device shown in a flattened state.

[0073] The circuit element 1000 includes a substrate 200 and a circuit trace 100 with liquid metal traces 20 and solid metal traces 10, as provided in this embodiment of the application. The circuit trace 100 is disposed on the surface of the substrate 200. It is understood that the circuit element 1000 can be of various types. For example, the circuit element 1000 can be a circuit board, an antenna module, or any other circuit structure that meets the corresponding functional requirements. No specific limitation is made here regarding the type of circuit element 1000. In this embodiment of the application, for ease of description, only a flexible circuit board is used as an example for detailed explanation.

[0074] The substrate 200 includes a first flat plate region 210, a second flat plate region 220, and a bending region 230, with the bending region 230 disposed between the first flat plate region 210 and the second flat plate region 220. Solid metal traces 10 in the circuit traces 100 are disposed within the first flat plate region 210 and the second flat plate region 220, and a portion of liquid metal traces 20 in the circuit traces 100 is disposed within the bending region 230. The liquid metal traces 20 are electrically connected to the solid metal traces 10 located in the first flat plate region 210 and the second flat plate region 220, respectively.

[0075] It should be noted that when the circuit element 1000 is installed in the electronic device 10000, the bending area 230 of the substrate 200 is correspondingly disposed within the bending body 2300 (or folding structure 5300) of the electronic device 10000 to satisfy the corresponding bending function; the first flat plate area 210 of the substrate 200 is correspondingly disposed within the first plate body 2100 (or the first middle frame 5100), and the second flat plate area 220 of the substrate 200 is correspondingly disposed within the second plate body 2200 (or the second middle frame 5200). It should also be noted that since the bending area 230 is configured with liquid metal traces 20, which possess excellent tensile strength, bending resistance, and wear resistance, the circuit element 1000 can effectively avoid circuit aging or even breakage when repeatedly bent in the bending area 230, thereby meeting the corresponding usage requirements.

[0076] It should also be noted that the substrate 200 is made of a flexible material to meet the corresponding application requirements. In one specific embodiment, the material used to make the substrate 200 is polyimide. It is understood that various materials can be used to make the substrate 200, as long as they possess the corresponding flexibility; no specific limitation is made on the material of the substrate 200 here.

[0077] In one embodiment, the circuit traces 100 are provided on both opposing surfaces of the substrate 200, so that the corresponding circuit element 1000 has a double-sided structure. In another embodiment, there are multiple substrates 200, which are stacked to form the circuit element 1000, so that the corresponding circuit element 1000 has a multilayer structure.

[0078] The circuit element 1000 provided in this application embodiment, by setting the circuit traces 100 provided in this application embodiment on the substrate 200, allows the circuit element 1000 to be repeatedly bent without damage due to the excellent tensile, bending and wear resistance of the liquid metal traces 20 in the circuit traces 100, thereby improving the reliability of the circuit element 1000 in bending and micro-motion scenarios and extending the service life of the circuit element 1000. Furthermore, since the liquid metal traces 20 and solid metal traces 10 in the circuit traces 100 provided in this application embodiment achieve effective physical isolation and electrical connection through the connection structure 30, the circuit traces 100 have better reliability, thereby enabling the circuit element 1000 to effectively achieve circuit connection and improve the signal transmission integrity between circuits.

[0079] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a top view of the circuit elements in a flattened state in another embodiment.

[0080] In one embodiment, the bending region 230 includes a first bending partition 231 and a second bending partition 232. A liquid metal trace 20 is disposed in the first bending partition 231, and a solid-state conductor 90 is disposed in the second bending partition 232. Both the solid-state conductor 90 and the liquid metal trace 20 are electrically connected to the solid-state metal trace 10. It should be noted that for high-frequency, high-speed signal transmission scenarios, circuit traces need to have high conductivity, and their impedance needs to be strictly controlled. However, typically, the conductivity of the liquid metal trace 20 is lower than that of the solid-state metal trace 10. Therefore, when only the liquid metal trace 20 is disposed in the bending region 230 of the substrate 200 to connect the solid-state metal traces 10 in the two side plate areas, the circuit element 1000 cannot be used to transmit high-frequency, high-speed signals.

