World's first transparent integrated circuit created
19 April 2006
News
Oregon State University (OSU) researchers claim to have fabricated the world’s first ‘completely transparent’ ICs from inorganic compounds. The technology can enable extremely inexpensive electronics for use in 'disposable' devices, and is expected to be used in car windshields, cellphones, TVs, games, and toys, among other applications, according to OSU. The technology might also result in more efficient solar cells and improvements to LCD displays.
The first circuit is a five-stage 'ring oscillator,' a function often used for testing and demonstrating new technologies. Recently, OSU announced the creation of a transparent transistor based on zinc-tin-oxide. The new transparent IC is made from indium gallium oxide. Both of these compounds, which are amorphous heavy-metal cation multicomponent oxides, share some virtues - they have high electron mobility, chemical stability, physical durability and ease of manufacture at low temperatures.
Petri dish contains glass slides coated with transparent electronics
They also will be cost-effective and safe said OSU - alternative heavy metals such as gold and silver have been ruled out because of their expense, and others such as mercury, lead or arsenic avoided due to environmental concerns.
Although there are still challenges that need to be met, work is continuing toward a 'P-channel' device, which would provide a number of advantages, such as lower power consumption, simple electronic architecture, and ability to do both analog and digital processing.
According to the researchers, the electronic capabilities of the materials are sufficiently impressive that have already outperformed organic and polymer materials that are the basis of millions of dollars of research every year. OSU has also licensed to HP the rights to market new products based on this work, providing the university with a commercial partner.
For more information contact John Wager, Oregon State University, jfw@eecs.oregonstate.edu
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