Por Pedro Barquinha (CENIMAT/i3N, Department of Materials Science, NOVA School of Science and Technology - FCT-NOVA and CEMOP/UNINOVA, NOVA University Lisbon, Campus de Caparica, Portugal).
With the current constraints on assuring supply of microelectronic chips and on technological/ physical limitations to further miniaturize existing Si-based transistors, the world is looking for alternative approaches to revolutionize electronics. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) have been fueling flat panel display industry for the last 3 decades, and with oxide semiconductors enabling a combination of good electrical performance, low-temperature/large area fabrication and even optical transparency, academics and industry are pushing the boundaries for these devices and taking them to applications beyond displays. Indeed, oxide TFTs are now finding their application space in multiple domains: from low-transistor count flexible circuits that can be seamlessly embedded into everyday objects, to high-density circuits with sub-10 nm gate lengths, where arguments such as compatibility with non-planar device structures (e.g., gate-all-around) and extremely low off-currents turn the technology very appealing for a new wave of electronic applications, where sustainability and high-performance can mutually exist.
For the last two decades, Materials Research Center at NOVA School of Science and Technology (CENIMAT, FCT-NOVA) has been exploring oxide semiconductors and taking them toward flexible TFT and circuit integration, always making use of sustainable materials and large-area scalable processes. This presentation will thus cover an overview of flexible electronics and multiple application concepts being explored at CENIMAT with oxide TFTs, such as multifunctional electronic textiles, targeting revolutionary applications on smart homes and IoT, energy management circuits to deploy energetically self-sustainable platforms in remote locations, and flexible ionizing radiation detectors, targeting uses in radiotherapy or even aerospace environment.
