Process Design Kit and Design Automation for Flexible Hybrid Electronics

Abstract High-performance low-cost flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) are desirable for applications such as internet of things and wearable electronics. Carbon nanotube (CNT) thin-film transistor (TFT) is a promising candidate for high-performance FHE because of its high carrier mobility, superior mechanical flexibility, and material compatibility with low-cost printing and solution processes. Flexible sensors and peripheral CNT-TFT circuits, such as decoders, drivers, and sense amplifiers, can be printed and hybrid-integrated with thinned (<50 μm) silicon chips on soft, thin, and flexible substrates for a wide range of applications, from flexible displays to wearable medical devices. Here, we report (1) a process design kit (PDK) to enable FHE design automation for large-scale FHE circuits and (2) solution process-proven intellectual property blocks for TFT circuits design, including Pseudo-Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (Pseudo-CMOS) flexible digital logic and analog amplifiers. The FHE-PDK is fully compatible with popular silicon design tools for design and simulation of hybrid-integrated flexible circuits.

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High-Sensitivity Flexible Pressure Sensor-Based 3D CNTs Sponge for Human–Computer Interaction

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13203465 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (20) ◽

pp. 3465

Author(s):

Jianli Cui ◽

Xueli Nan ◽

Guirong Shao ◽

Huixia Sun

Keyword(s):

Pressure Sensor ◽

High Performance ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Pressure Sensors ◽

Chemical Vapor ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Wearable Electronics ◽

Wide Range ◽

Flexible Pressure Sensors

Researchers are showing an increasing interest in high-performance flexible pressure sensors owing to their potential uses in wearable electronics, bionic skin, and human–machine interactions, etc. However, the vast majority of these flexible pressure sensors require extensive nano-architectural design, which both complicates their manufacturing and is time-consuming. Thus, a low-cost technology which can be applied on a large scale is highly desirable for the manufacture of flexible pressure-sensitive materials that have a high sensitivity over a wide range of pressures. This work is based on the use of a three-dimensional elastic porous carbon nanotubes (CNTs) sponge as the conductive layer to fabricate a novel flexible piezoresistive sensor. The synthesis of a CNTs sponge was achieved by chemical vapor deposition, the basic underlying principle governing the sensing behavior of the CNTs sponge-based pressure sensor and was illustrated by employing in situ scanning electron microscopy. The CNTs sponge-based sensor has a quick response time of ~105 ms, a high sensitivity extending across a broad pressure range (less than 10 kPa for 809 kPa−1) and possesses an outstanding permanence over 4,000 cycles. Furthermore, a 16-pixel wireless sensor system was designed and a series of applications have been demonstrated. Its potential applications in the visualizing pressure distribution and an example of human–machine communication were also demonstrated.

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High Performance P-Type Perovskite Lagao3 Thin Film Field Effect Transistor Prepared by Solution-Processed

Journal of Physics Conference Series ◽

10.1088/1742-6596/2152/1/012008 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 2152 (1) ◽

pp. 012008

Author(s):

Qian Chen

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Thin Film Transistor ◽

Solution Process ◽

Hole Mobility ◽

Oxide Semiconductor ◽

Future Design ◽

Different Temperatures ◽

P Type

Abstract Metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) is essential to compose high-performance electronic devices, however, the investigation on p-type MOS is relatively rare compared with its n-type counterpart. In this work, LaGaO3 thin films with superior p-type conductivity have been prepared via a facile solution process. Moreover, we have implemented Al2O3 and SiO2 as the dielectric of the p-channel LaGaO3 thin film transistors (TFTs) annealed at different temperatures. Particularly, the LaGaO3/Al2O3 TFTs annealed at 700 °C exhibit an ultrahigh hole mobility of 12.4 cm2V-1s-1, Under the same conditions, LaGaO3/Al2O3 thin film transistor is two orders of magnitude higher than LaGaO3/SiO2 thin film transistor. The advanced p-type characteristics of the LaGaO3 thin film, along with its facile low-cost fabrication process can shed new light on future design of high-performance complementary MOS circuit with other optimized facile-integrated dielectrics.

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Structural color coatings for high performance BIPV

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/855/1/012011 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 855 (1) ◽

pp. 012011

Author(s):

R Habets ◽

Z Vroon ◽

B Erich ◽

N Meulendijks ◽

D Mann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Large Scale ◽

Light Transmission ◽

Low Cost ◽

Solution Process ◽

Structural Color ◽

Colored Glass ◽

Solar Panels ◽

Cell Efficiency ◽

Very High

Abstract Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) offer aesthetics and freedom of design for architects and home owners. This can accelerate implementation and free up new spaces for solar energy harvesting at building level, which is a necessary step towards a climate neutral built environment. Colored solar panels with high conversion efficiency and low cost price are an important development for large scale market penetration of BIPV. Here we report a solution processed structural color coating for solar panels and solar collectors. We show that virtually any color can be prepared, that the desired coating stack can be designed using optical calculations and that the exact color can be produced via a low cost solution process. Furthermore, we show that the light transmission for the colored glass plates is still very high, exceeding commonly used absorbing colors and enables very high solar cell efficiency. The colored PV panels have been tested in real environment and via accelerated lifetime testing for 3 years without any performance decline or degradation.