[0081] In this embodiment, the bending area 230 is divided into a first bending partition 231 and a second bending partition 232, and a solid conductor 90 is disposed in the second bending partition 232. The solid conductor 90 is electrically connected to the solid metal trace 10 for transmitting high-frequency and high-speed signals. The conductivity of the solid conductor 90 is greater than that of the liquid metal trace 20, which is beneficial for the transmission of high-frequency and high-speed signals. In one embodiment, the conductivity of the solid metal is 5.7*10⁷ S / m; the conductivity of the liquid metal is 4*10⁶ S / m; and the conductivity of the conductive adhesive is 4*10⁶ - 5.7*10⁷ S / m. In a specific embodiment, the material of the solid conductor 90 is copper. It is understood that the material used to make the solid conductor 90 includes, but is not limited to, copper, and can be any other material, as long as it meets the corresponding high conductivity requirements. No specific limitation is made to the material of the solid conductor 90 here.

[0082] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A side view of the circuit traces and substrate at position I in the middle.

[0083] The circuit trace 100 includes a solid metal trace 10, a liquid metal trace 20, and a connection structure 30. The solid metal trace 10 is made of solid metal. A layer of solid metal can be plated on the substrate 200, and then etched into the corresponding trace shape using an etching process to form the solid metal trace 10. It is understood that the fabrication method of the solid metal trace 10 includes, but is not limited to, the one described above, and can also be made using any other fabrication method that meets the corresponding requirements; no specific limitation is made here. It is also understood that the material used to make the solid metal trace 10 can be of various types, as long as it meets the corresponding conductivity function. In a specific embodiment, the material used to make the solid metal trace 10 is copper.

[0084] The liquid metal trace 20 is made of liquid metal. It should be noted that liquid metal is an amorphous metal, a large class of novel alloy materials. It is mainly prepared using a low-temperature melting process, where different metal materials are mixed in a specific ratio and fused together under controlled temperature to form a new metal material. Depending on the composition ratio, the final liquid metal material will possess different functional properties. Its atomic arrangement is similar to that of liquids, exhibiting short-range order and long-range disorder. Due to the unique atomic structure of liquid metal, it possesses superior tensile strength, bending resistance, and wear resistance. It is understood that there are various ways to fabricate the liquid metal trace 20. For example, it can be formed into the corresponding trace shape through atomized spray deposition, micro-contact printing, mask deposition, or laser transfer. No specific limitations are imposed on the method used to fabricate the liquid metal trace 20.

[0085] In one specific embodiment, the liquid metal trace 20 is made of gallium-indium alloy. It is understood that gallium-indium alloy, as a common liquid metal material, forms a thin oxide layer on its outer surface when exposed to air, thereby preventing the diffusion of the liquid metal and helping to maintain the shape of the trace. The liquid metal trace 20 is made using gallium-indium alloy as the base material, giving it excellent tensile strength, bending resistance, and wear resistance. Furthermore, by combining gallium-indium alloy with other functional materials, it can meet the needs of different application scenarios.

[0086] The connection structure 30 connects the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 to achieve physical isolation and electrical connection between them. Physical isolation means that there is no direct contact between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20. The connection structure 30 can be a conductive adhesive. The connection structure 30 is sandwiched between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 to prevent direct contact between them, thus achieving physical isolation. It should be noted that liquid metal has the characteristic of corroding solid metal; that is, when solid metal comes into direct contact with liquid metal, it will form alloys or compounds with the liquid metal material or its impurities (such as oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and other non-metals), accompanied by physical effects such as erosion, cavitation, and embrittlement, leading to the corrosion and destruction of the solid metal structure. Therefore, direct contact between the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 can lead to corrosion and damage to the structure of the solid metal trace 10, thereby reducing the reliability of the circuit trace 100 and affecting the integrity of the signals transmitted through it. Therefore, the presence of the connection structure 30 enables physical isolation between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, thereby improving the reliability of the circuit trace 100 and ensuring better signal integrity for the signals transmitted through it.

[0087] It is understood that the connection structure 30 should possess conductive properties to ensure circuit integrity and enable effective signal transmission between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20. In one embodiment, the specific structure of the connection structure 30 is illustrated using a conductive adhesive as an example. Specifically, the connection structure 30 includes an adhesive (not shown) and a conductive filler (not shown). The conductive filler is filled within the adhesive to improve the conductivity of the connection structure 30. It should be noted that the adhesive can be a structural metal bonding adhesive or a non-structural metal bonding adhesive. Structural metal bonding adhesives are mainly epoxy or epoxy-modified adhesives, and also include acrylic adhesives and inorganic adhesives such as copper phosphate adhesives; non-structural bonding adhesives include silicone, hot melt adhesives, polyurethane adhesives, polyimide resins, phenolic resins, etc. The conductive filler inside the colloid can be an organic conductive filler, such as conductive graphene and polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, etc., containing long-chain conjugated structures; or it can be an inorganic conductive filler, such as nano-silver selenide, TiC-type and TiB-type inorganic conductive adhesive materials, etc. It should be noted that the structure of the connecting structure 30 can also be various, and the materials of the colloid and conductive filler are also including but not limited to the above-mentioned types. No specific limitations are made here regarding the structure of the connecting structure 30 or the materials of the colloid and conductive filler.

[0088] It is also understandable that the conductivity of the connection structure 30 should be between the conductivity of the liquid metal trace 20 and the conductivity of the solid metal trace 10. It should be noted that, typically, the conductivity of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 differ significantly. When signals are transmitted between them, this large conductivity difference leads to poor signal transmission quality stability. Therefore, when the conductivity of the connection structure 30 is between that of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10, the connection structure 30 can effectively act as a conductivity transition, thus effectively improving the stability of signal transmission quality when transmitted through the circuit trace 100.

[0089] It should also be noted that the solid metal trace 10 and liquid metal trace 20 in the circuit trace 100 can be routed in the same direction on the substrate 200 or they can be routed at a certain angle. For ease of description, this application will only take the example of the solid metal trace 10 and liquid metal trace 20 being routed in the same direction for detailed explanation.

[0090] The circuit trace 100 provided in this embodiment is connected between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 by setting a connection structure 30. This allows the solid metal trace 10 to be electrically connected to the liquid metal trace 20 while effectively achieving physical isolation between them. This avoids corrosion of the solid metal trace 10 by the liquid metal trace 20, improves the reliability of the circuit trace 100, and thus effectively enhances the integrity of the signals transmitted through the circuit trace 100.

[0091] like Figure 6 In one embodiment, the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 partially overlap to form an overlapping region 101. Within the overlapping region 101, at least a portion of the connecting structure 30 is sandwiched between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20. It is understood that in the above structure, along a direction perpendicular to the substrate 200, the solid metal trace 10, the connecting structure 30, and the liquid metal trace 20 are stacked in the overlapping region 101 in a "sandwich" shape, with the connecting structure 30 sandwiched between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20. This effectively ensures the physical isolation and electrical connection between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, improving the reliability of the circuit trace 100. In the overlapping region 101, the solid metal trace 10 is located between the connecting structure 30 and the substrate 200, that is, the solid metal trace 10 is disposed on the side of the connecting structure 30 close to the substrate 200, and the liquid metal trace 20 is disposed on the side of the connecting structure 30 away from the substrate 200.

[0092] It is understood that the projected area of ​​the connection structure 30 on the substrate 200 should be larger than the projected area of ​​the overlapping region 101 on the substrate 200. That is, in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 200, the cross-sectional area of ​​the connection structure 30 is larger than the cross-sectional areas of the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 within the overlapping region 101. Under the above structure, the size of the connection structure 30 is slightly larger, which can further ensure the physical isolation between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, and avoid the risk of corrosion of the solid metal trace 10 due to the inability of the connection structure 30 to fully shield the liquid metal trace 20 caused by dimensional errors.

[0093] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the liquid metal trace 20 includes a first segment 21 and a second segment 22 connected to each other, wherein the first segment 21 is located within the overlapping region 101, and the second segment 22 is located outside the overlapping region 101. Correspondingly, the connection structure 30 includes a first isolation portion 31 and a second isolation portion 32 connected to each other, wherein the first isolation portion 31 is located within the overlapping region 101 and sandwiched between the first segment 21 and the solid metal trace 10 to achieve physical isolation and electrical connection between the first segment 21 and the solid metal trace 10; the second isolation portion 32 is located outside the overlapping region 101 and sandwiched between the second segment 22 and the solid metal trace 10 to achieve physical isolation and electrical connection between the second segment 22 and the solid metal trace 10.

[0094] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 yes Figure 6 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a side view of one embodiment.

