Alternative Micro/Nanofabrication Approaches for Wearable Electronics
Jianxin Zhang, Minqiang Wang
Abstract
The rapid advancement of wearable electronics over the recent decadal span has positioned it as a cornerstone of scientific innovation and everyday life, bridging applications from fitness tracking to advanced medical diagnostics. These technologies enable real-time physiological monitoring, personalized healthcare, and precision medicine, yet their progress is hindered by the limitations of conventional fabrication methods, which struggle to accommodate unconventional nanomaterials and the escalating complexity of wearable devices. This review addresses this gap by spotlighting cutting-edge micro/nanofabrication techniques and novel nanomaterials poised to redefine wearable electronics. We systematically examine breakthroughs in sensing nanomaterials across dimensional architectures, while highlighting innovative printing methodologies that enable scalable, cost-effective, and geometrically tailored fabrication of flexible, high-performance devices. By analyzing these advances, we explore their transformative applications in wearable biochemical, biophysical, electrophysiological, and multimodal electronics, underscoring their potential to elevate device performance and user experience universally. Finally, we critically evaluate the advantages, persistent challenges, and prospects of these micro/nanofabrication strategies, offering insights to guide next-generation wearable electronics. This review aims to catalyze interdisciplinary innovation, fostering the integration of these techniques into diverse applications and accelerating the evolution of wearable electronics.