The Internet of Things is taking over, slowly but surely.
The influx of sensors, processors and other electronics required by this emerging IoT and wearable technologies market means that there is a growing need for small, flexible and efficient semiconductors.
In an effort to help meet the needs of this new industry, we have the team of EXTMOS, the Extended Model of Organic Semiconductors, a collaboration from researchers across the EU that are using state of the art computational modeling techniques to determine the best materials to use as organic semiconductors. This way, only the best options will be physically tested.
Project lead Professor Alison Walker from the University of Bath. (Image courtesy of Nic Delves-Broughton, University of Bath.)
The project is being coordinated by Alison Walker, a professor at the University of Bath.
As she explains, "Currently the process of developing and testing of new materials is very time-consuming because of the high number of permutations of structure open to organic chemists. This project aims to develop the tools to enhance decision making concerning which materials are synthesized for a given target device performance.”
She added, "By theoretically predicting the motion of electronic charges, we will be able to test out new materials in a virtual environment before making and testing the most promising materials combinations in the lab. This process will accelerate development of new materials and device structures."
Enrico Da Como, also from the University of Bath, added: "The EXTMOS project is taking a new approach by sharing ideas in a network across multiple disciplines to make a model that will predictably identify a new generation of materials."
This collaboration network through EXTMOS involves partnerships between 8 academic partners, including the universities of Bath, Mons, Bologna, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the research institutes of Nanosciences et Cryogénie of the CEA and the Institut Néel in Grenoble, the Max Planck Institut für Polymerforschung, Mainz and Imec, Leuven along with 4 industrial partners: Novaled, FlexEnable, Silvaco Europe and Nanomatch.
Why Are Organic Semiconductors Important?
While silicon in semiconductors is good at its job, it is fairly inefficient, as production involves a high energy process of growing the crystalline structure. As an example, a separate study at the University of Bath noted that silicon solar (photovoltaic) cells would take up to a year to pay back the total energy consumed in their manufacture.
The trade off is that while organic semiconductors are more efficient to produce, and are more capable of operating under stress, they are less efficient at conducting electricity. Enter EXTMOS, in a search to find an organic option that is both efficient and effective.
What’s Next for Organic Semiconductors?
(Image courtesy of Extmos.eu.)
Organic semiconductors have a wide range of potential applications. The above mentioned solar cell is one, where a photovoltaic hat or piece of clothing could keep your cellphone charged as you go about your day.
Another option is a lightweight television set that is able to be hung like a picture frame, without requiring a heavy duty support structure. The organic nature of the materials could have an impact in medical science as well.
On the IoT side of things, the low cost and flexible printed semiconductors could be used to connect more devices and items around the home, without needing to include traditional computer hardware into the build.
To find out more, visit the EXTMOS website or check out Professor Alison Walker’s research on organic solar cells.