[0095] like Figure 7 In one embodiment, the first isolation portion 31 extends beyond the overlapping region 101. It is understood that the first isolation portion 31 can extend on the surface of the solid metal trace 10 away from the substrate 200, thereby extending beyond the overlapping region 101, so that on the side of the solid metal trace 10 away from the substrate 200, the first isolation portion 31 can completely block the first segment 21, thereby effectively achieving physical isolation and electrical connection between the first segment 21 and the solid metal trace 10.

[0096] Please refer to the following: Figure 6 and Figure 8 , Figure 8 yes Figure 6 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0097] In one embodiment, the solid metal trace 10 includes an end face 110 (marked in...). Figure 6 (middle), two sides 120 (marked in) Figure 8 (middle) and bottom 130 (marked in) Figure 6 (middle) and top surface 140 (marked in) Figure 6 (In the middle). The bottom surface 130 faces the substrate 200, the top surface 140 faces away from the substrate 200, and the end face 110 and two side surfaces 120 are connected between the top surface 140 and the bottom surface 130. When the solid metal trace 10, the connecting structure 30, and the liquid metal trace 20 are sequentially stacked on the substrate 200, that is, when the solid metal trace 10 is disposed between the connecting structure 30 and the substrate 200, within the overlapping region 101, the first isolation portion 31 is stacked between the top surface 140 and the first segment 21; outside the overlapping region 101, the end face 110 faces the second segment 22, and the second isolation portion 32 is located between the second segment 22 and the end face 110; furthermore, the connecting structure 30 also includes a wrapping portion 33, which connects the first isolation portion 31 and the second isolation portion 32, and the wrapping portion 33 covers a portion of the side surface 120 near the end face 110. Understandably, since the distance between the solid metal side 120 near the end face 110 and the liquid metal trace 20 is small, there is a risk of contact between them. In the above structure, the wrapping part 33 of the connecting structure 30 covers this side 120, which further ensures effective physical isolation between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, and avoids contact between the liquid metal trace 20 and the side 120 of the solid metal trace 10 due to process errors during the wiring process.

[0098] Please see Figure 9 , Figure 9 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment.

[0099] In one embodiment, the connection structure 30 further includes a support portion 34, which is disposed on the surface of the substrate 200 and connected to the side of the second isolation portion 32 away from the end face 110. The support portion 34 and the second isolation portion 32 jointly support the second segment 22. It is understood that when liquid metal is directly sprayed onto the substrate 200 to form liquid metal traces 20, the adhesion between the liquid metal traces 20 and the substrate 200 is relatively poor, and there is a risk of the traces detaching from the substrate 200. Therefore, the connection structure 30 can be formed by first printing the connection structure 30 on the substrate 200 according to the circuit planning pattern, and then the liquid metal can be printed along the traces covered by the connection structure 30 to form the liquid metal traces 20. The connection structure 30 includes a support portion 34, which is disposed on the surface of the substrate 200 and connected to the side of the second isolation portion 32 away from the end face 110 of the solid metal trace 10. The support portion 34 and the second isolation portion 32 jointly support the second segment 22 of the liquid metal trace 20.

[0100] Understandably, the presence of the carrier portion 34 allows the liquid metal trace 20 to be connected to the carrier portion 34 instead of directly to the substrate 200. Because the adhesion between the liquid metal trace 20 and the connection structure 30 is relatively strong, the liquid metal trace 20 is less likely to detach from the carrier portion 34, thereby improving the structural stability of the circuit trace 100. It is also understandable that the carrier portion 34 is sandwiched between the substrate 200 and the second segment 22 of the liquid metal trace 20. The carrier portion 34 can elevate the second segment 22, thereby reducing the distance between the second segment 22 and the first segment 21 along the thickness direction of the substrate 200, effectively shortening the signal transmission distance and reducing signal attenuation.

