Advances Made In Transparent Electronics
Significant advances in
the emerging science of transparent electronics, creating transparent
"p-type" semiconductors that have more than 200 times the
conductivity of the best materials available for that purpose a few years ago.
3-D flexible computer chips
New thin-film
semiconductor techniques invented by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers
promise to add sensing, computing and imaging capability to an amazing array of
materials.
Historically, the
semiconductor industry has relied on flat, two-dimensional chips upon which to
grow and etch the thin films of material that become electronic circuits for
computers and other electronic devices. But as thin as those chips might seem,
they are quite beefy in comparison to the result of a new UW-Madison
semiconductor fabrication process.
INTRODUCTION
Researchers at Oregon
State University and Hewlett Packard have reported their first example of an
entirely new class of materials which could be used to make transparent
transistors that are inexpensive, stable, and environmentally benign. This
could lead to new industries and a broad range of new consumer products,HP is excited about the
possibilities that this development may enable, especially for our customers in
imaging and printing. OSU has used a multidisciplinary research approach to the
creation of these new transparent transistors, purposefully focusing on
materials that have desirable physical properties, and could be cheaply and
realistically produced for the consumer marketplace. The group of "heavy
metals" that could potentially yield new advances also includes such
elements as gold, silver, mercury, arsenic or lead, but these elements have
been intentionally avoided because of their real-world cost or toxic
environmental concerns.
Zinc Oxide in Transparent Electronics
Transparent oxide
semiconductor based transistors have recently been proposed using as active
channel intrinsic zinc oxide (ZnO). The main advantage of using ZnO deals with
the fact that it is possible to growth at/near room temperature high quality
polycrystalline ZnO, which is a particular advantage for electronic drivers,
where the response speed is of major importance. Besides that, since ZnO is a
wide band gap material (3.4 eV), it is transparent in the visible region of the
spectra and therefore, also less light sensitive. In this report we have
discussed fabrication and characterization of high field-effect mobility
ZnO-thin film transistor (ZnOTFT) deposited at room temperature by RF magnetron
sputtering.
Flexible Electronic Curtain
Flexibility takes a
whole new meaning here. It is all about flexibility of transparency and even
shading. This is a join application of transparent electronics and liquid crystal
molecules- a flexible translucent curtain. Japanese company Micro Reactor
System Co. is going to market this curtain which flexible and thin (0.025mm to
0.4mm) electronic curtains.
Conclusion
The transparent
technology has just been born and faces a bright future in the convergent
display market, as the ever-changing market environment appears to be a global
race to achieve new success. Eventually, the technology could be used to not
only make computer and laptop screens but also become part of clothing and
glass-base accessories. Because production is akin to semiconductor
manufacturing and chemical processing, transparent electronics could be applied
to plastics and even paper to create wall-size video, roll-up screens for
laptops, and even fashionable electronic clothing that intelligently picks up
fashion according to personal preferences.
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