Research leads to a golden discovery for wearable technology
17. 3. 2017 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | news.mst.edu
Some day, your smartphone might completely conform to your wrist, and when it does, it might be covered in pure gold, thanks to researchers at Missouri S&T.
S&T researchers say they have developed a way to “grow” thin layers of gold on single crystal wafers of silicon, remove the gold foils, and use them as substrates on which to grow other electronic materials. The research team’s discovery could revolutionize wearable or “flexible” technology research, greatly improving the versatility of such electronics in the future.
The majority of research into wearable technology has been done using polymer substrates, or substrates made up of multiple crystals. Because the polymer substrates are made up of multiple crystals, they have what are called grain boundaries. These grain boundaries can greatly limit the performance of an electronic device.
By starting with single crystal silicon and growing gold foils on it, researchers are able to keep the high order of silicon on the foil. But because the foil is gold, it’s also highly durable and flexible. The gold foils are also essentially transparent because they are so thin.
Read more at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Image Credit: Missouri University of Science and Technology
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