[0101] Please refer to the following: Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 , Figure 10 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment; Figure 11 yes Figure 10 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a side view of one embodiment. Figure 12 yes Figure 10 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0102] like Figure 10 In one embodiment, within the overlapping region 101, the liquid metal trace 20 is located between the connection structure 30 and the substrate 200, and the solid metal trace 10 is located on the surface of the connection structure 30 facing away from the liquid metal trace 20. The circuit trace 100 provided in this embodiment differs from the circuit trace 100 provided in the first embodiment in that the positional distribution of the liquid metal trace 20, the solid metal trace 10, and the connection structure 30 is different. In this embodiment, within the overlapping region 101, the liquid metal trace 20 is disposed on the side of the connection structure 30 closest to the substrate 200, and the solid metal trace 10 is disposed on the side of the connection structure 30 facing away from the substrate 200. Under this structure, the solid metal trace 10 can be electrically connected to the liquid metal trace 20 while being physically isolated from it, preventing corrosion of the solid metal trace 10 by the liquid metal trace 20, improving the reliability of the circuit trace 100, and thus effectively enhancing the integrity of signals transmitted through the circuit trace 100.

[0103] It is understood that in this embodiment, the connection structure 30 may also include a first isolation portion 31 and a second isolation portion 32; the liquid metal trace 20 may also include an end face 210 (marked in...). Figure 10 (middle), two sides 220 (marked in) Figure 12 (middle) and bottom 230 (marked in) Figure 10 (middle) and top surface 240 (marked in) Figure 10(In the middle). The bottom surface 230 of the liquid metal faces the substrate 200, the top surface 240 faces away from the substrate 200, and the end face 210 and two side faces 220 are connected between the top surface 240 and the bottom surface 230. Within the overlapping region 101 of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10, a first isolation portion 31 is sandwiched between the top surface 240 of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10; outside the overlapping region 101, a second isolation portion 32 is sandwiched between the end face 210 of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10.

[0104] like Figure 11 In one embodiment, the first isolation portion 31 extends beyond the overlapping region 101. It is understood that the first isolation portion 31 may extend from the top surface 240 of the liquid metal trace 20 to the outside of the overlapping region 101, so that on the side of the liquid metal trace 20 facing away from the substrate 200, the first isolation portion 31 can completely block the solid metal trace 10, thereby achieving physical isolation and electrical connection between the top surface 240 of the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10.

[0105] like Figure 12 One embodiment. The connection structure 30 may further include a wrapping portion 33, which connects the first isolation portion 31 and the second isolation portion 32, and the wrapping portion 33 covers a portion of the side surface 220 of the liquid metal trace 20 to prevent the solid metal trace 10 from contacting that portion of the side surface 220 of the liquid metal trace 20.

[0106] It should be noted that the circuit trace 100 provided in this embodiment differs from the circuit trace 100 provided in the first embodiment only in the positional distribution of the solid metal trace 10, the liquid metal trace 20, and the connection structure 30. The structures of the solid metal trace 10, the liquid metal trace 20, and the connection structure 30 are roughly the same, and their structures will not be described in detail here.

[0107] Please see Figure 13 , Figure 13 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment.

[0108] In one embodiment, both the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 are disposed on the substrate 200, and the projections of the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 on the substrate 200 are spaced apart. This spaced-apart projection means that the projections of the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 on the substrate 200 do not overlap in region 101; that is, their projection areas do not intersect on the substrate 200. In this structure, the solid metal trace 10, the liquid metal trace 20, and the connection structure 30 do not form a "sandwich" structure. Instead, along the extension direction of the substrate 200, the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace are spaced apart, forming an isolation region 102 between them. The connection structure 30 is housed within the isolation region 102 to reduce the risk of contact between the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10, thereby achieving physical isolation and electrical connection between them.

[0109] In this embodiment, the solid metal trace 10 includes an end face 110, two side faces 120, a bottom face 130, and a top face 140. The bottom face 130 of the solid metal trace 10 faces the substrate 200, and the top face 140 faces away from the substrate 200. The end face 110 and the two side faces 120 of the solid metal trace 10 are connected between the top face 140 and the bottom face 130. Similarly, the liquid metal trace 20 also includes an end face 210, two side faces 220, a bottom face 230, and a top face 240. The bottom face 230 of the liquid metal trace 20 faces the substrate 200, and the top face 240 faces away from the substrate 200. The end face 210 and the two side faces 220 of the liquid metal trace 20 are connected between the top face 240 and the bottom face 230. It is understood that the end face 110 of the solid metal trace 10 and the end face 210 of the liquid metal trace 20 are spaced apart to form the isolation area 102. At least part of the connection structure 30 is filled in the isolation area 102 to realize the electrical connection between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, and to effectively prevent the liquid metal trace 20 from contacting the solid metal trace 10 to cause line corrosion.

