Simplified circuit design could revolutionize how wearables are
manufactured

Date:
August 3, 2020
Source:
University of Surrey
Summary:
Researchers have demonstrated the use of a ground-breaking circuit
design that could transform manufacturing processes for wearable
technology.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers have demonstrated the use of a ground-breaking circuit design
that could transform manufacturing processes for wearable technology.


========================================================================== Silicon-based electronics have aggressively become smaller and more
efficient over a short period of time, leading to major advances in
devices such as mobile phones. However, large-area electronics, such as
display screens, have not seen similar advances because they rely on a
device, thin-film transistor (TFT), which has serious limitations.

In a study published by IEEE Sensors Journal, researchers from the
University of Surrey, University of Cambridge and the National Research Institute in Rome have demonstrated the use of a pioneering circuit design
that uses an alternative type of device, the source-gated transistor
(SGT), to create compact circuit blocks.

In the study, the researchers showed that they are able to achieve the
same functionality from two SGTs as would normally be the case from
today's devices that use roughly 12 TFTs -- improving performance,
reducing waste and making the new process far more cost effective.

The research team believe that the new fabrication process could result
in a generation of ultralightweight, flexible electronics for wearables
and sensors.

Dr Radu Sporea, lead author of the study and Lecturer in Semiconductor
Devices at the University of Surrey, said: "We are entering what may be
another golden age of electronics, with the arrival of 5G and IoT enabled devices. However, the way we have manufactured many of our electronics
has increasingly become overcomplicated and has hindered the performance
of many devices.

"Our design offers a much simpler build process than regular thin-film transistors. Source-gated transistor circuits may also be cheaper to manufacture on a large scale because their simplicity means there is
less waste in the form of rejected components. This elegant design of
large area electronics could result in future phones, fitness tracker or
smart sensors that are energy efficient, thinner and far more flexible
than the ones we are able to produce today."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Surrey. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Eva Bestelink, Kham M. Niang, Georgios Bairaktaris, Luca Maiolo,
Francesco Maita, Kalil Ali, Andrew J. Flewitt, S. Ravi P. Silva,
Radu A.

Sporea. Compact Source-Gated Transistor Analog Circuits
for Ubiquitous Sensors. IEEE Sensors Journal, 2020; 1 DOI:
10.1109/JSEN.2020.3012413 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120141.htm

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