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Carbon Nanotubes and Spongy Polymer Help Transistors Stretch

Posted by Soulskill on from the twist-fold-and-roll dept.

MTorrice writes "To make future displays that roll, bend, and stretch, electronics makers need the circuits that control the pixels to be elastic. In particular, they need flexible transistors. Now researchers have combined a carbon nanotube mesh with a spongy ionic polymer to build super-stretchy transistors. The scientists can pull the devices to lengths 57% greater than their resting length without disrupting performance."

17 comments

  1. Just a matter of time... by ackthpt · · Score: 1

    Soon you'll be able to wear plain white or black close which will change pattern and color according to your whim.

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Just a matter of time... by boristdog · · Score: 2

      Or change the smarmy phrase on your geek t-shirt at a whim.

  2. Useless! by loose+electron · · Score: 1

    Totally useless, you can build flexible and stretchable interconnects and displays, the transistors themselves have no real need to stretch.

    --
    www.effectiveelectrons.com "chips that work" Analog, RF, Mixed Signal
    1. Re:Useless! by kaiser423 · · Score: 1

      If you pay more more, displays flex and PCBs flex. It's been a solved problem and lots of high end electronics have flex PCBs and some cell phones even have flex displays.

      The issue has always been the chips; they don't flex. Having the transistors not fail when stretched/bent is a necessary step, but we also need flexible chips/chip packaging as well as making the pads and solder that hold it to the board maintain a very good electrical connection throughout the bendy process.

    2. Re:Useless! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You couldn't be more wrong. Think of this tech being applied to SoC and ASIC and display applications and not discrete transistors. You'll quickly get to the understanding that you could have a completely malleable phone, or gaming device, etc.

    3. Re:Useless! by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 1

      Flexible transistors would actually be quite useful in the burgeoning wearable electronics industry. A molex under tight-fitting spandex might be mistaken for some strange growth, a nipple, or general happiness at seeing you.

    4. Re:Useless! by loose+electron · · Score: 2

      Nope - just make the chips small enough such they can sit on a flex circuit and tolerate the needed bend radius. I do this all the time with ultra small medical electronics. Or put the silicon someplace that does not have to bend. This is totally a no brainer.

      --
      www.effectiveelectrons.com "chips that work" Analog, RF, Mixed Signal
  3. Is this not just by zacherynuk · · Score: 2

    this: stretchy

  4. C'mon now. Big Picture. by rmdingler · · Score: 2

    I want a friggin' cell phone I can put on in the morning like a slap bracelet.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:C'mon now. Big Picture. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's no reason you can't have that today, though it would have four or five ginormous segments connected by wires across the metal slap bracelet.

  5. Stop!!! by stms · · Score: 1, Funny

    You can stop posting a /. story for every new application for Carbon Nanotubes we get it they can do everything. At this point I would be more surprised if it was discovered that there was something they couldn't do.

    1. Re:Stop!!! by noobermin · · Score: 2

      Yes, instead, we should see more articles about bitcoin and guns.

    2. Re:Stop!!! by TubeSteak · · Score: 1

      At this point I would be more surprised if it was discovered that there was something they couldn't do.

      They can't get the /. editors to stop posting about Carbon Nanotubes.
      Oh the humanity!

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  6. Stretching? The contrary would be more interesting by c0lo · · Score: 1

    The scientists can pull the devices to lengths 57% greater than their resting length without disrupting performance."

    Monitors 57% larger with a resolution lower than a smart phone display? No thanks, I had enough

    On the flip (and flop) side(s):
    * if they manage to compress those transitors to 57% of their resting size without disrupting performance, we may get another cheap two years of Moore's law.
    * (grin) I like much better devices that one pushes - in contrast to pulling (as the time passes, everyone - no matter the gender - will be reminded a meaning of "floppy devices" that doesn't relate to IT).

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  7. How about in more traditional devices by morgauxo · · Score: 1

    I wonder if flexible, stretchy transistors would be useful in traditional non-flexible electronics.I'm thinking that being able to flex and move internally whenever the device is dropped or bumped might make things last longer.