[0110] Please see Figure 14 , Figure 14 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment.

[0111] In one embodiment, the connection structure 30 includes a first overlap portion 35, a second overlap portion 36, and a connecting portion 37 connecting the first overlap portion 35 and the second overlap portion 36. The first overlap portion 35 overlaps the solid metal trace 10, the second overlap portion 36 overlaps the liquid metal trace 20, and the connecting portion 37 connects the first overlap portion 35 and the second overlap portion 36 and is housed within the isolation region 102 to ensure electrical connection between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, thereby achieving circuit integrity.

[0112] Understandably, when the connection structure 30 is only housed within the isolation area 102, the connection stability between the connection structure 30 and the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 is low, and there is a risk of open circuit between the connection structure 30 and the two, which would prevent the signal from being transmitted through the circuit trace 100. The presence of the first overlap portion 35 and the second overlap portion 36 makes the connection stability between the connection structure 30 and the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 better, thereby improving the reliability of the circuit trace 100 and enabling the signal to be effectively transmitted through the circuit trace 100.

[0113] Please see Figure 15 , Figure 15 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment.

[0114] In one embodiment, the liquid metal trace 20 is disposed on the surface of the connection structure 30 facing away from the substrate 200. It is understood that in this embodiment, the connection structure 30 further includes a support portion 34, which is connected to the connection portion 37 and disposed between the liquid metal trace 20 and the substrate 200 to support the liquid metal trace 20. The presence of the support portion 34 means that the liquid metal trace 20 does not need to be directly connected to the substrate 200, but is connected to the support portion 34 of the connection structure 30. Due to the relatively strong adhesion between the liquid metal trace 20 and the connection structure 30, the liquid metal trace 20 is less likely to detach from the support portion 34, thereby improving the structural stability of the circuit trace 100.

[0115] Please see Figure 16 , Figure 16 yes Figure 13 The circuit traces and substrate shown are illustrated in a top view of one embodiment.

[0116] In one embodiment, the connecting structure 30 further includes a wrapping portion 33, which is connected to the connecting portion 37 and covers a portion of the side surface 120 of the solid metal trace 10 and / or a portion of the side surface 220 of the liquid metal trace 20. It is understood that in this embodiment, because the distance between the portion of the side surface 120 of the solid metal trace 10 near its end face 110 and the liquid metal trace 20 is small, contact risk may easily arise between them due to process errors or other reasons. Therefore, by providing the wrapping portion 33 to cover this portion of the side surface 120 of the solid metal trace 10, physical isolation between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20 can be effectively ensured.

[0117] It should be noted that there is also a certain risk of contact between the side 220 of the liquid metal trace 20 near its end face 210 and the solid metal trace 10. Therefore, a wrapping part 33 can be provided to cover this side 220 of the liquid metal trace 20 to achieve the corresponding physical isolation requirements.

[0118] Please see Figure 17 , Figure 17 This is a side view of the circuit traces and substrate in another embodiment.

[0119] In one embodiment, an insulator 40 is provided on the substrate 200, located between the solid metal trace 10 and the liquid metal trace 20, and the connection structure 30 is attached to the surface of the insulator 40. It is understood that the insulator 40 can be preferentially provided on the substrate 200 as a wiring reference for the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10. The liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the insulator 40. Through the isolation effect of the insulator 40, physical isolation between the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10 can be effectively achieved. In the above structure, the presence of the insulator 40 simplifies the wiring process and effectively reduces the contact risk between the liquid metal trace 20 and the solid metal trace 10. It is understood that the connecting structure 30 is used to connect the solid metal traces 10 and liquid metal traces 20 on both sides of the insulator 40 to achieve an electrical connection between them. The connecting structure 30 is attached to the insulator 40 to effectively fix the connecting structure 30 and prevent it from detaching. It should be noted that there are various positions where the connecting structure 30 can be attached to the insulator 40, as long as it can effectively fix and connect the solid metal traces 10 and liquid metal traces 20 on both sides of the insulator 40. No specific limitation is made to the attachment position of the connecting structure 30 here.

