Note 1 - Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Notes to Financial Statements
Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]	1. Description of Business Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) is a materials technology company that develops and commercializes products made from amorphous alloys. The Company’s family of alloys consists of a variety of bulk alloys and composites that utilize the advantages offered by amorphous alloys technology. The Company designs, develops, and sells products and custom parts from bulk amorphous alloys to customers in a wide range of industries. The Company also partners with third-party manufacturers and licensees to develop and commercialize Liquidmetal alloy products. Amorphous alloys are, in general, unique materials that are distinguished by their ability to retain a random atomic structure when they solidify, in contrast to the crystalline atomic structure that forms in other metals and alloys when they solidify. Liquidmetal alloys are proprietary amorphous alloys that possess a combination of performance, processing, and potential cost advantages that the Company believes will make them preferable to other materials in a variety of applications. The amorphous atomic structure of bulk alloys enables them to overcome certain performance limitations caused by inherent weaknesses in crystalline atomic structures, thus facilitating performance and processing characteristics superior in many ways to those of their crystalline counterparts. The Company believes that the alloys and the molding technologies it employs may result in components, for many applications, that exhibit: exceptional dimensional control and repeatability that rivals precision machining, excellent corrosion resistance, brilliant surface finish, high strength, high hardness, high elastic limit, alloys that are non-magnetic, and the ability to form complex shapes common to the injection molding of plastics. Interestingly, all of these characteristics are achievable from the molding process, so design engineers often do not have to select specific alloys to achieve one or more of the characteristics as is the case with crystalline materials. The Company believes these advantages could result in Liquidmetal alloys supplanting high-performance alloys, such as titanium and stainless steel, and other incumbent materials in a wide variety of applications. Moreover, the Company believes these advantages could enable the introduction of entirely new products and applications that are not possible or commercially viable with other materials. The Company’s revenues are derived from i) selling bulk Liquidmetal alloy products to customers who produce medical devices, automotive assemblies, sports and leisure goods, and non-consumer electronic devices, ii) selling tooling and prototype parts such as demonstration parts and test samples for customers with products in development, iii) product licensing and royalty revenue, and iv) research and development revenue. The Company expects that these sources of revenue will continue to significantly change the character of the Company’s revenue mix.

Note 1 - Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Business Description and Basis of Presentation [Text Block]

1. Description of Business

Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc. (the “Company”) is a materials technology company that develops and commercializes products made from amorphous alloys. The Company’s family of alloys consists of a variety of bulk alloys and composites that utilize the advantages offered by amorphous alloys technology. The Company designs, develops, and sells products and custom parts from bulk amorphous alloys to customers in a wide range of industries. The Company also partners with third-party manufacturers and licensees to develop and commercialize Liquidmetal alloy products.

Amorphous alloys are, in general, unique materials that are distinguished by their ability to retain a random atomic structure when they solidify, in contrast to the crystalline atomic structure that forms in other metals and alloys when they solidify. Liquidmetal alloys are proprietary amorphous alloys that possess a combination of performance, processing, and potential cost advantages that the Company believes will make them preferable to other materials in a variety of applications. The amorphous atomic structure of bulk alloys enables them to overcome certain performance limitations caused by inherent weaknesses in crystalline atomic structures, thus facilitating performance and processing characteristics superior in many ways to those of their crystalline counterparts. The Company believes that the alloys and the molding technologies it employs may result in components, for many applications, that exhibit: exceptional dimensional control and repeatability that rivals precision machining, excellent corrosion resistance, brilliant surface finish, high strength, high hardness, high elastic limit, alloys that are non-magnetic, and the ability to form complex shapes common to the injection molding of plastics. Interestingly, all of these characteristics are achievable from the molding process, so design engineers often do not have to select specific alloys to achieve one or more of the characteristics as is the case with crystalline materials. The Company believes these advantages could result in Liquidmetal alloys supplanting high-performance alloys, such as titanium and stainless steel, and other incumbent materials in a wide variety of applications. Moreover, the Company believes these advantages could enable the introduction of entirely new products and applications that are not possible or commercially viable with other materials.

The Company’s revenues are derived from i) selling bulk Liquidmetal alloy products to customers who produce medical devices, automotive assemblies, sports and leisure goods, and non-consumer electronic devices, ii) selling tooling and prototype parts such as demonstration parts and test samples for customers with products in development, iii) product licensing and royalty revenue, and iv) research and development revenue. The Company expects that these sources of revenue will continue to significantly change the character of the Company’s revenue mix.