Biological and Biologically-inspired Materials for Electronics Fabrication
Mihai Irimia-Vladu, Ph.D.
Institute for Surface Technologies and Photonics, Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft, mbH
17:15 - 18:15 Tuesday 14 November 2017 TUG P2 With global e-waste exceeding ~ 46 million tons/year for the year 2016 and expected to rise by at least 4 % for each of the following years, humanity already has a difficult problem to address-according to the GLOBAL E-WASTE MONITOR of the United Nations Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability.
One alternative to counteract the e-waste growth is the production of electronic devices either from naturally occurring (bio-) or from nature-inspired (bio-origin) materials. Organic electronics is the privileged discipline which offers the unique potential for the development of such bioelectronic products that have the potential to be biodegradable and biocompatible.
The presenter and his research group investigated a large number of biomaterials as substrates, dielectrics, semiconductors and smoothening layers for the fabrication of organic field effect transistors and organic solar cells. The seminar presentation will focus on the highlights of our recent research, especially with respect to natural dielectrics: cellulose and cellulose derivatives, waxes, gums, natural resins, alkaloids and sugars, to name a few; flexible or rigid biodegradable substrates; as well as natural and nature inspired semiconductors in the families of indigos, anthraquinones and acridones. We implemented air-stable unipolar and ambipolar natural or nature-inspired semiconductor materials in organic field effect transistors, various types of integrated circuits and homojunction organic photovoltaics configurations respectively. We built fully biodegradable and biocompatible electronics, recording field-effect mobilities in the range of 0.1 to 1 cm²/Vs for some investigated semiconductor molecules. We found excellent stability to electrical and thermal stress degradation of those devices and proved excellent charge transport during testing periods of at least several months for devices measured without encapsulation.
Nature inspires us to choose among a wide range of diverse materials for creating new electronic functionalities, coming closer to a vision of a sustainable electronics world. There are ample opportunities for research, ranging from the identification of sufficiently stable biomaterials employable for device design, development, and optimization, to the fabrication of prototypes close to commercialization. In the end, we may have available a pluripotent platform of lasting technologies for electronics and photonics, changing the way we perceive electronic and photonic systems, with applications spanning smart appliances, sports, healthcare, and well-being. The era of bioelectronics has just begun and we can only imagine the endless possibilities.
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