[0120] Please see Figure 18 , Figure 18 This is a flowchart illustrating the method for manufacturing circuit elements provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0121] This application provides a method for manufacturing a circuit element to create the connection structure provided in this application. The manufacturing method includes the following steps:

[0122] S1, Provide a substrate;

[0123] S2. Fabricate solid metal traces on the substrate;

[0124] S3. Apply conductive adhesive to cover part of the solid metal trace; the conductive adhesive can also be other types of connection structure. This connection structure can achieve physical isolation and electrical connection between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. For ease of description, conductive adhesive will be used as an example in the following description.

[0125] S4. Fabricate liquid metal traces, which are isolated from solid metal traces using conductive adhesive.

[0126] The above manufacturing method can effectively produce the connection structure of liquid metal traces and solid metal traces provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0127] It is understood that in step S1, the substrate can be made of a flexible material to meet the corresponding application requirements. In one specific embodiment, the material used to make the substrate is polyimide. It should be noted that various materials can also be used to make the substrate, as long as they possess the corresponding flexibility; no specific limitation is made on the material of the substrate here.

[0128] In step S2, the solid metal trace is made of solid metal. In one specific embodiment, the material of the solid metal trace is copper. A solid metal trace is formed by plating a layer of copper on the substrate surface and then etching it into the corresponding trace shape using an etching process. It should be noted that various materials can be used to make the solid metal trace, as long as they meet the corresponding conductivity requirements. Furthermore, the fabrication method of the solid metal trace includes, but is not limited to, the one described above; it can also be made using any other fabrication method that meets the corresponding requirements. No specific limitations are placed here on the material or method of forming the solid metal trace.

[0129] In one embodiment, step S3 includes the following steps:

[0130] S31. Create a graphic outline on the substrate and some solid metal traces;

[0131] S32. Apply conductive adhesive within the outline of the graphic.

[0132] It is understandable that, through step S31, the shape and position distribution of the conductive adhesive to be set can be determined first; then through step S32, the conductive adhesive is set along the graphic outline formed in step S31, so that the formed conductive adhesive can meet the corresponding shape and distribution requirements.

[0133] In one embodiment, step S4 is: to fabricate liquid metal traces on the surface of the conductive adhesive away from the substrate and solid metal traces using 3D printing. It is understood that liquid metal is 3D printed along the distribution of the conductive adhesive to form liquid metal traces on the surface of the conductive adhesive away from the substrate and solid metal traces, thereby effectively achieving physical isolation between the liquid metal traces and the solid metal traces.

[0134] In another embodiment, step S4 may further include the following steps:

[0135] S41. Set a mask to block the solid metal traces, and form the liquid metal traces in the area not blocked by the mask by laser spraying.

[0136] S42. Remove the mask.

[0137] Understandably, liquid metal traces can also be created by laser spraying. By adjusting the shape of the unmasked area on the mask, liquid metal traces with different shapes and layouts can be formed. And by using the masked area on the mask to block the solid metal traces, liquid metal can be effectively prevented from being sprayed onto the solid metal traces.

[0138] It should be noted that the methods for manufacturing the circuit elements provided in the embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, the above-mentioned methods. Any manufacturing method that meets the corresponding requirements can also be used, and will not be described in detail here.

[0139] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A circuit trace, characterized in that, The device includes a solid metal trace, a liquid metal trace, and a connection structure. The connection structure isolates the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. A portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts and connects to the solid metal trace, and another portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts and connects to the liquid metal trace. The connection structure is electrically connected between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace to form a conductive path between them. In a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the liquid metal trace, the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace partially overlap to form an overlapping region. At least a portion of the connection structure is disposed within the overlapping region and sandwiched between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace.

2. A circuit trace, characterized in that, The device includes a solid metal trace, a liquid metal trace, and a connecting structure. The connecting structure isolates the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. A portion of the surface of the connecting structure contacts and connects to the solid metal trace, and another portion of the surface of the connecting structure contacts and connects to the liquid metal trace. The connecting structure is electrically connected between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace to form a conductive path between them. The solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are coplanar and have no overlapping area. An isolation region is formed between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace. The connecting structure is housed within the isolation region. The solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an end surface. The end surface connects between the top surface and the bottom surface. A portion of the connecting structure overlaps the top surface.

