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Unveil The Secret Of Stretchable Technology Through Color
A research team at POSTECH has developed a breakthrough technology that analyzes in real-time the deformation of 'serpentine' structures, a critical component of stretchable technology and visualizes the process through color changes. The team, led by Professor Su Seok Choi from the Department of Electrical Engineering, included doctoral candidates Sanghyun Han, Junho Shin, Jiyoon Park, and master's students Hakjun Yang and Seungmin Nam. The study was published in the December online edition of the international journal Advanced Science and was featured as the Inside Back Cover.
Stretchable Technology: Revolutionizing Next-Generation Electronics through Freeform Deformation
Flexible and deformable electronics have advanced beyond bendable, foldable, rollable, and slidable designs to fully stretchable systems that allow freeform deformation. Stretchable technology is gaining traction in diverse fields, such as displays, sensors, semiconductors, electronic skin, biomimetic robots, and smart clothing.
Stretchable technology largely relies on two approaches: creating elastic materials similar to rubber and designing stretchable structures that integrate seamlessly with existing semiconductor, display, electrode, and sensor technologies. In structural stretchable technology, the serpentine interconnect -- a wavy, elastic connection -- plays a crucial role in providing elasticity to non-stretchable electronic components. Advancing this technology requires a thorough understanding of the structural characteristics and deformation processes during all stages of stretching.
Visualizing Deformation of Serpentine Structures in Real Time
Until now, analyzing deformation in serpentine structures was only possible after physical damage, such as breaks, had occurred. This meant researchers had to rely on theoretical simulations or limited observational data from previous stretching cycles, hindering real-time insights into structural behavior.
The POSTECH team tackled this challenge by leveraging changes in structural color -- color shifts that occur at the nanoscale during deformation. Using Chiral Liquid Crystal Elastomer (CLCE), a mechanochromic material that changes color when stretched, they developed a system that enables precise, real-time visualization of deformation in serpentine structures. Furthermore, the team validated the results through theoretical finite element analysis, confirming the technology's potential for optimized design applications.
Technological and Industrial Significance
This innovative approach eliminates the need for complex nanofabrication processes and provides a clear, real-time understanding of how serpentine structures deform. By offering actionable design guidelines for optimizing these structures in diverse stretching environments, this technology is poised to fast-track the commercialization of stretchable devices.
Professor Su Seok Choi remarked, "This research opens the door to precise evaluation and design of the connection structures central to stretchable technology." He added that the findings are expected to broaden applications and accelerate commercialization in fields such as displays, semiconductors, sensors, electronic skin, smart clothing, and soft robotics.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Samsung Future Technology Development Program and the Stretchable Display Development and Demonstration Initiative under the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology.
Chinese Radar Detects Submarines At Near-light-speed
A recently developed Chinese radar can detect submarines at record speeds via radio-emitting drones.
The drones emit radiowaves that travel at almost the speed of light. Then, the signal bounces off underwater vessels and returns to the radar at roughly the same speed.
As a result, the radar can detect submarines at astonishing speeds, allowing the Chinese military to react quickly to naval threats.
Article continues after this advertisementThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said most radars function by transmitting signals that bounce off objects.
Then, the signals travel back to the radar, enabling it to calculate an object's location, movement, size, and speed.
READ: How Amazon might soon monitor your sleep patterns
Article continues after this advertisementThe Chinese radar takes this technology to the next level by deploying drones that emit radiowaves in the sky.
Article continues after this advertisementSpecifically, they send extremely low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves. Consequently, they serve as virtual signal sources called ghost radars.
Article continues after this advertisementThe scientists behind this technology explained it further to the news website South China Morning Post.
They said a nuclear submarine's radar cross-section (RCS) in seawater can reach up to 88 square meters or 947 square feet.
Article continues after this advertisementThis occurs when it is exposed to signals with frequencies as low as 100Hz. Consequently, "common magnetic detectors" make it possible to detect these underwater targets.
READ: New mobile radar system from Japan arrives in Philippines
Installing these compact detectors on drones enables "gradient detection of targets across the entire field."
Li Daojing, lead researcher from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, tells SCMP that their radar is a "disruptive technology."
Yahoo News says this breakthrough could improve communications between surface ships and submarines. Specifically, it could extend their range up to 3,700 miles or 6,000 km.
Nowadays, Li and his team are exploring its other applications. They published their findings in the Chinese academic journal Modern Radar.
China has been developing other drone applications outside this revolutionary radar system.
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For example, it developed a new firearm for these unmanned aerial vehicles. Click here to learn more.
Canadian Scientists Build Micro III-V Solar Cells With Record-breaking Open Circuit Voltage
The proposed cell is based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge) and has an active area of 0.25 mm2. It can be used for applications in micro-concentrator photovoltaics (CPV).
December 19, 2024Emiliano BelliniFrom pv magazine Global
A Canadian research team has recently developed a micrometer-scale III-V solar cell for applications in concentrated photovoltaics (CPV).
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and other III-V materials – named after the groups in the periodic table they belong to – are among the best known in terms of efficiency potential for solar cells. Their high production costs, however, have so far limited them to niche applications powering satellites and drones. In these devices, low weight and high efficiency are more pressing concerns than the cost of energy produced.
"The major drawback of these materials is their cost, typically more than two orders of magnitude more expensive than technology deployed on a large scale," the scientists said. "To manage this problem, concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology promises to reduce costs by adding concentration optics to solar cells, thereby limiting the uses of III–V materials."
The proposed solar cell is based on indium gallium phosphide (InGaP), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and germanium (Ge) and has an active area of 0.25 mm2.
"Our solar cell achieved the highest open-circuit voltage for InGaP/InGaAs/Ge of different size in the literature to our knowledge," the research's lead author, Corentin Jouanneau, told pv magazine. "The device also achieved a power conversion efficiency of over 30%."
In the paper "Fabrication and characterization of high performance sub-millimetric InGaP/InGaAs/Ge solar cells," published in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Jouanneau and his team explained that they build the cell with a metal contact made of nickel (Ni) and gold (Au), as well as with an antireflective layer relying on silicon nitride (SiN) and silicon oxide (SiO).
The use of plasma process enabled wafer losses of less than 10% and the design of complex shapes, the team noted. They used a process based on plasma etching for cell isolation and singulation, which reportedly enables to manufacture solar cells of any size and shape. As a result, they were able to produce cells with a size ranging from 12.25 mm to 0.01 mm and different shapes: round, triangular, maple leaf, hexagonal.
The cells were then tested under standard illumination conditions, and a 0.25 mm2 cell was found to be the champion device with an efficiency of 30.61% and a record-breaking open-circuit voltage of 2.39 V. This result was attributed to "excellent" sidewall passivation.
The smallest device, measuring only 0.01 mm2, was found to reach an efficiency of 21.40%.
"These cells were not manufactured for their performance but to demonstrate the capabilities of plasma etching," the academics explained, noting that their work was mainly intended to identify the cells that were most affected by perimeter recombination.
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