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The First Paper-Based Transistors

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.

7 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. The Paper! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Have you not seen Read Or Die ? The Paper Master is able to do all things.

  2. obvious uses.. by apodyopsis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "no, I am a genuine 5$ bill!"

    "I will not display the next page of the book until you watch this advert in full"

    paper airplane, and UAV in one

    smart toilet paper (ugh!)

    Q's wet dream

    interactive wall paper

    disposable smart ID badges

    party hats with a difference..

    "I am your tenth cigarette this hour!"

    any more? can anybody think of sinister possible uses?

  3. Re:This is great and everything.... by negRo_slim · · Score: 4, Interesting

    but this will put even more demand on forests and the farming of trees - they grow too slow to keep up with the potential demand of these products...

    Yeah using a renewable and easily managed resource is obviously a terrible idea... Wait, no it's a fantastic idea, I grew up surrounded by a managed forest and while it may stunt growth in the short term the fact is it left us with countryside to be proud of and long term economic activities, especially when you read of developments such as this.

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    On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
  4. Re:out of portugal ? by leoxx · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A solar powered flashlight (and its close cousin, the wind powered fan) make a lot of sense, so long as there is a battery in there to store the energy.

  5. Re:out of portugal ? by kalpol · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A friend of mine has a 1959 Lancia Flaminia that has windshield wipers on the inside back window, for defrosting.

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    12:50 - press return.
  6. Dollar$, Dollar$ by meeya · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Print smart money,

  7. Cheap Transistor Inks by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Paper is an interesting substrate, because it's cheap, but also because it's a renewable resource. It literally grows on trees. It's an interesting development because it's carbon, not a silicon material. It's not even made from plastic, which we have to make from oil. Which means that it could be made from the extra pollution we suck out of the air - the old fashioned way: growing it in the ground.

    What will be really interesting is if we can match that innovation by printing organic inks onto the paper to make the rest of the transistors. Carbon based "wires" on the substrate. Preferably grown from plants (or algae - I'm not picky). See if we can't grow our microelectronics, rather than manufacture it, and cut out most of the waste and pollution, while perhaps making fairly durable objects that can be easily recycled into the environment by just burying them in soil. Atop which we grow the next generation.

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    make install -not war