GaAs nanowires on graphene create new flexible optoelectronic devices
The hybrid material offers excellent optoelectronic properties, says Professor Helge Weman, a professor in the Department of Electronics and Telecommunications at the Norwegian Universityof Science and technology in Trondheim. He is also CTO and co-founder of the company created to commercialize the research, CrayoNano. "We have managed to combine low cost, transparency and flexibility in our new electrode," he said.
The technique uses atomically thin graphene and Molecular Beam Epitaxy to grow vertical nanowires. "We do not see this as a new product," said Weman. "This is a template for a new production method for semiconductor devices. We expect solar cells and light emitting diodes to be first in line when future applications are planned."
"Companies like IBM and Samsung are driving this development in the search for a replacement for silicon in electronics as well as for new applications, such as flexible touch screens for mobile phones," he said. "Our invention fits perfectly with the production machinery they already have. We make it easy for them to upgrade consumer electronics to a level where design has no limits."
One possible device with very large market potential is a nanowire solar cell. This type of solar cell has the potential to be efficient, cheap and flexible at the same time. The invention also makes it possible to imagine a future with self-powered nanomachines and advanced 3D integrated circuits built on graphene and semiconductor nanowires, enabling smaller and more efficient electronics.
Weman sees flexible self-powered consumer electronics integrated into everything from clothes to notepads, and of course traditional cell phones, tablets and exercise accessories. "Semiconductors grown on graphene could become the basis for new types of device systems, and could transform the semiconductor industry by introducing graphene as a preferred substrate for many applications," he said.
The technology has been patented by NTNU Technology Transfer, of which CrayoNano is a spin-off company.
www.ntnu.edu
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