Printing of high quality transistors gets closer thanks to the University of Cambridge

by officePROhub.com on 11/27/2011 - 04:11 pm

Tag: Printers

by Susan Wilson

Inkjet printers used to be a cheaper way of printing out office documents but lately, it seems that these printers can do so much more.  Just recently researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a new type of graphene ink that allows inkjet printers to print thin film transistors with greater electron mobility and electrical conductivity.

According to PhysOrg, the researchers had to break down graphite into flakes, a very involved process. The graphite was broken down “using liquid phaseexfoliation (LPE), which consists of sonication of the graphite in the presence of a solvent, N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP).”  The result was then spun in an ultracentrifuge and large flakes are filtered out. 

Then the flakes were used in a graphene-polymer ink to print thin film transistors (TFTs) onto “Si/SiO₂ substrates and the transparent substrate borosilicate glass.”  The final step was to submit the finished product to high temperatures to remove the solvent.

Inkjet printers have been able to print polymer only TFTs for a while.  But those transistors don’t have the same level of electron mobility and electrical conductivity provided by graphene.  Frankly, the polymer TFTs were “too slow for many applications.”  Graphene-polymer TFTs show more promise.

This was the first time that anyone had produced a graphene based ink that could be used for printing TFTs.  The process was outlined more fully in a paper published on arVix.org.  Further improvements will bring the ability to produce flexible electronics that can be printed on a variety of different materials.

Combining this technology with 3D printing could result in some very interesting new electronics.  Imagine printing the body of a new smartphone with the electronics printed right in.  Add gorilla glass and a battery and you’re good to go.  How about a new suit space printed from a new synthetic material with sensor technology printed right in.

Maybe someday we can use a printer like the Brother inkjet printer above to create replacement transistors for our gadgets.

The possibilities are endless but isn’t that as it should be?