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Recent Advances on Conducting Polymers Based Nanogenerators for Energy Harvesting

Micromachines ◽

10.3390/mi12111308 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1308

Author(s):

Weichi Zhang ◽

Liwen You ◽

Xiao Meng ◽

Bozhi Wang ◽

Dabin Lin

Keyword(s):

Energy Harvesting ◽

Conducting Polymers ◽

High Performance ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Scale Production ◽

Environmentally Sustainable ◽

Recent Advances ◽

Wide Range ◽

Potential Applications

With the rapid growth of numerous portable electronics, it is critical to develop high-performance, lightweight, and environmentally sustainable energy generation and power supply systems. The flexible nanogenerators, including piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENG) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), are currently viable candidates for combination with personal devices and wireless sensors to achieve sustained energy for long-term working circumstances due to their great mechanical qualities, superior environmental adaptability, and outstanding energy-harvesting performance. Conductive materials for electrode as the critical component in nanogenerators, have been intensively investigated to optimize their performance and avoid high-cost and time-consuming manufacture processing. Recently, because of their low cost, large-scale production, simple synthesis procedures, and controlled electrical conductivity, conducting polymers (CPs) have been utilized in a wide range of scientific domains. CPs have also become increasingly significant in nanogenerators. In this review, we summarize the recent advances on CP-based PENG and TENG for biomechanical energy harvesting. A thorough overview of recent advancements and development of CP-based nanogenerators with various configurations are presented and prospects of scientific and technological challenges from performance to potential applications are discussed.

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Applicability of Cork as Novel Modifiers to Develop Electrochemical Sensor for Caffeine Determination

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma14010037 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

Mayra K. S. Monteiro ◽

Djalma R. Da Silva ◽

Marco A. Quiroz ◽

Vítor J. P. Vilar ◽

Carlos A. Martínez-Huitle ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electrochemical Sensor ◽

Linear Response ◽

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Pharmaceutical Formulations ◽

Caffeine Concentration ◽

Real Samples ◽

Wide Range ◽

Potential Use

This study aims to investigate the applicability of a hybrid electrochemical sensor composed of cork and graphite (Gr) for detecting caffeine in aqueous solutions. Raw cork (RAC) and regranulated cork (RGC, obtained by thermal treatment of RAC with steam at 380 °C) were tested as modifiers. The results clearly showed that the cork-graphite sensors, GrRAC and GrRGC, exhibited a linear response over a wide range of caffeine concentration (5–1000 µM), with R2 of 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD), estimated at 2.9 and 6.1 µM for GrRAC and GrRGC, suggest greater sensitivity and reproducibility than the unmodified conventional graphite sensor. The low-cost cork-graphite sensors were successfully applied in the determination of caffeine in soft drinks and pharmaceutical formulations, presenting well-defined current signals when analyzing real samples. When comparing electrochemical determinations and high performance liquid chromatography measurements, no significant differences were observed (mean accuracy 3.0%), highlighting the potential use of these sensors to determine caffeine in different samples.

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Performance Improvement of ZnSnO Thin-Film Transistors with Low-Temperature Self-Combustion Reaction

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10091099 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1099

Author(s):

Ye-Ji Han ◽

Se Hyeong Lee ◽

So-Young Bak ◽

Tae-Hee Han ◽

Sangwoo Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Thermal Analyses ◽

Thin Film Transistor ◽

Sol Gel ◽

Annealing Temperatures ◽

Zinc Tin Oxide ◽

Thermal Limitation

Conventional sol-gel solutions have received significant attention in thin-film transistor (TFT) manufacturing because of their advantages such as simple processing, large-scale applicability, and low cost. However, conventional sol-gel processed zinc tin oxide (ZTO) TFTs have a thermal limitation in that they require high annealing temperatures of more than 500 °C, which are incompatible with most flexible plastic substrates. In this study, to overcome the thermal limitation of conventional sol-gel processed ZTO TFTs, we demonstrated a ZTO TFT that was fabricated at low annealing temperatures of 350 °C using self-combustion. The optimized device exhibited satisfactory performance, with μsat of 4.72 cm2/V∙s, Vth of −1.28 V, SS of 0.86 V/decade, and ION/OFF of 1.70 × 106 at a low annealing temperature of 350 °C for one hour. To compare a conventional sol-gel processed ZTO TFT with the optimized device, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses (TG-DTA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were implemented.

