The University of Surrey has made a significant breakthrough in the development of low-cost, energy-efficient displays with flexible properties. This innovation addresses a long-standing issue faced by source-gated transistors (SGTs) and offers potential solutions for their widespread adoption. The findings of the study have been published in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.
Leading the project, Dr. Radu Sporea explains that the team utilized an emerging semiconductor material called indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO) to create the next generation of SGTs. By employing nanoscale contact engineering techniques, they achieved transistors that exhibit enhanced stability with respect to temperature, a key improvement over previous attempts. Through device simulations, the researchers gained insights into this phenomenon.
The new design not only introduces temperature stability to SGTs but also retains their inherent advantages, such as low power consumption, high signal amplification, and reliability in various conditions. Although SGTs have not yet gained mainstream popularity due to a few performance limitations, the University of Surrey team is steadily making progress in overcoming these challenges.
SGTs are a special type of transistor that combines two fundamental components of electronics: a thin-film transistor and a meticulously engineered metal-semiconductor contact. They offer numerous benefits over traditional transistors, making them well-suited for large-area electronics and holding promise for applications in fields like medicine, engineering, and computing.
Salman Alfarisyi, during his final-year undergraduate project at the University of Surrey, conducted the simulations crucial to the research. Salman emphasized the potential of source-gate transistors as the foundation for a groundbreaking, energy-efficient flexible electronics technology that can address our energy requirements while safeguarding the environment. He highlighted their remarkable sensing capabilities and signal amplification, making them ideal components for medical devices that interface comprehensively with the human body, thereby advancing our understanding of human health.
By leveraging source-gate transistors, a new era of power-efficient and flexible electronics can be ushered in, paving the way for innovative solutions that contribute to sustainable practices and improved well-being.
Source: University of Surrey