Heterogeneous Integration and Mechanical Manipulation of Flexible Nanoelectronic Devices

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The current $16B flexible electronics market is growing at an annual rate of 14.5% and is predicted to reach $67B in 2024. Research and development activities related to this technology have been a focus of work conducted at the University Of Waterloo (UW) over the past decade, during which time researchers have made significant contributions to the field. This program will further expand these efforts to create opportunities to lead this rapidly emerging technology cluster and enable the next generation of flexible nanotechnology for a wide range of applications in large-area electronics.***The goals of this program are to develop and combine novel and conventional processing techniques with nano-materials to create functionally enhanced devices for flexible electronics. The program will investigate the use of three-dimensional (3-D) nanowires in tandem with two-dimensional (2-D) electronic materials to develop nanoelectronics that will take advantage of mechanical bending to enhance the functionality of the electronic system. ***In one focus, the integration of nanowires onto plastic will take advantage of the movement of nanowires protruding from the surface during mechanical bending. As the nanowires move closer together the optical absorption of light within the nanowires is enhanced. This effect can be exploited in nanowire-based solar cells and sensors for enhancing cell efficiency or creating optical sensors with high sensitivity. A second study will explore the effect of bending on low-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides to create high-performance electronics that are also mechanically forgiving. ***The combination of the 3-D sensors and 2-D electronics will lead to functionally enhanced sensor systems. The program will demonstrate an integrated technology for conformal sensor arrays. Existing imaging technology, such as digital cameras, have a series of optics in front of a flat sensor to minimize distortion of the captured image. A flexible array can conform to a more functional shape, such as the form of an eye, allowing low distortion and higher sensitivity using simple optics.***The program will impact the solar energy, flat-panel display, and medical imaging industry, and will have a long-term influence on emerging applications for high-performance, mechanically robust, and energy-efficient portable electronic devices. Each of the research components can also be used for a variety of applications, permitting easy dissemination of technology to industry. The range of technical areas to which students will be exposed will provide them with in-depth training in the field of nanotechnology; this training will allow them to conduct future research activities to impact the field as a whole, and to provide to them a fundamental understanding of how this technology will influence and impact emerging commercial applications. **