Novel flexible optoelectronics for sensing applications

传统上，半导体器件，包括激光器和发光二极管等光电子器件，都是在坚硬而坚硬的衬底上制造的；这些器件已经被用于大量的应用，包括计算机、便携式电子和生物医学应用。然而，柔性电子是一个日益重要的领域，因为它可以用于可卷成小卷的大型显示器、使用光伏的便携式电源、用于传感的皮肤上的整合、大规模有机发光二极管(OLED)照明和许多其他应用。柔性电子设备的最大优势是它们应用于传统刚性电子设备无法使用的领域，如一次性传感器、显示器和廉价太阳能电池。 光学材料在我们的日常生活中发挥着极其重要的作用，它们在照明、显示器等日常生活中的应用。柔性光源具有几个优点，包括低功耗；它们可以应用于普通照明和便携式电子产品以及生物光子学和生物医学应用。生物医学应用包括神经刺激、光动力疗法和基于LED的生物传感器等治疗应用。 这项研究计划将专注于为照明、光伏和传感应用开发新型灵活的光电子解决方案。它将结合使用有机和无机材料来制造柔性电子和光电子元件。开发柔性光电子器件的方法将是使用低温生长技术，如脉冲激光沉积，将光学材料直接生长在柔性衬底上。这些基质是生物兼容的，这将使生物传感除了其他传感应用之外。该研究计划将涉及光学、材料和设备的开发，以开发灵活的光电子器件、生物传感器和生物光子学应用。 这项研究计划将实现柔性电子领域的主要进展，包括柔性电子与光学组件的集成，为设备提供多功能的可调光源的开发，以及专注于开发集成无机和有机组件的可行、高效和可靠的混合设备。

Traditionally, semiconductor devices including optoelectronic devices like lasers and light emitting diodes are fabricated on hard inflexible substrates; these have been used for a large number of applications including computers, portable electronics and biomedical applications. However, flexible electronics is an increasingly important area as it can be used for large scale displays which can be rolled up into small rolls, portable power sources using photovoltaics, conformed on skin for sensing, large scale organic light emitting diode (OLED) lighting and many other applications. The biggest advantage of the flexible electronics devices is their application in areas where traditional rigid electronics cannot be used like disposable sensors, displays, and cheap solar cells. Optical materials play an extremely important role in our day-to-day life with their utilization in items of everyday use like lighting, displays, etc. Flexible light sources have several advantages including low power consumption; they can be applied in general lighting and portable electronics along with biophotonics and biomedical applications. The biomedical applications include therapeutic applications like nerve stimulation, photodynamic therapy and LED based biosensors. This research program will focus on the development of novel flexible optoelectronics solutions for lighting, photovoltaic and sensing applications. It will combine using organic and inorganic materials to fabricate flexible electronic and optoelectronics components. The approach that will be pursued to develop flexible optoelectronic devices will be to use low temperature growth techniques like pulsed laser deposition to grow optical materials directly onto flexible substrates. These substrates are biocompatible, which will enable biosensing in addition to other sensing applications. The research program will involve developments in optics, materials and devices to develop flexible optoelectronic devices, biosensors and biophotonic applications. The major advances in the field of flexible electronics that will be accomplished by this research program are the integration of flexible electronics with optical components, the development of tunable light sources that will provide multifunctionality to the devices, and the focus on developing viable, efficient and reliable hybrid devices integrating inorganic and organic components.