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Teaching application of watercolor light color technique

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education ◽

10.1177/0020720920936830 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002072092093683

Author(s):

Yin Shi

Keyword(s):

Art Education ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Art Curriculum ◽

Repeated Practice ◽

Wide Range ◽

Light Color ◽

Teaching Application ◽

Design Drawing

As a branch of watercolor painting, watercolor light color has been widely used in different fields. In the field of design, designers use the convenience, quickness, transparency and brilliance of watercolor to draw a design drawing. In the field of art creation, watercolor is usually the best choice for painters to go out to sketch and create large-scale drawings. In the field of art education, watercolor tools are easy to carry, low-cost and easy to operate, which can facilitate students’ repeated practice and outside Sketching is helpful to cultivate students’ sense of color and observation ability. Therefore, as a branch of art curriculum, watercolor light color has a wide range of uses and great practicability, which is worth exploring and studying.

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Towards a Glass New World: The Role of Ion-Exchange in Modern Technology

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11104610 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 4610

Author(s):

Simone Berneschi ◽

Giancarlo C. Righini ◽

Stefano Pelli

Keyword(s):

Ion Exchange ◽

Communication Networks ◽

High Speed ◽

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Modern Technology ◽

Historical Background ◽

Wide Range ◽

Happy Marriage

Glasses, in their different forms and compositions, have special properties that are not found in other materials. The combination of transparency and hardness at room temperature, combined with a suitable mechanical strength and excellent chemical durability, makes this material indispensable for many applications in different technological fields (as, for instance, the optical fibres which constitute the physical carrier for high-speed communication networks as well as the transducer for a wide range of high-performance sensors). For its part, ion-exchange from molten salts is a well-established, low-cost technology capable of modifying the chemical-physical properties of glass. The synergy between ion-exchange and glass has always been a happy marriage, from its ancient historical background for the realisation of wonderful artefacts, to the discovery of novel and fascinating solutions for modern technology (e.g., integrated optics). Getting inspiration from some hot topics related to the application context of this technique, the goal of this critical review is to show how ion-exchange in glass, far from being an obsolete process, can still have an important impact in everyday life, both at a merely commercial level as well as at that of frontier research.

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Optimization of Plant Extract Purification Procedure for Rapid Screening Analysis of Sixteen Phenolics by Liquid Chromatography

Separations ◽

10.3390/separations8020013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Petra Ranušová ◽

Ildikó Matušíková ◽

Peter Nemeček

Keyword(s):

Liquid Chromatography ◽

High Performance ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Low Cost ◽

Sinapic Acid ◽

Rapid Screening ◽

Coumaric Acid ◽

Laboratory Equipment ◽

Wide Range ◽

Methoxycinnamic Acid

A solid-phase extraction (SPE) procedure was developed for simultaneous monitoring of sixteen different phenolics of various polarity, quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The procedure allowed screening the accumulation of intermediates in different metabolic pathways that play a crucial role in plant physiology and/or are beneficial for human health. Metabolites mostly involved in phenylpropanoid, shikimate, and polyketide pathways comprise chlorogenic acid, gentisic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, quercetin, epicatechin, gallic acid, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid, o-coumaric acid, vanillin; two rarely quantified metabolites, 2,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid and 4-methoxycinnamic acid, were included as well. The procedure offered low cost, good overall efficiency, and applicability in laboratories with standard laboratory equipment. SPE recoveries were up to 99.8% at various concentration levels. The method allowed for routine analysis of compounds with a wide range of polarity within a single run, while its applicability was demonstrated for various model plant species (tobacco, wheat, and soybean), as well as different tissue types (shoots and roots).

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Growth of high-quality semiconducting tellurium films for high-performance p-channel field-effect transistors with wafer-scale uniformity

npj 2D Materials and Applications ◽

10.1038/s41699-021-00280-7 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Taikyu Kim ◽

Cheol Hee Choi ◽

Pilgyu Byeon ◽

Miso Lee ◽

Aeran Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Field Effect ◽

Physical Vapor Deposition ◽

High Performance ◽

Supply Voltage ◽

Field Effect Transistors ◽

Low Cost ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Cmos Technology ◽

Oxide Semiconductor ◽

Wafer Scale

AbstractAchieving high-performance p-type semiconductors has been considered one of the most challenging tasks for three-dimensional vertically integrated nanoelectronics. Although many candidates have been presented to date, the facile and scalable realization of high-mobility p-channel field-effect transistors (FETs) is still elusive. Here, we report a high-performance p-channel tellurium (Te) FET fabricated through physical vapor deposition at room temperature. A growth route involving Te deposition by sputtering, oxidation and subsequent reduction to an elemental Te film through alumina encapsulation allows the resulting p-channel FET to exhibit a high field-effect mobility of 30.9 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an ION/OFF ratio of 5.8 × 105 with 4-inch wafer-scale integrity on a SiO2/Si substrate. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverters using In-Ga-Zn-O and 4-nm-thick Te channels show a remarkably high gain of ~75.2 and great noise margins at small supply voltage of 3 V. We believe that this low-cost and high-performance Te layer can pave the way for future CMOS technology enabling monolithic three-dimensional integration.

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