3. A circuit trace, characterized in that, The circuit includes solid-state metal traces, liquid-state metal traces, and a connection structure. The connection structure isolates the solid-state metal traces and the liquid-state metal traces. A portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts and connects to the solid-state metal traces, and another portion of the surface of the connection structure contacts and connects to the liquid-state metal traces. The connection structure is electrically connected between the solid-state metal traces and the liquid-state metal traces to form a conductive path between them. The circuit traces also include an insulator. The solid-state metal traces and the liquid-state metal traces are coplanar and have no overlapping area. The insulator is located between the solid-state metal traces and the liquid-state metal traces, and the connection structure is attached to the surface of the insulator.

4. The circuit routing according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The conductivity of the connection structure is between that of the liquid metal trace and that of the solid metal trace.

5. The circuit routing according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The liquid metal traces are made of a gallium-indium alloy.

6. The circuit trace according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The connection structure is a conductive adhesive.

7. A circuit element, characterized in that, It includes a substrate and the circuit traces as described in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the circuit traces are disposed on the surface of the substrate.

8. The circuit element according to claim 7, characterized in that, The substrate includes a first flat plate region, a second flat plate region, and a bending region, wherein the bending region is disposed between the first flat plate region and the second flat plate region; The solid metal traces are located in the first flat plate area and the second flat plate area, and some of the liquid metal traces are located in the bending area. The liquid metal traces are electrically connected to the solid metal traces located in the first flat plate area and the second flat plate area, respectively.

9. The circuit element according to claim 8, characterized in that, The bending area includes a first bending section and a second bending section. The liquid metal trace is provided in the first bending section, and a solid conductor is provided in the second bending section. Both the solid conductor and the liquid metal trace are electrically connected to the solid metal trace.

10. The circuit element according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on the substrate, and the projected area of ​​the connection structure on the substrate is greater than the projected area of ​​the overlapping area between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace on the substrate.

11. The circuit element according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on the substrate. In the overlapping area between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, the solid metal trace is located between the connection structure and the substrate.

12. The circuit element according to claim 11, characterized in that, The liquid metal trace includes a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being located within the overlapping region and the second segment being located outside the overlapping region; the connection structure includes a first isolation portion and a second isolation portion. The first isolation portion is located within the overlapping area and sandwiched between the first segment and the solid metal trace, for isolating the first segment from the solid metal trace; The second isolation portion is located outside the overlapping area and sandwiched between the solid metal trace and the second segment to isolate the second segment and the solid metal trace.

13. The circuit element according to claim 12, characterized in that, The solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, an end surface, and two side surfaces. The bottom surface faces the substrate, the end surface is connected between the bottom surface and the top surface and faces the second segment, and the two side surfaces connect the bottom surface, the top surface, and the end surface. The first isolation portion is stacked between the top surface and the first segment; the second isolation portion is located between the second segment and the end surface; The connecting structure further includes a wrapping part, which connects the first isolation part and the second isolation part, and the wrapping part covers part of the side.

14. The circuit element according to claim 12, characterized in that, The solid metal trace includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an end surface. The bottom surface faces the substrate, and the end surface connects the bottom surface and the top surface and faces the second segment. The second isolation portion is located between the second segment and the end surface. The connection structure further includes a support portion, which is disposed on the surface of the substrate and connected to the side of the second isolation portion away from the end face. The support portion and the second isolation portion together support the second segment.

15. The circuit element according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on the substrate. In the overlapping area between the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace, the liquid metal trace is located between the connection structure and the substrate, and the solid metal trace is located on the surface of the connection structure opposite to the liquid metal trace.

16. The circuit element according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, Both the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace are disposed on the substrate, and the projections of the solid metal trace and the liquid metal trace on the substrate are spaced apart from each other.

17. The circuit element according to claim 16, characterized in that, An isolation region is formed between the solid metal traces and the liquid metal traces on the substrate, and the connection structure is housed within the isolation region.

18. The circuit element according to claim 17, characterized in that, A portion of the connection structure overlaps with the surface of the solid metal trace facing away from the substrate; or, a portion of the connection structure overlaps with the surface of the liquid metal trace facing away from the substrate.

19. The circuit element according to claim 18, characterized in that, The liquid metal traces are located on the surface of the connection structure opposite to the substrate.

20. The circuit element according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that, The circuit element is a circuit board or an antenna module.

21. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a circuit element as described in any one of claims 7-20, wherein the circuit element is connected between the first circuit and the second circuit.

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