| HOME >> BIOLOGY >> TECHNOLOGY |
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Seoul National University (SNU) have learned how to tweak a new class of polymer-based semiconductors to better control the location and alignment of the components of the blend. Their recent resultshow to move the top to the bottomcould enable the design of practical, large-scale manufacturing techniques for a wide range of printable, flexible electronic displays and other devices.*
Organic semiconductorsnovel carbon-based molecules that have similar electrical properties to more conventional semiconducting materials like silicon and germaniumare a hot research topic because practical, high-performance organic semiconductors would open up whole new categories of futuristic electronic devices. Think of tabloid-sized digital paper that you could fold up into your pocket or huge sheets of photovoltaic cells that are dirt cheap because theyre manufactured bybasicallyink-jet printing.
The problem is performance. Small organic molecules have been developed with key electrical parameters close to the benchmark set by amorphous silicon semiconductors, but they are very difficult to deposit in a stable, uniform filma key manufacturing requirement. Larger molecule polymer semiconductors, on the other hand, make excellent thin films but have at best limited semiconductor properties. A patent from British researchers in 2005 offered a promising compromise: blend the small semiconductor molecules in with the polymer. This works surprisingly well, but with an asterisk. Tests showed that actual devices, field effect transistors, made with the blend only worked well in a so-called top-gated structure. The critical active part of the film was on the top, and the switching part of the device (the gate) had to be layered on top of that, a process difficult or impossible to do on a large scale without destroying the fragile film.
Working at NISTs Center for Neutron Rese
'/>"/>
| Contact: Michael Baum michael.baum@nist.gov 301-975-2763 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology technology :
1. Understanding the science of solar-based energy: more researchers are better than one
2. Tips on how to build a better home for biological parts
3. Naviscans PEM Flex(TM) Detects Smallest Cancers Better Compared to MRI in an Independent Study
4. Video: Higher Initial Dose of Gleevec Achieved Better Early Responses than Standard Dose for Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
5. Better business decisions with real-time data
6. Better Nutrition Launches 2008 Summer Nutrition Tour
7. 2 types of image are better than 1 for analyzing tumors
8. Research Confirms Better Oil from New DuPont High Oleic Soybean Trait
9. BASF Podcast - Better Harvest in Spite of Climate Stress
10. ChemAxon Launches Marvin and JChem Version 5: Better User Experience, Better Integration, More Flexibility and Higher Performance
11. DOE JGI plumbs termite guts to yield novel enzymes for better biofuel production
 |
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |