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Solid-state heterostructures are the cornerstone of modern electronics. To enhance the functionality and performance of integrated circuits, the spectrum of materials used in the heterostructures is being expanded by an increasing number of compounds and elements of the periodic table. While the integration of liquids and solid-liquid interfaces into such systems would allow unique and advanced functional properties and would enable integrated nanoionic circuits, solid-state heterostructures that incorporate liquids have not been considered thus far. Here solid-state heterostructures with integrated liquids are proposed, realized, and characterized, thereby opening a vast, new phase space of materials and interfaces for integrated circuits. Devices containing tens of microscopic capacitors and field-effect transistors are fabricated by using integrated patterned NaCl aqueous solutions. This work paves the way to integrated electronic circuits that include highly integrated liquids, thus yielding a wide array of novel research and application opportunities based on microscopic solid/liquid systems.

Field-effect gating with solid dielectrics is the basis for modern electronics. Electrolyte gating, however, offers far higher polarizations. Indeed, electrolyte gating has been a breakthrough to electrically induce numerous phase transitions in solids [1,2,3]. These experiments are all done by dripping mm-size drops of the electrolytes onto the active sample. Compared to integrated circuit technology this approach seems “stone-age” to us. These drops are open to the environment, and allow only for limited purity and reproducibility. Heterostructure electronic circuits have, up to now, been comprised of solid materials only. We have opened this materials space to also include liquids. We demonstrate integrated liquid capacitors and integrated liquid field effect devices which are of equal quality or even outperform standard, bulk devices. This work will accelerate discoveries based on electrolyte gating by providing a new platform, and opens a new area to exploit liquid/solid interfaces in integrated functional devices with technological promise.