Scientist demonstrates bendable electronics

  • Published
  • By Molly Lachance
  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFPN) --  Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here recently have provided research funding for fast, bendable electronics to attach to unevenly shaped objects like airplane bodies or engines.

A research team led by Dr. Zhenqiang Ma of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed super-flexible silicon chips that can withstand impact and severe vibration.

By adding pressure to the chips, Dr. Ma and Max Lagally have increased chip performance to speeds 50 times faster than previous efforts.

Dr. Ma is also working on flexible photodetectors, or optoelectronics, which are applicable for high-speed photography.

"When the optoelectronics are arranged in a hemispherical or spherical shape, the half space or the entire space of interest can be put under surveillance without a moving lens," Dr. Ma said.

He said he relates the successes in his research to his progress with new forms of semiconductor material, particularly nanomembranes.

"We have developed a number of innovative methods to manipulate these flexible nanomembranes so that their electrical properties can be tailored at will," Dr. Ma said.

The Air Force could have a number of new uses for his research with flexible electronics and optoelectronics, Dr. Ma said. These uses include compact antennae attached to airplane bodies and missiles, flexible sensors that detect mechanical changes, and 360-degree air surveillance applications.

The research is timely and relevant for the Air Force and the Department of Defense, as well as for the semiconductor material and device component industries, said Dr. Gernot Pomrenke, an AFOSR program manager.

"The ability to synthesize and manipulate extremely thin films of solid-state materials enables wholly new approaches for improving performance and reducing the size, weight and power in defense and commercial systems," Dr. Pomrenke said.

By funding research like this, AFOSR officials continue to expand the horizon of scientific knowledge through its leadership and management of the Air Force's basic research program.

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