OE-A shows off nonvolatile RAM, RFID tag formed by printing
printable posts
Researchers get one step closer to all-nanowire sensors
The latest in nanowire research has a crew at the University of California, Berkeley creating the very first integrated circuit "that uses nanowires as both sensors and electronic components." By utilizing a so-called "simple" printing technique, the researchers were able to create a batch of uniform circuits that could one day serve as image sensors. According to Ali Javey, an electrical-engineering professor at the institution, the goal is to "develop all-nanowire sensors" which could be used in a wide array of applications, and the benefit of using 'em is their exceptionally high level of sensitivity. In due time, the gurus would like to make everything on the circuit printable, though we have this strange feeling we won't be seeing any actual results from all of this for years to come.Networks of carbon nanotubes find use in flexible displays
Carbon nanotubes may very well kill you (okay, so that's very much a stretch), but you'll have a hard time convincing the dutiful scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to stop their promising research. Put simply (or as simply as possible), said researchers have discovered that "networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes printed onto bendable plastic perform well as semiconductors in integrated circuits." So well, in fact, that the nanotube networks could one day "replace organic semiconductors in applications such as flexible displays." Granted, there is still much to do before these networks are ready for product integration, but you can bet these folks aren't hitting the brakes after coming this far.Transistors on paper become a reality
Check it, nerds. A team over at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa has reportedly figured out a way to use paper (yes, paper) as an interstrate component of a Field Effect Transistor (FET). In testing, the group "fabricated the devices on both sides of the paper sheet," thus causing the paper to act as the "electric insulator and as the substrate" simultaneously. Remarkably, results showed that performance actually rivaled that of best-in-class oxide thin film transistors, giving revived hope for the realm of disposable devices like paper displays, labels, intelligent packaging, tracking tags, etc. The findings are scheduled to be published this September, after which we're sure any firms interested in taking this stuff commercial will be putting their best foot forward.[Via Scientific Blogging]
GE researchers create printable, flexible OLEDs
[Via MetaEfficient]
Researchers develop scalable circuit printing technique
As if there weren't enough "almost theres" in the world of printable circuits, now we've got yet another team developing their own iteration of a printing press for electronics. The group, which includes scientists from DuPont and Organic ID, has reportedly "fabricated a printing plate used to print the source-drain level of an array of thin-film transistors," essentially solving some of the low-resolution constraints seen on prior competition. The goal is to eventually posses the ability to "print large, flexible circuits using machines similar to printing presses," and while it seems to be a ways from commercialization, initial testing and comparisons to more traditionally-created transistors have produced glowing results.[Image courtesy of HowStuffWorks]
