The First Paper-Based Transistors 177
Roland Piquepaille found news of research out of Portugal that has resulted in the first paper-based transistors (the original article is less informative than Roland's blog). More precisely, they've made the first field effect transistors (FET) with a paper interstrate layer. According to the research team, such transistors offer the same level of performance as 'state-of-the-art, oxide-based thin film transistors produced on glass or crystalline silicon substrates.' Possible applications include disposable electronics devices, such as paper displays, smart labels, bio-applications or RFID tags. The research will be published in IEEE Electron Device Letters in September.
Paper batteries? (Score:5, Informative)
Not paper transistors dammit (Score:5, Informative)
The INTERSTRATE layer is paper now. In a normal FET, the whole thing has a doped silicon substrate functioning as the grid and body, with a (say) metal oxide semiconductor in between as an insulator (interstrate) (MOSFET). They replaced the MOS with paper. It's still a hunk of silicon.
Re:out of portugal ? (Score:3, Informative)
You error was underestimating the amount of insane people out there with buckets of money, well atleast were the Squba is involved.
Not the first (Score:5, Informative)
The first transistors on paper have been published in 2005:
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7387872.html [freepatentsonline.com]
There is also a paper by the same authors, which I can not find right now.
Re:Finally (Score:3, Informative)
Honestly? It's so hard to tell sarcasm on text only forums... If you really don't get it, and want it explained, please feel free to reply.
Here's a tidbit though for those who agree with you and honestly don't get this joke (are there any such souls on /.?):
Hz is cycles per second, more or less (some will argue that this is not what Hz is - go with this) so if you had TP that moved back and forth at five times per second, what would that mean for you? If you then underclocked it by a factor of ten, you would get a half a stroke per second, which is a little more suitable for the purpose of TP.
Okay, now that I feel like an arse for explaining a joke on /., I hope I didn't really fall for one of the lesser known classic blunders... Queue Wallace Shawn (aka Vizzinni for those who don't know ... losers) jokes here: 5 4 3 2
Re:Not paper transistors dammit (Score:1, Informative)
Actually, what they have substituted is not the MOS, but just the O (for Oxide, i.e. Silicon Oxide, which acts as an electric insulator). The M (metal) and S (semiconductor) remain there.
So, yes, it's still mostly silicon.
Re:Not the first (Score:3, Informative)
The patent you link to uses paper as the substrate material for the transistor. In layman's terms, the paper in that article simply provides structural stability transistor on the paper surface. In some sense, the paper in that device could be replaced by a silicon wafer, a plank of wood or some concrete--it just keeps everything together.
The new work has the paper providing not only structural stability but also acting as the insulator for the FET. Usually the insulator would be silicon dioxide, a high-k dielectric or some new-fangled polymer for organic transistors. These guys have managed to embed the remaining transistor components on both sides of a sheet of paper and have the used the insulating properties of the paper as an integral part of the transistor.
All jokes about smart toilet paper aside, this is big-league stuff. These guys managed to engineer electronics using stuff that really does grow on trees.
Re:Finally (Score:2, Informative)